During my on-going time in Newcastle, I have been in four rather large bus stations, one of them…read morebeing this one here at Haymarket, it is one of the two main bus stations serving the city centre of Newcastle, alongside the one at Eldon Square. Compared to the other stations i have visited in the area: Gateshead, Metrocentre and Eldon Square this is sadly one of the poorest due to the old fashioned nature of the store, it is located and built into the huge Marks and Spencer store in Newcastle, yet it is quite convenient the location as it also has direct access into the food hall, making it quite quick and easy to get perhaps a snack or something to eat before you travel. One of the main reasons I dislike Haymarket is the old fashioned nature of the building, unlike the other three they don't have a large electronic board showing your next bus to your destination, instead it just had individual ones with the final destination of the bus, for example 23 Angel at each stand. There also is a really small Cosy Newsagents into the bus station and a metro station opposite, there now seems to be slightly fewer services calling in after Eldon Square's bus station, which seems quite new came into effect, I sadly feel due to rivals for city centre and other bus stations and the old fashioned nature of this bus station,Haymarket Station only deserves a two star rating, gaining an extra star through providing buses to that area of the city centre, fairly close to the end of Northumberland Street and the likes of Starbucks, Lloyds Bank and TSB.

In town recently for the Newcastle vs. West Ham game, we took a train to London the next morning…read more Being our first time in town, we didn't know what to expect in terms of the station, but our experience was positive and in line with the other reviews... We found the staff helpful, the station easy enough to navigate, etc... I was glad that we arrived early to find which platform our LNER train was on (#3) and then figure out what area to board based on our prebooked tickets. I didn't realize until it was too late that there was a designated warmer indoor area for us to wait. Bummer! Our train departed on time but did hit a delay on our route... clearly that is not the fault of the Newcastle Central Station, however. I'm not sure if/when I'll be back, but if you find yourself in the area, this is a beautiful station to come into or out of. Safe travels!

It's living history in this city of seven bridges. The train station is 224 years old and it is…read morefree to go into, explore and admire. The station opened in August 1850, as part of the then Newcastle & Carlisle Railway and York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway. Now it's a Grade 1 listed building located in the city's Grainger Town area, to the west of the Castle Keep. The station was noted for its complex set of diamond crossings to the east of the station which facilitated access to the High Level Bridge and northbound East Coast Main Line and was said to be the greatest such crossing in the world. The crossing was the subject of many early-1900s post cards, titled The Largest Railway Crossing in the World, photographed from the castle (towards the station), or from the station towards the castle. Trains cross the River Tyne on one of two bridges. The older High Level Bridge, south-east of the station, was designed by Robert Stephenson opened on 27 September 1849. Its location meant north-south trains had to reverse in the station to continue their journey. The King Edward VII Bridge south-west of the station opened on 10 July 1906 allowing north-south trains to continue without reversing. The two bridges enable the trackwork north and south of the river to form a complete circle, allowing trains to be turned if necessary. The former Gateshead depot next to the connecting tracks on the south side of the Tyne, mirrored Newcastle station.

The MetroCentre Interchange is a fairly nice public transportation Interchange, mainly serving the…read moreintu Metrocentre, which is the largest shopping centre in the UK. It is actually fairly unusual for a shopping centre to have its' own devoted Interchange, and something I have only seen once before in the case of Meadowhall in Sheffield, both of them are down to location, these large shopping centres are often located out of town, hence an Interchange for the likes of buses and trains is needed. From the Interchange, it can be slightly tricky finding your way to the Metrocentre if you're a first-time visitor, as you normally have to go up a lift and the signage, in that case, could be improved. The Interchange has an adjoining Railway Station, and in its-self, it has 12 platforms, served by most operators including GO North East, Arriva and Stagecoach. Services to and from here can go to the likes of intu Eldon Square, Central Station, Durham and Gateshead. When I visited, there seemed to be a small delay of the buses going into Newcastle and Gateshead, hence causing confusion, as I didn't mind which bus I was going to get on as they were both roughly the same distance on foot from my Hilton hotel, I managed to wait around the same area which they were both located at. The use of big screens such as at intu Eldon Square and more staff around the Interchange showing the next bus to each destination and not just the "final destination" stated on the bus would also have been useful. A medium to high two-star rating for this Interchange, which is let down by issues such as the slightly complicated nature, big screens and the station being understaffed.

Going to keep this review simple. Overall not somewhere I would want to be waiting for any period…read moreof time. No luxuries and rather unfriendly, which as all Geordies know, is a rare thing! Good points - Located not far from Central Station which has an abundance of shops/eateries - Staff are helpful enough Areas for improvement: - Food and drink facilities in the coach station consist of two vending machines only - Very limited seating inside - Display boards for departures/arrivals only seen from outside - Cold building and limited shelter from the elements outside

Haymarket Metro is one of the stations serving Newcastle city centre on the Tyne and Wear Metro…read moresystem, it is located in Haymarket, close to the bus station and Northumberland Street. It is in a decent, central location and is the nearest metro station to places such as Newcastle University. As a station, it is slightly old-fashioned in parts, although some parts are slightly newer, having some work done around 2009/2010. There wasn't a huge staffed presence at this station, some parts, before you got to the main platform, seemed to have not changed much in the refurb, so this wasn't the greatest, nicest or brightest metro station in parts, which is a shame. I'm struggling to comment further - this metro station is probably below average, but in a decent location. Would it be missed if this station wasn't here? Probably because of the need for a metro-station in the Haymarket area, which is close to the University and the City centre of Newcastle/Northumberland Street, hence warranting at least a two-star rating.

At the moment I rate this metro station with two stars only since it is on ongoing maintenance and…read morerenovation thus imposing difficulty for the metro users, especially during the evenings when regularly most of the work is carried out. Since the Heymarket market station is located in one of the busiest areas in Newcastle and next to Newcastle university it has all the necessary facilities: 3 escalators ( the third recently placed), elevator and kiosks. The way to the platform is very steep so the use of escalators is essential. It is cleaned regularly and is very well lit at night time. The big advantage is the regular service.

This firm no longer exist, they merged with noda Taxi's…read moreCharge the same as the local black cabs.

If you're stranded in town with a bunch of drunk zombies and you're still able to walk then head…read moredown to the Metro City Taxi Office in town. Tucked away under the old bus station (next to the fire station), it's fairly central and easy to get to. Of course, you could always call them if you have money on your talkie stick. Unlike the black cabs about town, this is a private hire firm so it's not going to have cost silly money before you go anywhere. 7 seater and wheelchair vehicles are available. The drivers are chatty but know when to shut up which is an added bonus. They are very reliable too, I've never had to wait more than 3 minutes for a ride.

Galashiels Bus Station is one of the coldest locations in the whole worldin true bus station…read moretradition it seems to attract every cold wind and shower of rain going. The station is mostly served by First Bus whose drivers are cool but whose customer services leave a lot to be desired. The station has recently had some new fences and gate added after some of the local wild-life decided to decorate one of the buses with their own brand of youth culture. Anyway the decision to remove the 30p charge for use of the toilets has been greatly welcomed!

I heard about West End Cabs from a local friend staying at the Lindisfarne Island. The owner Martin…read morehelped me organize a pick up for my trip to the area to do some archaeology. While my original booking became untenable due to a car service in London missing a connection with me, Martin was very helpful in getting me booked with another taxi and then came through when it was time to leave the island (which is tricky due to tides and a causeway). KUDOS to Martin and West End Cabs, my highest compliments!

From Edinburgh, we took a train to Berwick-Upon-tweed. From there we happened to get cab driver,…read moreMartin, who took us to Bamburgh Castle in Northumbria, England. At the end of the castle tour, my sister became extremely unwell and we called Martin back to pick us up. At the time, we thought he would just take us back to the bus station. However, he agreed he would take us all the way back to Edinburgh (and he hauled a$$)!! He went out of his way to help us and we greatly appreciate him! He literally was a God send for us that day. I don't think any other cab driver would have done that. THAT will forever be a day we won't forget from our vacation!

If you value your time, don't bother. The taxi was 45 minutes late, when asked for compensation…read morethe driver had a hissy fit, certainly won't be using ABC Taxis again.

A nice taxi company if you can't get Blueline. Great prices and willing to pick up and drop…read moreanywhere. They turn up when they say they will and don't have crazy prices if you just hale one in town.