Tour Travel

Archive for the ‘Tour Bus’ Category

The number of accidents on U.S. roadways that involve buses has been steadily rising in recent years. Federal transit authorities report that the number of bus accidents went from just over 9,700 in 2003 to more than 28,000 in 2007.

And whether it is a city bus, tour bus, chartered bus, road bus or school bus, any type of serious bus accident can have severe health consequences for passengers.

But perhaps the most unsettling facts related to bus accident data are the ones involving children. Consider:

Children between the ages of 11 and 14 are the most likely to be injured in a bus accident. In children under the age of 9, more than 50 percent of the injuries reported for the age group involve some form of head injury. One-fourth of all bus accident injuries to children occur when a child is getting on or off a bus. More than 23 million children ride school buses every day in the U.S., and an estimated 17,000 of those children will be injured annually. Why are bus accidents so dangerous for children?

Bus design/structure. Buses are huge and bulky vehicles, with high centers or gravity. This makes them easier to roll over than most passenger vehicles. Exiting a rolled-over or otherwise compromised bus is also not as simple because of the bus design (two exits on most buses). Also because of their size and weight, buses are more difficult to turn and maneuver in tight traffic situations.

Lack of seat belts. Most school and city buses, except for the latest and most expensive models, do not offer seatbelts for passengers. This means that in the event of a collision, children can be violently tossed against the sides, ceiling, floor and other passengers.

Lack of closed storage areas. Most buses do not have closed storage for backpacks, large packages, laptop computers and other bags passengers bring on board. So when a crash occurs, these items often shift and become airborne, and children are easy targets for these flying objects.

Lack of security/adult oversight on school buses. Roughhousing is a common factor leading to school bus driver distraction. Unsupervised school buses mean drivers make more mistakes, leading to more serious accidents.

Inadequate boarding policies or signage at bus stops. Poor policies or signage can lead to small children being struck by oncoming traffic.

Any time someone decides to visit a country that they have not visited before, people have to decide what sites they will visit. Learning about a new country is important. Deciding what parts of a country’s culture or historical aspects you should be visiting can make or break your trip. Dublin, Ireland is one of those places that have historical and paranormal places to explore as part of your trip. If you enjoy scary or ominous settings, it might be time to try out the Ghost Bus Dublin tour.

 

The Ghost Bus Dublin tour is one of the many walking tours offered to help people explore the supernatural side of Dublin. If you want the traditional history lesson, a Dublin walking tour can help you. Otherwise try out the Ghost Bus Dublin tour and experience a journey to the Hellfire Club. The trip to visit the Hellfire Club (HC) will take you to the Dublin Mountains. The club was built almost three hundred years ago. Many people are often uncomfortable when they visit this area. They can feel a tightening of their chest if they are sensitive enough to the supernatural events that took place so long ago.

 

When you take a Dublin walking tour, you will have a guide that will brief you on the full history of the legendary Hellfire Club. The guide will explain the facts and myths of the story and many people will begin to become scared and experience the full fear associated with this particular tour. The Ghost Bus Dublin tour is a unique experience that some people find a little too scary to handle. The Dublin walking tour will set the mood to help you thoroughly enjoy the experience. The story of what happened in this location is worth the entire trip.

 

While at HC, you will learn about things that happened including the ‘Black Mass’. These masses were often held to provide human sacrifices. You might even enjoy hearing the story of a game of cards that had a special guest in attendance. This demon or devil is one of the highlights of the Ghost Bus Dublin tour. You will find many unique and interesting memories when you partake of the Dublin walking tour. Everyone should have an opportunity to experience an event that will frighten him or her at least once in his or her lifetime.

 

The Dublin walking tour is an event that can change your life and provide you with a supernatural experience you will not soon forget. Imagine being able to share this story with your children and grandchildren one day. These memories will last you a lifetime. Every Dublin walking tour is interesting and it will fill different needs of visitors. The Ghost Bus Dublin tour main purpose is to educate and scare those who are interested in the supernatural. You can visit the HC while enjoying this tour. Take the time to check out the different tours and you can find one that will help ‘scare’ you.

For years Niagara Falls has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States and Canada. Visitors from abroad and North America cannot seem to shake their desire to visit this dramatic aquatic spectacle. But why exactly? The falls are not particularly convenient to any major U.S. city (apologies to Buffalo), which means visitors to the US will need at least two days to fit in a visit to Niagara. Furthermore besides the actual falls themselves, there is little in the way of cultural or natural points of interest in the area. That is unless you consider a visit to ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not’ to be a cultural experience. Finally, the climate in the Niagara region is rather daunting for much of the year. The area gets a lot of precipitation throughout the year and winter is definitely rugged in that region.

The short answer to why Niagara Falls has such a following is good PR. People from far and wide have heard of Niagara Falls. I recently asked a friend from Taiwan if she had heard of Niagara Falls before moving to the states. “Of course!”, she replied, “we learned about Niagara Falls in grade school.” She went on to explain that most people who grew up in Asia consider Niagara Falls to be one of the most important sites to see in the U.S. Its reputation is also strong throughout Europe and India. The thought of missing Niagara Falls is akin to missing the Great Wall or the Taj Majal on a visit to China or India respectively.

The real key to Niagara Fall’s enduring lure, however, may be simply that it does not disappoint. The falls themselves have an undeniable dramatic beauty. Furthermore, the ever popular Maid of the Mist boat ride that takes tourists directly into the falls is truly thrilling. Beyond that, the town of Niagara Falls, Ontario has a certain dilapidated charm. As you stroll along Queen Victoria Park facing the falls on the Canadian side, you cannot help but get a sense of what it must have been like to visit in more innocent times; before we were jaded by extreme vacations and adventure tours. To think of someone actually climbing into a barrel and heading over the falls in 1901 (actually done for the first time by a 63 year old school teacher) still captures the imagination.

To get more insight into what impression Niagara Falls makes, I interviewed 40 people who had visited the Falls in the past several years. The survey, taken from a semi-randomly selected sample, is patently unscientific. However, the results are interesting nonetheless. (A few words about the sample: most respondents were not born in the US but were living here, the age range was from young adults to retirees, most had begun their trip in either New York City or Boston, and most had gone to the Falls on a bus tour.)

Here is a summary of the feedback:

Was it worth visiting?

A resounding yes. Most respondents acknowledged that the eight hour trip from New York City was long, but surprisingly few seemed to mind. Several people expressed how much they enjoyed seeing the countryside and getting a sense of the “real” United States. Those who included a visit to Niagara Falls as part of a tour of Canada were the least likely to complain about the distance. Only one respondent expressed regret that he made the trip. He said he just did not find the falls themselves that impressive and did not think it was worth the long bus trip.

Most recommended attractions?

Hands down the Maid of the Mist boat tour was suggested as the must-do activity. Several people also pointed out that this was the best way to view the falls for those who were not able to go to the Canadian side because of visa re-entry issues. The Cave of the Winds tour, which takes you by elevator to the bottom of the falls, got high marks for those who preferred not to take a boat ride. The helicopter tour also got raves, but only one person in the survey took a helicopter tour. The nighttime illumination of the falls got mixed reviews, with some calling it “stunning”, while others found it “tacky”. Several people who traveled with children also recommended exploring the town of Niagara Falls, Ontario. It offers typically touristy attractions that are sure to please kids.

How long should you stay?

Almost everyone answered either one or two days. A few people thought only a few hours were sufficient to see the sights, and no one suggested staying more than two days.

When should you go?

This is a little hard to decipher. Not surprisingly most people visited Niagara Falls in the summer. The few who did go in the winter said they were impressed by the falls surrounded by ice, but expressed regret that they could not go on the Maid of the Mist (it stops running in October). In short, it seems like you should not go to Niagara in the winter unless you are prepared for the cold. A few also recommended going in the fall to enjoy the foliage in Upstate New York along the way.

Bottom Line: Most people sampled in this informal survey thought Niagara Falls was a great weekend getaway and a good place to take visitors from abroad. If possible, include a stop in Niagara Falls on a visit to Toronto for a great long weekend trip from New York or Boston. Chances are you will not be disappointed in a trip to Niagara Falls if you go when you are prepared for the weather, do not stay more than two days, and do not have high expectations of the attractions outside of those related to the falls.