The earliest horse drawn buses date back to 1820s England. By the 1830s, steam powered buses were making regular intercity trips. Today, motor coaches transport more than 751 million passengers each year. The continuing popularity of bus travel is due its practicality, low cost and comfort.
If you haven?t travelled by bus in a long time, apart from short hops at the airport, you?re in for a pleasant surprise. If you book a bus for your next family reunion, school or church outing, or neighbors day trip to the malls or museums, you?ll find a level of comfort that the old yellow school buses can?t match. Chartering a bus makes sense for so many reasons, but if we had to choose, we?d pick the following five top reasons to charter a bus.
- They?re comfortable
If you haven?t travelled on a bus in a long time, you won?t be prepared for the level of comfort you will encounter. Buses nowadays have WiFi, personal video screens and headphones, air conditioning and reclining seats. They have snacks and drinks on board, and even room to move around in the wide aisles. You can relax, gossip, sleep or catch up on entertainment or work. - Buses are eco-friendly
Buses are the most ecofriendly form of transportation. They have the smallest carbon footprint of any form of public transport, getting more than 206 passenger miles per gallon of fuel. Compare that to 92 passenger MPG for commuter rail, 44 passenger MPG for domestic air travel, and 27 MPG for single passenger automobiles. They also emit correspondingly lower amounts of carbon dioxide. - Charter buses are convenient
You can make multiple stops to pick up all passengers, and even make unscheduled stops. If passengers see a roadside farmstand or antique store that they absolutely must visit, all you have to do is ask the driver. Chartering a bus is also a cost-efficient form of travel. - You can set your own schedule
Chartering a bus gives you the freedom to set your own schedule, with timings that are suitable for everyone. You don?t have to keep to someone else?s schedule, or worry about getting to each stop on time. - You can leave the driving to the professionals
Driving can be stressful. With a professional driver at the wheel, no one needs to miss out the fun. You can spend travel time relaxing, chatting and catching up with family and friends, listening to music or watching a movie. Or you can just shut out the world and watch the landscape unfolding outside your window.
With all these reasons for chartering a bus, it?s the obvious choice next time you?re planning a trip with a group of people. One reason that isn?t mentioned here is the nostalgia factor. No matter how different the amenities and even the surroundings, there?s something about buses that brings back happy childhood memories of school trips and summer camp. A charter bus trip is an occasional to create more memories.