My husband and I recently joined 42 person Bus Tour.
While not my favorite way to sightsee, the Big Bus Tour can be an efficient and cost effective way to see many places of interest in a limited time. I knew we would see a lot and hopefully have some fun experiences. I don’t like being restricted to someone else’s schedule and often I find the process of being with 42 people from morning until night frustrating, but the benefits outweighed the risks this time. (Disclosure: We did receive an industry discount on the price of this tour.)
You can read my earlier post on “Group Touring: Some Pros and Cons”, which detail some things to consider before signing on to such a trip. While I was on this trip, I thought about some things you might like to know before going. What follows is my own idiosyncratic list of tips for a more enjoyable tour.
Tips for Surviving and Thriving on a 42 Person Bus Tour
Decode the Itinerary
When reading the tour itinerary, here are some key words to help you know what to expect on the tour:
“Panoramic City Tour” and “Scenic Touring”- This means you will be on the bus for several hours while looking out the windows at the scenery as you drive past it. There will be limited stops. Be prepared for motion sickness (yours and others’ if that bothers you).
“Included visits to:”-Your entry fee will be paid for by the driver/guide. It may be a stop where you will visit a business for a tour and shopping time. These visits are built into the itinerary. If you want to go to a museum or something not listed in the inclusions, then you will have to find time to go on your own and pay the entrance fee yourself.
“Opportunity to”-means that there will be a scheduled stop but you will have to pay your own way in; there may be options on what to see and do. We did stop at the Blarney Castle and paid our own entry fee. Some people waited in line for almost an hour to kiss the Blarney Stone, and some people just wandered the grounds visiting the many different gardens.
Be On Time-Or Even Early
Be prepared to mind the time limits set by the driver/guide and itinerary. You really don’t want to be labeled as “THE LATE ONE.”
When you get that first “Be Back on the Bus by 1:45” direction, synchronize your watch so that you are on “tour time.”
To get back on time, you could set the timer or alarm on your phone. Set it for 5 minutes before the required meeting time. You will be more relaxed if you are back to the bus a few minutes early than if you are the last person walking down that bus aisle. The rest of the group will also appreciate it!
This advice also applies to group meals. On our tour, there was a family group of 12 and another family group of 8. When they walked into the hotel dining room 10 minutes after the start time for dinner, there were only a few seats together, scattered across the group tables. They didn’t like having to separate for the meal. You can be sure that they were on time or early for the rest of the meals.
Get to Know your Driver/Guide ( if possible)
You can get a lot of insights into the area, along with recommendations for food, drink, shopping, if you ask. Of course, be courteous and don’t monopolize the driver/guide’s time. Our driver had so much knowledge about the economics and daily life in Ireland it was great asking him questions.
Don’t count on the bus bathroom being usable
Our bus did have a bathroom on it, but the flush stopped working about halfway through Day 3 and the driver/guide really couldn’t fix it easily. Take pit stops when the bus stops.
Be considerate of your fellow bus mates
With a lot of people in close quarters, be mindful of strong perfumes or deodorants, food and drinks, (many tours have rules about food and drinks on the bus).
IF the bus driver says to switch seats on a daily basis, be a good sport and let others have the front or the back. On our recent tour, the family of 12 really didn’t mind sitting in the back, so everyone let them. Some people never really gave up the front seats. Some tours will have a set plan for switching seats.
Don’t talk to others when the driver/guide is talking. I had some people behind me who just kept up their conversations with seat mates, making it hard for me to hear the driver.
Be ready to take a lot of photos out the bus window
One thing that helped me was to set the camera on “burst mode” or “continuous mode.”
I could take a lot of photos as we drove by something, then edit down and keep only to best ones.
Rain and blurring can make for interesting effects.
If you follow some of these tips, you are sure to have a more enjoyable bus tour. Let me know what works for you!
Good To Know:
Our tour operator was Celtic Tours and it was the 6-day “Heart of Ireland” Tour. The bus driver was also our guide and tour manager. I applaud him for his excellent driving skills, always being helpful, and giving us so much information about Ireland. 42 people is a lot to wrangle around Ireland.
