Tour bus
Encyclopedia
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service that takes visitors sightseeing, with routes around tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
s. Double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
es and/or open top bus
Open top bus
An open top bus is a bus, usually but not exclusively a double-decker bus, where all or part of the roof has been removed to enable enjoyment of fresh air and uninterrupted views.-Usage:...
es are commonly used, for their good views.
The biggest tour bus company is City Sightseeing
City Sightseeing
City Sightseeing is a global sightseeing bus brand, started by Ensignbus and the Spanish , which operates tour bus rides worldwide.Typically the tours consist of an open top double-decker bus. As the bus travels around the town or city, pre-recorded or live commentary is provided. City Sightseeing...
, which operates worldwide, as does Gray Line Worldwide
Gray Line Worldwide
Gray Line Worldwide operates local sightseeing tours across the world using trolley coaches, double-deckers and standard single deck coaches. It also offers charter services, airport transfers and convention services....
.
Large coaches
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
are used in used in North America for tour operators for short and long distant destinations.
These buses are larger than regular transit buses with 2 to 3 axles (4 to 6 wheels). These buses are used by tour operators, intecity bus lines and charters.
The history of tour buses in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
began in the early 20th Century when trucks were converted to provide a means for sightseeing within large American cities. Gray Line
Gray Line Worldwide
Gray Line Worldwide operates local sightseeing tours across the world using trolley coaches, double-deckers and standard single deck coaches. It also offers charter services, airport transfers and convention services....
, the largest sightseeing operators began operations in 1910. Sightseeing was likely a side buses for many intercity bus operators as the same types of buses were used (and remains so today). World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as the industry decline, but it slowly re-emerged as an alternative to driving.
Many musicians, entertainers, dancing crews and bands
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
travel in "tour buses".
Features
- padded fabric front-facing seats
- TV monitors connected to DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
or VCR to provide entertainment - basic lavatory - riders may be discouraged against using it (emergency only), but some newer buses feature full service lavatory
- wheelchair ramp - newer buses
- tinted windows
- luggage compartment below in the underbelly of bus, replaced over racks
Tour coach manufacturers
- Motor Coach IndustriesMotor Coach IndustriesMotor Coach Industries International Inc. is an American bus manufacturer based in Schaumburg, Illinois, and is a leading participant in the North American coach bus industry. It has various operating subsidiaries:...
- Volvo BusesVolvo BusesVolvo Buses is a subsidiary and a business area of the Swedish vehicle maker Volvo, which became an independent division in 1968. It is based in Göteborg....
- Mercedes-Benz busesMercedes-Benz busesMercedes-Benz has been making buses since 1895 in Mannheim in Germany. Since 1995, the brand of Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches is under the umbrella of EvoBus GmbH, belonging 100 % to the Daimler AG.-Heritage:...
See also
- Customised busesCustomised busesCustomised buses are buses that have been modified for decorative purposes. The customisation is unrelated to performing their job or work, usually as public transport buses...
- Tourist trolleyTourist trolleyA tourist trolley, also called a road trolley, is a rubber-tired bus , which is made to resemble an old-style streetcar or tram....
- Tour operatorTour operatorA tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a holiday. The most common example of a tour operator's product would be a flight on a charter airline plus a transfer from the airport to a hotel and the services of a local representative, all for one price. Niche tour...
- Intercity busIntercity busAn intercity bus is a bus that carries passengers significant distances between different cities, towns, or other populated areas. Unlike a municipal bus, which has frequent stops throughout a city or town, an intercity bus generally has a single stop at a centralized location within the city, and...
- List of buses