Tip: I recommend showing up at a bus tour stop to purchase your pass (ticket). I bought a two-day pass and got a third day for free. That deal currently doesn't exist on the Big Bus Tours site. I find it helpful doing a bus tour in a city that you are visiting for the first time. I've done such tours in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and London. Of course, it's also fun to take a tour when you've been in a city before. New York comes to mind. Anyway, I decided to get a ticket from Big Bus Tours when I was doing touristy things in Piccadilly Circus. I am normally a planner (I got a city pass to various tourist attractions), but for tours, I show up at the stop. There's a reason why I do it. You can often get a deal. I ended up getting a three-day pass, but I only paid for two days. It was nice to get an extra day for free. There were three different routes that this bus company offers. I did all three, which was great. You get a pair of headphones and you listen to the audio detailing what you are seeing. It's informative and fun. You can choose the language that you want. You hop on a double-decker bus that allows you to hop off to visit a touristy site (Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Big Ben, etc.) and hop back on when you're done. Naturally, if you want to stay for the full tour, it's cool, too. Top floor is best for taking photos, which I did. It was December when I was in London. I recommend wearing a hat, a warm coat, and gloves to keep warm. It can get a bit windy, but I was fine. It did rain on my last day, so I sat inside. Taking photos was fine, but you deal with the window in front of you and potential glare. It was comfortable and a great learning experience as a tourist. I recommend it if you have a chance while in London. (45) read more

I had about 5 hours to see London, and one of their representatives at the airport suggested I could see a lot on this bus tour. I took the train to Paddington and got on the Blue line bus, which arrived as I was walking up to the stop. Enjoyed the ride around town on the open upper deck and got off when we reached the London Eye. After visiting the area with the London Eye, I got on the Red line. My original plan was to ride the red line around to Piccadilly Circus to visit somewhere else I wanted to go then, depending on time, take more of the Red route before switching back to blue to go back to the Paddington Station. That plan didn't work out at all! Once on the red route, I was trying to follow along on the map they gave us to make sure I got off at the right place, but very few streets were labeled on the map so I was having to compare the paper map to Google maps. It became apparent that we had, at some point, looped back and repeated part of the route as we passed things that I had taken pictures of 45 minutes prior. In looking at my Google timeline later, you can see that after leaving the London Eye, we did 2 loops around stops 1,2,3, and 4. The bus driver was also honking at people and tried to drive on the wrong side of the road to pass a truck. At many stops, he just got off the bus and left us there waiting while he went off somewhere. Around noon, the driver collected his things and just left the bus for a new driver. I guess he wanted to be in a specific area when his shift ended, so he did his own route to stay in the same area rather than the one we were supposed to stay on. It took 2 hours to go from stop 19 at the London Eye to stop 6 at Piccadilly Circus. I visited the area I wanted to go, and due to the amount of time wasted on the Red route I didn't have time to take the bus again as planned. I had to take the subway back to where I started to go back to the airport. read more

Big Bus Tours - Bus Tours Near Me - London, XGL

SAVE YOUR MONEY!! This bus tour was horrible. The audio narration is uninformative, the bus travels too fast or far away to see anything, and it's genuinely awful. read more

I throughly enjoyed my bus tour! It's a great way to see all the major attractions of London. You can either buy tickets online or on the bus, which is how I bought mine. You get a brochure and headphones and you listen to an audio recording while going around the city. The employees were very nice, It was about £40, and of course you can hop on and off all day. It's an incredible way to see all the major components of the city! Would 10/10 recommend!! read more

Big Bus Tours - Bus Tours Near Me - London, XGL

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Since I was going to be in London for couple of days, I decided Big Bus would be the best option for me. The company does offer various packages which includes walking tour and a cruise. I had opted for the 2 day pass with the one way cruise. Luckily, there was a stop about one block south of the hotel so it was very convenient. That's where I had purchased the ticket. The ear plugs and the map was available. I usually take the full "lap" to check out the city, which took little over couple of hours. Then I was able to decide which stop to check out. Each stop was very well marked. The app was very good regarding arrival of the next bus. I never had to wait for another bus due to over crowding. The audio had various options regarding languages and worked quite well. The cruise was very easy to locate, which was about 30 minutes. The captain of the boat was very entertaining regarding the narration of the history of London and of the various surroundings I had enjoyed this company and highly recommend this company. read more

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We picked up the bus near Kensington and the worker at the bus stop was very helpful. We hopped on the bus and sat in the open air section. They provided ear phones so you can hear and see the sights that you are passing by. You can get off at any one of their many stops. They also come by every 10 - 20 minutes so you don't have to wait long for the next bus. We thoroughly enjoyed the bus and the tour. It's good if you don't have a lot of time in London to see the sights. read more

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This turned out to be a pretty good way to get around London and see some sites when we first arrived. For the most part, the buses ran on time and weren't packed with people. The drivers were nice and answered our questions. The audio headphones worked quite well and even with the occasional rain shower, we mostly sat up top and enjoyed the view. We did move to the up top covered part of the bus as soon as possible, though. They have different lines that go to different parts of London so that was a little confusing at first. There's lots of traffic, but overall, we had a good time while on the bus. We also did the river cruise as part of the Big Bus package, and it was fun and educational, even though it was a little cold out on the water that day. read more

Big Bus Tours - View from up top on the Big Bus. - Bus Tours Near Me - London, XGL

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I wanted to see London in an efficient manner but it just wasn't possible using this bus company. Some drivers were polite and helpful, others were not. I traveled on the day that Parliament had opened so there was a diversion but riders were not told about this so when I was on the blue line at stop 8 and expected to get off at stop 9 and went to ask the driver a question he said that the next stop was 14 because of the diversion. Riders were not told that five stops were to be missing. After I spoke to the driver he did announce the change but now it was too late because there were no more stops until stop 14 so no one could exit. The audio guide with headset was very silly with a man and woman bantering about and actually singing the "Lambeth waltz" together which was cringeworthy and I just had to turn off the audio as the two men having a gag filled wag was no better to the ears . Can we not just have a serious guide about what we're seeing as we're going by without any unneeded jollying. This was really tedious to have to endure while you're trying to listen to the stops and bits of historical information. The stops were not always easy to identify as they are not announced in any other way except during the silly audio back-and-forth and if you want to try and squelch that temporarily, you may miss the stop announcement. Then I was trying to catch the red line for a tour deadline and according to the brochure it was supposed to stop every 10 to 20 minutes but we waited for more than a half an hour and I barely made the tour time and there was no more time left to do the boat ride that was included in the ticket. When you're choosing a hop on hop off bus and you only have a day to see London, read the reviews of the various companies first ,which I did not. Live and learn. read more

This was a great way to see all the sights and places London has to offer! It was a gorgeous day when we went and we were able to get seats on the top of the bus and it was so great to be able to see all the iconic sites. Although I will say to get on the bus early as they do fill up and there are over 40 stops so it's very hard to see it all in one day. read more

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We sat on the top of the double decker red bus to have the perfect view of London. The Big City Pass includes two full days access to the Big Bus Tours as an on and off type of experience. This service is much better than paying for Ubers all day. They provide you with ear phones that plug directly into the bus seat for a full audio review of all the history that London has to offer. read more

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If you want to get around London and have the sights narrated through free headphones, in multiple choices of languages, Big Bus Tours was our choice in London. And after also visiting Paris and trying Toot Bus there. I recommend Big Bus. Better narrations. You can get on and off wherever they have stops, with not too long a wait. So sit back and leave the driving to them. The one drawback for those less patient is? There will be traffic tie ups. But nothing that phased us too much, other than an accident that had our bus take an alternate route. We bought tickets for multiple days, just keep up with them. And you can keep the small wired headphones, they have a slew of them prepackaged as you enter the bus. read more

I'm shocked at the low ratings! We had the most amazing experience on the big bus tour. Super informative, extremely easy, and a quick way to see all the sites on your own time. After London we visited Paris and paid almost 1,000 dollars for an all day private tour. We regretted it and wished we had booked the big bus tour in London instead. Don't think twice and book this tour, I would do it all over again. read more

This is a good way to see London IF you can find a bus that is not on a break IF the app is working properly and IF you get decent direction from any of the drivers. I recommend caution with this tour. We thought it would be fun--and it had its moments--but often found it frustrating. Early on, we encountered buses running the route which were reserved for a private party. Finally, we found a bus! Yay. The celebration was a bit premature when 4-5 stops later, the drivers started taking frequent, lengthy breaks which caused confusion and delays. After about 20 minutes in which we were unsuccessful establishing which buses were moving on, we ended up walking to the next stop on the route. Back on again for a bit of riding, which was fine. Get off again and start the confusion and waiting all over again. At one point, we encountered a bus where the driver let us board before announcing he was off duty. We missed the next bus due to that delay and ended up waiting 20 minutes for the next bus. For the experience itself, it was iffy. The narration is...okay. It goes for a time of occasionally amusing and calling out major locales. It would be great to get more building history (especially various styles of building architecture!) and less downtime and music. While roaming around, the app occasionally goes offline and is spotty with bus locations. We also found seats where the receiver was broken so you couldn't hear the narration. Overall, I don't know that I'd do this type of tour again given the frustration today. The communication leaves a lot to be desired, and you need to be prepared for a lot of unexpected delays. A lot of little things really added up to an experience that could have been a lot smoother with a bit of effort and communication. read more

Hire drivers with integrity, yours a lacking. Our last evening in London we rode the Blue route. When we boarded, we specifically asked if we would be able to ride the whole route, due to the posted stopping time of 6 pm. The driver assured us he was completing the entire route before ending his shift. Several stops into the trip, another Big Bus employee came aboard and announced that anyone wanting to complete the whole route should exit at the Marble Arch, then catch the next Big Bus, to finish the Blue route. We exited, along with eight others. After about 45 minutes the final Blue route Big Bus came...driven by the same employee who advised us to get off at the Marble Arch. He gleefully advised he wasn't completing the route, so we shouldn't get on his bus. He also said there would be no more buses. When the ten of us asked how we were supposed to return he shrugged and suggested we go via the Tube, or, taxi. read more

Enjoyed this service much more than I thought I would. Considering the traffic in London, I was amazed at how well the drivers were able to navigate this city - as busy as it was. The three different route pretty much get you to where you want to go in the city. There are spots you'll have to do a bit of walking - but that should be understood. The workers are all friendly and ery much wanting to help and guide you along your way. If I come across this company at other cities I plan to visit, I won't hesitate booking with them once more. read more

I've ran across 2 rude drivers. The busses run very irregular (not anywhere close to the schedule arrival times). If you do choose to use this tourist trap, buy your tickets on line... Hugh price difference (£10) more. read more

We lost so much time. The 2 of the buses stopped for longer than 20 minutes at a time. I wanted to see London in an efficient manner and this was not it. 10 outta 10 would NOT recommend. read more

Overfilled busses coming every 40 Minutes. Standing room only on the bus. I had to split the kids to sit with strangers in the open air bec there was no other seating. They were more expensive than the other bus lines, and not worth it. We saw multiple other busses coming so much more frequently while waiting in the cold for them. read more

Don't bother - it's not the way to see London. The buses never run per the schedule and you spend most of your day waiting for delayed buses. Your money is better spent listening to a walking tour of areas you want to see and then jumping in a taxi to get to destinations that interest you. Also - they don't accommodate help or refunds because "traffic isn't their fault" if they make you wait 1.5 hours for a bus to show up (which is what happened to everyone we saw). Don't waste your money. read more

Dear Big Bus Tours, Booking number: GYGWZBAR4KNB Name: Jolita Tilborg We had a very bad experience with your service - one of the worst tours and excursions we have ever booked. Initially, we had to wait for an hour before the Big Bus Blue Line finally arrived. When it did, it was completely full and no one could get on. The driver told us to take the next bus. We then waited another twenty minutes before that bus arrived, and only then could we start the tour - meaning we joined roughly halfway through. At Victoria Station, a staff member instructed everyone to leave the bus and board another one that was waiting behind it. That bus, however, was already full. The driver claimed it had more capacity, allowing more passengers to fit, but that was not the case. People were crammed in, and many had to stand for the rest of the journey. At that point, we had to decide whether to board this overcrowded bus and stand for the remainder of the tour, or wait another thirty minutes for the next bus - as the driver informed us - due to delays. We expressed that we found this unacceptable and very unprofessional, especially as this would mean we would have spent almost two hours just waiting in total. On top of that, there was a detour, and we lost a significant amount of time during this trip. As we are leaving for the airport at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning, we had very little time to enjoy the London experience - and this tour did not deliver what we paid for. We are extremely disappointed and request a full refund for this booking. We payed €161,67 trough GetYourGuide. com read more

Gawd, I feel like such a tourist! My homework was definitely incomplete. I did read several ads, a few reviews, compared routes and chose a loser. The only place I won was that by ordering directly online instead of the flyer in my hotel, I was able to save 10%. Of course, after I had paid, I remembered to take a look at Groupon and kicked myself because I could have saved 25%. I bought the 2-day ticket because it was only about $6 more than the 1-day ticket. We had to walk about 1/2-mile from our hotel to the nearest stop, Stop 15. There was no representative there and we had to wait at least 20 minutes. I showed my order confirmation to the bus driver and he let us on. I told him that we were heading to the Sky Garden and he told us to get off at Stop 16. Okay, we saved maybe another 3/4 mile walk. After our time at the Sky Garden, we walked back to the same stop and rode until we arrived at Stop 7, where we got off and walked to Chinatown for lunch. Post lunch and after walking around in the Chinatown area, it was back to Stop 7 where we rode back to Stop 15. We had figured that if we got a good look at the Blue Route on Day 1, we could Ride the Red Route on Day 2 and visit stops of interest along the way. We got a email on Friday evening that most of the downtown stops would be closed after 11:30pm due to a protest over the war in Gaza. It also stated that they hoped to be back in service by 5:00pm. Okay, I understand that the war and the resulting protest is not Big Busses fault. However, when your business runs from 8:30am to 6:00pm, it would be a wise business move to offer your paid guest some kind of extension on their ticket as a goodwill gesture. Another thing that we noticed was that it appeared that the Toot Bus and the City Sightseeing Busses seemed to run twice as often as the Big Bus did. The recorded narration were small tidbits of played as the bus was arriving near certain landmarks and not a constant stream of babble. The traffic in London is horrible and the timing would probably never make sense. However, another failure of their narration is that it only announced the approaching Bus Stop 3 or 4 times instead of every time. That meant that you had to keep an eye on your paper or phone map instead of the scenery to make sure you knew when to get off. We didn't get the night tour. We also missed out on the Thames Boat Tour. It really didn't matter what we saw or what we missed. We still had a great time in London, no thanks to Big Bus. read more

Booked based on location. The stop we went to was not in service with a small 10"x 8" sign posted. The 15 other people did not see the sign. We walked 15 minutes to the another stop. Waited an hour at that stop and no bus showed. Over 20 people waited with us. Other companies were running, but we never saw a Big Bus. Walked another 20 minutes to another stop and finally got on a bus. No guide, just the prerecorded headphone. The headphones did not have anything to do with where we were driving. After contacting through email, was given canned answer " we reserve the right to change routes". A simple sign or notification on the app would have saved us an hour and half of waiting and walking. We have taken Big Bus tours in other cities and will pass from now on based on this experience. read more

Not enough buses. Other companies buses were coming and going while we were waiting for the big bus to arrive at two stops we had gotten off at. Take some other company not big bus. They also changed drivers which made us wait on a bus for over 20 minutes. Then they realized the one driver taken the keys. read more

This get one star because it's not the drivers fault but all of a sudden cancel the rest of the line due to "traffic" is insane I had to carry my sleeping kids 2 miles back to Waterloo because instead of informing us earlier on the route they just decided to terminate all busses at Victoria st.. if they knew they was gonna do this why didn't they make an announcement earlier to save us a few miles walk I would never have gotten on... now I have sore back sore shoulder and a kid with a neck from being carried ... ohh and ask for a refund and you will get laughed at... once again driver was lovely management is screw lose... read more

Waste of time and money. Very inefficiently run. Lots of stops for people to buy tickets on the bus. Drivers stops driving to collect money and check tickets. Drivers get breaks when someone else could get on so a full bus of customers is not waiting for 15 minutes. Bus is so full of condensation you cannot see out the windows. The staff outside the bus whistle at attractive women. If you can walk, do. If you can't use the city bus. Much better. Get the oyster card save a bundle. Skip!!! Waste of time and money. read more

Big Bus Tours - The view - Bus Tours Near Me - London, XGL

Bus - 0/5 Stars Walking Tours - 5/5 Stars River Cruise - 5/5 Stars Too bad I can't review the walking tour and river cruise separately from the hop on hop off bus. Let's start with the negative and worst part of this experience. The hop on hop off bus. Last year while in London, we did the hop on hop off and decided to try it again. I sure wish we hadn't. We bought a 2 day ticket and on the 1st day, we started the bus as soon as we could that morning. It takes forever to get from stop to stop due to traffic, not their fault. We made a stop about halfway to where we needed to go. We waited at this stop FOREVER compared to the others and finally, it was time to leave. When pulling out, our driver hit another tour bus and scraped the side of their bus. It wasn't a bad accident, but it was still one. Here's where things get even worse. Not only did we have to wait an additional 20 minutes for the drivers to sort out details, but after it was over, our driver decided to go into Pret and get himself a coffee! How convenient. Everyone on the bus was furious. While it was still 2 miles away from where we needed to be, we got off and walked because we couldn't stand to be on any longer. We didn't get on the bus the rest of the trip. Horrific service. Now let's talk about the positive. The walking tours are amazing. You can choose from 2/3 options. We did changing of the guard on a day that the ceremony didn't actually happen, which was ok because we saw it last year. However this year, we were able to spot King Charles leaving his home and going into the office at Buckingham Palace. It was awesome! The next day, we did the London Past and Present tour. It was very informative as well. Paul (I think is his name) was our guide for both. Short and tiny man but full of energy and information! He was awesome. The walking tours get 5/5 stars. The river cruise was also amazing. We loved this last year and couldn't wait to do it again. Perfect way to see some sites via boat. Also a good way to get a break in your busy day and relax for a few moments. Moral of the story is, if you buy tickets for this bus, buy them for the 2 included walking tours and river cruise. I can almost promise you that you will be sorely disappointed with the bus tour but love the other options. read more

Big Bus Tours - View from bus ride (the only good thing about it) - Bus Tours Near Me - London, XGL

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A bit of a ripoff, especially during summer months. Most of the time is spent either sitting at bus stops in the hot sun for 30+ minutes, and, (when you're not at a bus stop) sitting in congested traffic. Also, for the audio on the bus, we often only heard unintelligible crackling sounds. Furthermore, the 48-hour Essential Package, which is supposed to include a one-way river cruise between Westminster & London Tower piers and 4 guided tours, should be avoided. What they neglect to tell you is that the river cruise and guided tours are only valid on the first day of activation. After the first day not using, you are marked as a no-show and tickets are invalidated. read more

On a crowded bus after Buckingham Place. Supervisor or someone said bus is terminated and get on the crowded bus up front. Asked driver and additional employees and all were extremely rude. One guy said I was asking too many questions. There are multiple open buses. This soured the whole experience. I would give it zero stars if I could. Take your business elsewhere. read more

Most shitty service with the big bus ride. The worker literally lied to us that there is a specific blue bus is coming and heading to the London eye, then there were 3 blue buses that stopped and he said those arent the ones, but they all went that direction after tracking on the app as it was heading there. The worker (Adan) made my 8 year old son and I waited for more than an hour at 7pm and made us just about to miss all the rides as the service end at 8pm. Most of these workers are Muslims men and being a female and that's the service was provided. read more

The London Big Bus hop-on/hop-off concept is a great idea in theory for sightseeing and not having to walk so much - plus free internet onboard. The main downside is it's slow to get to the various stops. For one day, that's not a problem and allows for good picture taking. But after that, it's way faster to take the London Underground. There are 3 bus routes, which provides a nice variety of stops. Big Bus is best if you're on a more relaxed schedule. We only had 3 nights in London so not as ideal as we wanted to pack in more activities during our limited time. Customer service is very friendly, a big plus. Would recommend them as a good vendor to deal with. read more

My wife and I and another couple got on the Big Bus tour today. First, it's overpriced. Second, there is no climate control, so at 83 degrees we were in a hot box the entire time. Third, for whatever reason the bus stopped at their home base to change drivers and said we would be delayed 15 minutes. They said we may want to get off the bus and have a drink. When we did there were 2 other buses pulling and we weren't allowed to get on them. No explanation given. So, hop on hop off is a misnomer. Essentially, anything is better than what we got. London has tons of traffic and lots of buses, so you sit in gridlock all the time. Do NOT use this company. Save your money and have less frustration. Just use the tube and go to the sites you want to see. If it were possible, I would give zero stars. read more

Soooooo slow, takes forever to pick up and unnecessary stops for 5-10 minutes just to waste time. Not at any attractions, just stops at random stops for extended amounts of time for no reason. Pick any other tour company!!! read more

Wow, so worth it! Save your feet from pain and your energy and see London sights while riding this double decker bus! You can see all the main attractions and you can hop on and off. Watch their schedules and stops so you don't miss the bus! Wonderful experience and highly recommend! Don't forget to grab a headset and map when first getting on the bus! read more

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Poor. I purchased the 48 hour ticket that included the London Evening Tour. The driver made abrupt stops the entire two hour route, stopping so sharply people came out of their seats. We weren't provided headphones for the audio tour and the "Tour Guide" that collected the ride tickets got off 15 minutes after the tour started. We rode in silence, driven by a choppy driver, for two hours. Outrageous. read more

Are you kidding me? £40 to ride a bus that is worse than public transit. We have been on the bus for an hour and just got a seat. Which is funny because they keep telling us to 'stay seated' at all times. Don't use this company. read more

Big Bus Tours - What you can expect. - Bus Tours Near Me - London, XGL

Booked this in London. Almost ended up in 2 accidents within 1 stop distance. the driver gave us all whiplash. said an entire trip was 3 hours. took us 1 hour to get to the next stop so we could get off. they wouldn't let us off at any point despite us begging due to the heinous heat and nauseating driving. biggest waste of time and money i have ever experience. read more

This was a suoer convenient way to see London. Most of the bus drivers are friendly and helpful. The audio guide is well done, and the music between is entertaining. My only complaint is they end the day early at 7pm so seeing the city at night is not an option. Our last driver was nothing short of amazing. First, he we the only one that actually checked our tickets. Most didn't even look to see if they were active tickets. But he sure did. He also miraculously got us down the most narrow of streets. He was also very friendly and welcoming. read more

Excellent Customer Service Response My wife and I purchased tickets for Christmas Day hop-on, hop off service in London. Upon boarding our first bus, we discovered that two of the three routes (Blue and Green) were not running. Needless to say, we were quite disappointed as we planned on seeing several sites along the Blue route and had a Christmas lunch reservation near one of the Blue route stops. We paid more for these tickets knowing that it was a holiday, and the tube would not be running. Yes, I know that we should expect service modifications due to the holiday which is why I reached out to BigBus in advance to confirm that the busses would be running as scheduled to which they responded "there are no planned closures for the day of 25th". Upon returning home, I sent an email to BigBus stating my concern and dissatisfaction with the service shortages on Christmas day. BigBus was quick to respond to my email and immediately issued a refund for the service. I want to commend them for their quick response and for understanding how important it is to ensure customer satisfaction. When I return to London (or any other city where BigBus operates), I will definitely choose them because they work to make sure that you have a good experience. I highly recommend any company that stands by their product! read more

This is a good way to see the sights in London if you don't have time to explore more thoroughly. Yes, you could take the tube to any of the big attractions, but there are some very cool neighborhoods you would not see. The blue line here covers a lot of ground. We only "hopped off" once for the boat ride on the Thames (cool) and lunch. London was packed with Tourists on this Tuesday, so there would be no way we could see more in one day. I did have some issues with the headphones and when we hopped back on there was no place to sit. It wasn't perfect, but it was worth the price IMO. The tour also included a boat ride on the Thames, so I t was a pretty good value IMO read more

Nice way to see the city and know about the history. Great story telling as well and helpful drivers.