The journey from London to Calcutta in the 1950s was considered the longest coach journey in the world. Even today, in the age of modern motorways, it seems like a crazy idea. Currently, the first place in the Guinness Book of Records is occupied by the route from Lima to Rio de Janeiro. How many kilometers is it? How long does it take to travel across Europe by bus?
We present the longest and also the shortest coach routes! Such a journey is undoubtedly an extraordinary experience, an opportunity to experience many adventures and the opportunity to admire fantastic landscapes.
The history of the longest coach line
In the 1950s, a bus service from London to Calcutta was launched. Albert Bus covered the route in 50 days, passing through West Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, all the way to India. Passengers could count on stops in Salzburg, Istanbul and Tehran.
There were many amenities on board, and according to the advertising brochure, the bus was a “complete home while you travel.” Passengers had a reading compartment, a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room, and even an observation lounge.
Coaches covered this route about 15 times. The line was discontinued in the late 1970s due to the tense political situation in Iran and the growing conflict between Pakistan and India.
Would you decide to go on such a trip?
The longest coach route according to Guinness
Unfortunately, fans of long-distance bus journeys can no longer travel from London to Calcutta. Currently, the longest coach route is from the capital of Peru – Lima – to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The route is about 6,200 km long and has an official record in the Guinness Book.
How many days will we spend on the bus? The carrier says the journey takes about 5 days, and in that time we cover almost the entire South American continent. The route runs along the Interoceanic Highway – from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.
The coaches have 44 seats and 12 beds. There are two stops each day, and two drivers take turns.
Could you endure 5 days on a bus to travel the longest route in the world?
The longest route in Europe
If South America is still on your travel bucket list, Europe also has a challenge ahead of it. The longest coach route on the continent is offered by FlixBus.
The route leads from Bordeaux, France, through five countries: France, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Romania, ending in Bucharest. The journey takes almost 51 hours, or more than two days! There are more than 3,100 km to cover.
You can take on this challenge – also for your back – on March 5. The coach leaves Bordeaux at 6:00 p.m. The ticket price is PLN 393.
Book your ticket for the longest bus route in Europe!
What about the shortest route?
The shortest coach journey in Europe can be found in Sweden. Blankaholm and Misterhult are just 18 km apart, and the whole journey takes about 10 minutes.
Tickets are available on our website at the price of PLN 17.99.
Buy a ticket for the shortest bus route!
Which of the longest bus routes is already on your travel CV? Such journeys require appropriate preparation. How to prepare for them? We suggest in another article – “What to take on a coach journey?”. We also encourage you to book journeys on the bilety.pl portal! If you do not like long journeys, you can choose a shorter route or divide the journey into stages.
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