West Country coach tour operator Bakers Dolphin has invested £1 million in two new luxury ‘Gold’ coaches for its 2025 holiday programme. The company now has seven gold standard Irizar coaches taking its passengers from the South West on tours of Europe and the UK.
The new coaches will also be piloting a new on-board entertainment system featuring Bakers Dolphin’s own personalised content, including films, TV shows, music, live radio and more. Travellers can bring their own tablet device or be supplied with one on board, with 48 films and 48 TV episodes available as well as WiFi access. The system will be used on some Christmas tours this year and then rolled out to other Gold coaches for next summer, the firm says.
Sales and Marketing Director Amanda Harrington said: “We first launched the Gold coach service in 2008, taking fewer passengers in greater comfort and with more legroom than in a traditional coach. Although the Gold coach tours were slightly more expensive they have proved hugely popular as people love the comfort; they have a little on-board bistro where people can have a coffee or tea and a host serving them.
“The new coaches are even more luxurious with improved coffee machines and WiFi even more comfortable seats and charging ports for mobiles and tablets. We will be upgrading the other Gold coaches for the summer.”
Bakers Dolphin, based in Weston-super-Mare, has been in business since 1889 and has a fleet of 75 coaches, mostly in its familiar blue and yellow livery which are used for day tours and shorter distance UK holidays. The two new coaches were introduced to customers at its annual customer reunion weekend, when 120 people spent the weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon, with entertainment and a trip on the Pullman Shakespeare Express.
