https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London%E2%80%93Calcutta_bus_service Jump to content [ ] Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation * Main page * Contents * Current events * Random article * About Wikipedia * Contact us Contribute * Help * Learn to edit * Community portal * Recent changes * Upload file * Special pages [wikipe] Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia Search [ ] Search [ ] Appearance * Donate * Create account * Log in [ ] Personal tools * Donate * Create account * Log in Contents move to sidebar hide * (Top) * 1 Route * 2 Facilities on the bus * 3 Later history * 4 References [ ] Toggle the table of contents London-Calcutta bus service [ ] 10 languages * baaNlaa * Espanol * Hayeren * mlyaallN * Russkii * tmilll * telugu * Turkce * Ukrayins'ka * Tieng Viet Edit links * Article * Talk [ ] English * Read * Edit * View history [ ] Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions * Read * Edit * View history General * What links here * Related changes * Upload file * Permanent link * Page information * Cite this page * Get shortened URL * Download QR code Print/export * Download as PDF * Printable version In other projects * Wikidata item Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia See also: United Kingdom-India bus routes Overland travel service Overview Operator Albert Travel Status defunct Began c. 1957 service Ended c. 1976 service Route Start London, United Kingdom Via Belgium, West Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan End Calcutta, India Other London-Calcutta-Sydney routes Service Journey 50+ days time 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. 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. The service offered an all-inclusive experience covering travel, food, and accommodation.^[3] In 1957, a one-way ticket cost PS85 (equivalent to PS2,589 in 2023), rising to PS145 by 1973 (equivalent to PS2,215 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 [edit] 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 [edit] The bus 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. Radio and a music system for parties was provided.^[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 [edit] After some years the bus had an accident and became unusable. Later^[ specify] 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 to 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 PS145. 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] References [edit] 1. ^ ^a ^b "This Was 'World's Longest Bus Route' From Kolkata To London". Curly Tales. 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-24. 2. ^ "A Bus Ride From London to Kolkata in 1950s? Yes, The Viral Photo is Real". News18. Retrieved 2020-07-24. 3. ^ ^a ^b ^c Civic Affairs. Vol. 4. P. C. Kapoor at the Citizen Press. 1957 - via books.google.com. 4. ^ "London Calcutta Bus Trip 1957 london India Editorial Stock Photo - Stock Image | Shutterstock". Shutterstock Editorial. Retrieved 2020-07-24. 5. ^ ^a ^b "Samayam". malayalam.samayam.com. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2023. 6. ^ "London to Calcutta by Road? Picture of 1950s Albert Travel Bus Service is Going Viral, Know Details About This Fascinating Historic Journey". Unique News Online. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-02-19. 7. ^ Whispers of Yesterday, Rare Historical Photos, Old Photos, retrieved 2023-11-29 8. ^ admin (2020-07-04). "lnntt[?] - k[?]kktttt bs rruutttt". News Kerala online. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-24. 9. ^ Eat, Tech Travel (2020-07-03). "lnnttni[?] ninnuN intyyile k[?]kkttttyileekk oru bs s[?]vviis". Technology & Travel Blog from India. Retrieved 2020-07-31. 10. ^ "lnnttni[?] ninnu k[?]kkttttyilettiy intyaa maan..." ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 2020-07-31. 11. ^ INGALIS, LEONARD (1957-08-08). "London-Calcutta Bus is back in London - Owner drove passengers 20,300 Miles". The New York Times . 12. ^ K, Noushad K. "lnntt[?] - k[?]kktttt bs". Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-31. 13. ^ "Kolkata, Then Calcutta, Once Had The World's Longest Bus Route All The Way Till London!". Whats Hot. Retrieved 2020-07-31. * Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= London-Calcutta_bus_service&oldid=1320214916" Categories: * International bus transport * 1957 establishments * 1976 disestablishments * Bus transport in India * Bus transport in the United Kingdom Hidden categories: * CS1 Malayalam-language sources (ml) * Articles with short description * Short description is different from Wikidata * Articles needing more detailed references * This page was last edited on 3 November 2025, at 11:44 (UTC). * Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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