The longest bus in the world – Russia today Publication in CHAT: Russia For many, long bus journeys are a real torture. Unlike rail transport, automobile transport cannot provide a high level of comfort. Did you know that people have ever used the longest bus route in the world, more than 16 thousand kilometers long. It was a flight from London to the Indian city of Calcutta, which lasted 50 days. The bus route from London to Calcutta is considered the longest in history! It was launched in 1957 by Albert Travel and existed until 1976. The first bus from the capital of Great Britain departed on April 15, 1957 and arrived in Calcutta on June 5. The bus went from Great Britain to Belgium, then went through West Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan. The cost of the trip was 85 pounds one way. Considering modern realities, this is 2062 pounds (185 thousand rubles). Later, in the 70s, the ticket price rose to 145 pounds. The ticket price included not only travel, but also food and accommodation. The Albert Travel buses themselves were specially adapted for such long journeys. Each of them had reading areas, a well-equipped kitchen and separate sleeping places for each passenger. Each seat was served by individual heaters and fans. In the early 70s, new buses with an observation deck on the roof began to be released on the route. The hall was also equipped with a music system for organizing parties. As you may have guessed, such trips were most popular among young people. The London-Calcutta route was even sometimes called the "hippie route". Along the way, the bus stopped at places popular with tourists. Among them were Vienna, Salzburg, Istanbul, Tehran, Kabul, Varanasi and the Taj Mahal. The transfers in these cities were long and travelers could not only see the sights, but also do some shopping. In the 70s, demand for the longest flight fell. There were many reasons for this. First of all, air transport competed with automobile transport. By that time, air tickets had fallen significantly in price and became affordable to many. The increasingly complicated political situation in Central Asia also played a role, making travel unsafe. Source link Source link