to be fair to shearings they do not travel at night but put you up in hotels so this explains the time taken for the journey and also the higher price. their holidays are designed for people who treat the coach part of the holiday as a major part of the whole experience and not just as a means of getting to spain. the daytime only travel gives you the chance to see the scenery in france(which is quite spectacular when you are driving through the rhone area) which you normally miss with other holiday companies by travelling through the night.
i personally would rather just get to spain which is why up till now i have always shunned shearings.
you had a moan about the smoking room on the coach but didn't say why you were unhappy. my only beef about it is that the same people seem to hog it all the way, and if you happen to be seated downstairs outside this room it can be annoying with all the people continually pushing past you and queueing to get into it. that said this only really affects about 4 seats, and being a smoker myself who has sat there(and occasionally-very occasionally- used the smoking room) i do not see it as such a major problem as to want to close it completely.
all that apart i think ferris are one of the best coach firms going to spain.

As we don't like flying we have travelled to Spain by coach for about 30 years. Years ago we stayed in Calella, Pineda, Lloret, but for the last 10 years we've stayed in Malgrat and always at the Maripins because we really like it there. We travel with London Colney Coaches, a local family owned firm in Lowestoft (Tel. 01502 512244) and they will pick up at Thurrock in Essex if you could get there. Happy Holidays!!