Big Bus pleasures: wonderful worldwide way to hit a city's high spots
- Cookie & Keller
- Jun 19, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 10
Photographer and Big Bus fans, Bruce Keller and Christene Meyers enjoy a return to Sydney, Australia. They used Big Bus Tours to reacquaint themselves with the city's top stops and architectural wonders. |
BIG BUS TOURS FILL THE BILL WHEN YOU WANT TO SEE A FAMILIAR OR NEW CITY
STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER
BIG BUS means large fun, wherever in the world you step aboard.
We enjoy this inventive tour option in many cities around the globe and heartily recommend it. It's great for both newcomers to a place and those returning to a familiar town and simply wanting a refresher course on its high points.
Either way, it's enjoyable and you're sure to learn something new.
THE MEETING places to board are always near familiar landmarks-- hotels, parks and gardens, markets, museums, government buildings, cruise terminals, stadiums, castles, cathedrals, concert halls. These are determined by careful research of the places tourists frequent.
The tours can help you tick off your bucket list -- whether it's Barcelona's Sagrada Familia cathedral you want to see, Big Ben in London or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Tall buildings, centuries old castles and monuments, modern shopping centers, famed concert halls, museums -- Big Bus hits them all.
ONE HOPS on to the bus -- always in a central location in many major cities worldwide. Keep the ticket for future boardings. There are several pass options; the two-day ticket is our favorite. We've walked a couple short blocks from our hotels to board
Big Bus in Sydney, Singapore, New York, Paris, Barcelona and London-- favorite familiar cities. Big Bus covers the world-- from Darwin, Dubai and Dublin to Las Vegas, Prague and San Francisco.
If you love a city and are returning, it's a great option. If you're new to a city, Big Bus is even more important in giving you grounding. It is a wonderful tool to help orient you so you can decide where you want to spend time or return. If you have only a couple days, Big Bus helps you hit the high spots.
DRIVERS ARE courteous and helpful, the buses are kept clean, WiFi is free, and a lively narrative unfolds in many languages. Just plug in your complimentary headphones or bring your own, select the language channel and you're in business.
The buses wind through a city, stopping at a variety of well known places. A map allows passengers to hop on and off, see the nearby attractions, grab a bite or a beverage to recharge and reboard from the same stop at specific intervals. Usually, we've waited less than 15 minutes.
Big Bus in Singapore, we hop off at the magnificent Botanic Gardens. In Sydney, we hop off at Bondi Beach and the Opera House, or in San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf and the Embarcadero. However, you don't have to hop off at all.
Many people simply stay on the bus and enjoy the loop -- usually a couple fun hours. Often there are two loops -- distinguished by different colors. Well designed maps help you make choices for your hopping off.
It's a great way to people watch, and enjoy the city's neighborhoods, landscape, shops. You'll cross major bridges, glide past government buildings, explore ethnic neighborhoods and learn colorful detail.
Big Bus Tours officially goes back more than 13 years to 2011. But its history in tourism dates back further than its founding. The merger of two popular companies resulted in worldwide expansion as Big Bus Company of London and Les Cars Rouges of Paris blended. Both are proud of their longer histories: Les Cars Rouges dates to the late 20th Century and Big Bus has decades of history in the bus and sightseeing tour business.
BESIDES THE CITIES mentioned here, many more cities are served by Big Bus Tours, including such diverse tourist destinations as Abu Dhabi, Chicago and Vienna.
How Big Bus Tours works
Hop-on hop-off access: Your ticket lets you ride the route and stop anywhere along the line.
Guided commentary: Audio guides or live guides share information about the city’s history, culture, and landmarks.
Flexible sightseeing: Most tickets are valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours, making it easy to explore at your own pace.
Where Big Bus operates
The company runs tours in many major travel destinations, including cities such as:
London
Paris
New York City
Las Vegas
Dubai
Vancouver
Why travelers use it
For first-time visitors, a Big Bus tour is often an easy introduction to a city, because you can see the major highlights in a short time while learning about the destination.
It's user friendly, comprehensive, reliable, and you're sure to meet like minded fellow travelers.
Big Bus Tours operates hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tours in major tourist cities across several world regions, mainly where visitor demand is high and attractions are concentrated.
North America
United States – tours in cities like New York City, Las Vegas, and Miami
Canada – including Vancouver
Europe
United Kingdom – especially London
France – Paris
Italy – Rome
Middle East
United Arab Emirates – Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Asia-Pacific
Singapore – Singapore
Hong Kong – Hong Kong
Typical tourist areas they cover
Big Bus routes usually pass through:
Historic city centers
Waterfront districts
Major museums and landmarks
Shopping and entertainment areas
Famous parks or scenic viewpoints
We've met folks on Big Bus who've become longtime friends, and fellow travelers.
UP NEXT: Goats galore in Maui. We explore a unique and fascinating enterprise, the Surfing Goat Dairy. Meet the charming kids, the elderly lady goats, the big daddy who has dozens of girlfriends. Learn how a Canadian man's desire to do something different developed into a flourishing enterprise. And check out the fabulous goat cheese and truffles created by the milk of these healthy, adorable and affectionate creatures. In the coming weeks, we'll explore a delectable food tour in Brisbane, and mingle with koalas and kangaroos in more rural parts of Australia. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, nature, family and more at www.whereiscookie.com
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