London–Calcutta bus service

See also: United Kingdom–India bus routes

The London to Calcutta bus service was a long-distance international bus route that operated between London, England, and Calcutta, India. Launched in 1957, it was widely regarded as the longest bus route in the world at the time.^[1][2][3] The journey spanned approximately 10,000 miles (16,000 km) one way, and over 20,000 miles (32,700 km) round trip, taking about 50 days to complete each leg.

Overview
Operator	Albert Travel
Status	defunct
Began service	c. 1957
Ended service	c. 1976
Route
Start	London, United Kingdom
Via	West Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
End	Calcutta, India
Other routes	London-Calcutta-Sydney
Service
Journey time	50+ days

The route passed through several countries, including Belgium, Yugoslavia, and parts of Northwest India,^[4] and became famously associated with the overland Hippie Trail of the 1960s and 1970s. Operated until 1976, the service offered an all-inclusive experience covering travel, food, and accommodation.^[3] In 1957, a one-way ticket cost £85 (equivalent to £2,589 in 2023), rising to £145 by 1973 (equivalent to £2,215 in 2023). The service was discontinued in 1976 due to growing geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which made the route increasingly dangerous.^[5]

Route

The bus service was operated by Albert Travel.^[6] The maiden journey set out from London on April 15, 1957.^[7] The first service arrived in Calcutta on June 5, 50 days later. During its journey the bus traveled from England to Belgium, and from there to India via West Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Western India. After entering India, it eventually reached Calcutta via New Delhi, Agra, Allahabad and Banaras.^[5]

Facilities on the bus

The trip was equipped with reading facilities, separate sleeping bunks for all passengers, fan-operated heaters, and a kitchen. There was a forward observation lounge on the upper deck of the bus. The trip was more like a tour than just a trip. The bus provided radio and a music system for parties.^[1] It had time to spend at tourist destinations in India, including Banaras and the Taj Mahal on the banks of the Yamuna. Shopping was also allowed in Salzburg, Vienna, Istanbul, Tehran and Kabul.^[3][8]

Later history

After some years the bus met with an accident and became unusable. Later the bus was purchased by Andy Stewart, a British traveler. He rebuilt it to be a mobile home with two levels. The double-decker was renamed as Albert and was traveled from Sydney to London via India on October 8, 1968. It took about 132 days for the bus to reach London. Albert Tours was a company based in England and Australia and it operated on London–Calcutta–London and London–Calcutta–Sydney routes.^[9]

The bus reached India through Iran and then it traveled to Singapore through Burma, Thailand and Malaysia. From Singapore, the bus was transported to Perth in Australia by ship, and from there it traveled by road to Sydney.^[10][11] The charge for this service from London to Calcutta was £145. The service had all the modern facilities as before. The bus service was discontinued in 1976 due to political conditions leading up to the Iranian Revolution and the escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India.^[12] The Albert Tours completed about 15 trips between Kolkata to London and again from London to Sydney, before the service ended permanently.^[13]