Do tourist bus’s annoy you? And do you take them when traveling to other cities? (home, neighborhoods)
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I always shake my head at people who take those red double decker bus’s here in San Francisco. Unless you’re injuried or very elderly then I don’t see why people don’t just explore on their own. There’s a certain enjoyment about it.
I’m posting this thread because my east coast family in law is visiting and I see them on the red tourist bus to get around and only that.
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I think they're great if:
-You're new to a city and need an overview to get your bearings.
-You have a limited amount of time in the city.
I especially like the Hop On-Hop Off buses where you get a day pass and can jump off and on the bus as desired. It combines a tour with transportation around the city.
I love them. I don't like trying to coordinate a group of friends to go do sight seeing, etc. It's like herding cats. But, I do like having company when I go sight seeing.
For me, the perfect answer is to sign up for a bus tour or day trip. I don't have to organize anyone, or coordinate anyone else's schedules. I just sign up. I show up on time, and someone else does the driving and figures out parking, someone else figures out lunch, I get a tour guide, and there are like-minded people to chat with, and I feel safe and have company.
I really enjoy this type of experience. Hanging out with new people, and I don't have to deal with organizing any of it. I just check the box for which lunch I want, show up at the bus, find my seat and have a great time.
I usually sign up for a day trip that leaves locally (the San Jose area), where I can easily park for free, and then get on a bus that goes to SF or wherever, even if we end up getting on another tour bus in the city. I just love the convenience of it and I'm happy spending the day with stranger tourists. Sometimes they're easier to spend the day with than friends, when you just want to be a tourist, and not have to negotiate every little minute detail. :-)
I will take a hop on/off bus on the first day I'm in a large strange city if I'll be there a few days. I get some idea of places and sights and neighborhoods. I can go back if I want when I see something that really interests me. I don't know why someone would be annoyed...those folks bring money and spend it.
There are many different types of people and there are many different ways of seeing a city. Some people simply aren't adventurous enough, or don't want the hassle, of trying to figure out what's worth seeing and how to get there. They'd rather relax and let someone else handle the logistics. Tour buses are ideal for people like that.
In general, I'm not afraid to figure my way around a new city. But there have been times, especially when I'm shepherding my kids, that the ease and convenience of a tour bus outweighs the limitations of its fixed schedule (less of a concern with a hop-on hop-off service) and fixed itinerary. This is especially true if I don't have a specific attraction in mind, and just want to see some of the city's highlights. So yes, I've used tour buses sometimes. And much more often than not, I've had good experiences with them.
My mother loved the duck boat ride in Philadelphia. Well, my son and I did, too. She lived in England during WWII and found it quite interesting that the old DUKWs were being used for tours.
No, they don't annoy me. I love seeing them in my home town. I have taken them in European cities when our kids were smaller. It can be a pain in the butt getting kids around. Now that they are older we don't use them though.
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