Big Bus Tours

Big Bus Tours (formerly Les Cars Rouges and The Big Bus Company), is an operator of open top bus sightseeing tours founded in May 2011 after "Les Cars Rouges" and the "Big Bus Company" merged. The company operates in 23 cities of 11 countries with more than 150 buses around the world.^[4] Most of the cities it serves are in the United States. Typically, Big Bus Tours use open top double-decker buses in burgundy and cream-coloured livery.

Big Bus Tours Group Holdings Ltd

Ankai G9 in Paris in 2023
Trade name	Big Bus Tours
Company type	Private
Industry	Open top bus operator
Predecessors	Les Cars Rouges Big Bus Company
Founded	2011; 14 years ago (2011)
Headquarters	Belgravia, London, England, United Kingdom
Areas served	Abu Dhabi Berlin Budapest Chicago Darwin Dubai Dublin Hong Kong Istanbul Las Vegas Los Angeles London Miami Munich Muscat New York Paris Philadelphia Rome San Francisco Singapore Sydney Vienna Washington, D.C.
Key people	Pat Waterman (Chairman) [1] Sean Wilkins (Chief financial officer)[2]
Revenue	$269 million(2019)[3]
Operating income	$(2.3) million(2019) [3]
Net income	$(45.6) million(2019) [3]
Owners	Exponent Private Equity (85%) Merlin Entertainments (15%)
Website	bigbustours.com

History

Big Bus company kiosk and bus queue at Speakers' Corner, London

"Les Cars Rouges" was founded in 1990 by Abdallah El Azm in Paris, France. Over the course of the next two decades, it went on to operate in Paris, Rome, Washington DC, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami, and Istanbul. The "Big Bus Company" first started operating in London, England in June 1991 with four buses by the Maybury family. It later expanded to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Philadelphia, and so on.^[5]

"Les Cars Rouges" and "the Big Bus Company" merged in May 2011, and formed "Big Bus Tours". Les Cars Rouges was the larger of the two companies, but for international namesake purposes, the name "Big Bus" was retained.^[6]

In May 2007, the Abu Dhabi company the Al Fahim Group purchased a 30% shareholding.^[7][8]

In February 2015, the business was sold to Exponent Private Equity.^[9][10] In February 2016, Merlin Entertainments bought a 15% shareholding.^[11]

Overview of operation

Buses travel near major landmarks around the town or city it tours. Pre-recorded or live commentary about the landscape is provided through small headphones worn by each passenger. Users may leave the bus and board again without limit (hop-on, hop-off) at special bus stops on a circular route. In large cities, buses go on more than one route. In some cities (such as Hong Kong) some variants of the ride include travelling by boat.^[12]

Operations by country

Australia

• Big Bus Sydney

Austria

• The Big Bus Vienna

Poland

• Big Bus Warsaw

China

• Big Bus Beijing
• Big bus Xi’an

Egypt

• Big Bus Cairo
• Big bus Luxor

France

• Big Bus Paris

Germany

BigBusBerlin (Güleryüz Panora)

• Big Bus Berlin
• Big Bus Munich
• Big bus Nuremberg

Greece

• Big Bus Athens

Hong Kong

Big Bus in Hong Kong

• Big Bus Hong Kong

On 15 December 2008, The Big Bus Hong Kong was established. With the largest fleet of open-top buses in the city,^[13] it serves three sightseeing routes: Hong Kong Island (Red Tour), Kowloon (Blue Tour) and Stanley (Green Tour). The tour offers a wide range of packages which include free travel on the Peak Tram, entry to the Sky Terrace on Victoria Peak, a traditional sampan ride, and a Star Ferry harbour tour.

Hungary

• Big Bus Budapest

Italy

• Big Bus Rome
• Big bus Venice

India

• Big Bus New Delhi
• Big Bus Kolkata
• Big Bus Shimla

Ireland

• Big Bus Dublin

In August 2018, Big Bus Dublin was officially launched with the most up-to-date fleet in the city. It offers 2 separate tours: Red (city centre and Phoenix Park) and Blue (city center including Docklands, Glasnevin Cemetery and Croke Park Stadium).

Singapore

An open-top MAN 18.240 HOCL-NL bus on the Yellow Route in Singapore.

• Big Bus Singapore (operates 3 routes) (established on 14 January 2011, using Scania K230UB and MAN 18.240 HOCL-NL (A69) double-decker buses)

Big Bus Tours bought over local sightseeing tour operator Duck & Hippo in September 2018.^[14]

Spain

• Big Bus Madrid
• Big Bus Cordoba
• Big Bus Seville

Turkey

• Big Bus Istanbul

Russia

• Big Bus Moscow
• Big Bus St Petersburg
• Big Bus Volgograd

Norway

• Big Bus Oslo
• Big Bus Bergen

Mexico

• Big Bus Mexico City

Malaysia

• Big Bus Penang

United Kingdom

• Big Bus London

Dennis Condor of Big Bus

The Big Bus Tours London operates three routes with stops at these tourist destinations: Madame Tussauds, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, London Eye, Covent Garden, St Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Harrods, Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens.^[15][16]

• Big Bus Manchester

United States

A Big Bus driving past the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.

• Big bus Boston, From 2023, officially launched in Boston, MA.
• Big bus Charleston
• Big Bus Chicago
• Big bus Detroit
• Big Bus Los Angeles
• Big Bus New York
• Big Bus Philadelphia
• Big Bus Sacramento
• Big Bus San Francisco
• Big Bus St Louis
• Big Bus Washington, D.C.
• Big Bus Williamsburg, Virginia

Vietnam

• Big Bus Ho Chi Minh City

Gallery

• 
  The Big Bus Company shield on the side of a vehicle
• 
  East Lancs Lolyne bodied Dennis Trident 2 in London
• 
  The Big Bus Company in Hong Kong
• 
  The Big Bus Company in Hong Kong
• 
  The Big Bus Company in Shanghai
• 
  The Big Bus Company in Abu Dhabi
• 
  The Big Bus Company in Hong Kong (Aberdeen Shampan Ride)

See also

• City Sightseeing
• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom
• Open top buses in the United Kingdom