If you happen to be in the capital of Hungary, take the opportunity and buy a sightseeing tour on a water bus. There are only two such amphibians in Europe - one in Budapest, the second in Rotterdam.

What is the phenomenon of this tourist transport?

In one trip, you will see Budapest from land and water. The bus boat travels along the city roads and along the Danube. Thus, without leaving the bus, you will receive both a sightseeing tour and a river cruise.

Water bus route

Please note that this bus is not hop on hop off, that is, it runs non-stop.

Before diving (exactly like this) into the river, the amphibious bus will travel part of the route overland, along the roads of Budapest. Starting from Széchenyi Istvan Square (formerly Roosevelt Square), from the building of the Academy of Sciences of Hungary and further along the street. Academies - st. Garibaldi - st. Nador - st. Jozsef Attila and exit to the small roundabout.

You will drive past the Synagogue and follow Andrassy Avenue to Heroes' Square. The route will pass next to the Opera, you will hear about Oktogon, about Kodaya Square, about the past and present of Andrássy Avenue.
Turning onto ave. Doge Gyorgy, you will continue your journey towards the Danube and along the way will learn a few interesting facts about the zoo and the amphibious bus.

This is followed by the most spectacular part of the trip - the bus with acceleration will enter the Danube waters. Already from the water, you will see the Parliament, sail past the Margaret Island, get acquainted with the Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge and, of course, the Danube itself.

On the way back, the most attentive passengers, having correctly answered the questions about the amphibian, will receive commemorative prizes. Departure to land to the final stop pl. The section will take place along the lower embankment.

The amphibious bus route may be changed in the event of traffic blockages or a strong rise in the water level in the river.

List of points on the route

1. Hungarian Academy of Sciences
2. Basilica of St. Stephen
3. Great synagogue
4. Opera theatre
5. Heroes square
6. Launching
7. Chain bridge
8. Parliament
9. Citadel
10. Buda castle

River Ride Amphibious Bus FAQ

What languages \u200b\u200bare available during the tour? The amphibious bus has an English-speaking live guide and audio guides in 12 languages, including Russian. Is there a toilet? There is no toilet on board. Please be prepared for this.

Is our vehicle protected from wind or rain? The water bus is weatherproof. There is air conditioning during the warmer months. The stove works in the cold. How do I get off the bus during the tour? No way. The bus does not stop except for picking up and dropping off passengers at the beginning and end of the tour. How do I find my pickup location? Bus departure point: V. district, Istvan Szechenyi Square 7/8. (formerly Roosevelt Square) The bus stop is in front of the administration building, next to the Four Seasons Hotel. What about life jackets? A lifejacket is provided for each passenger of the water bus. Only worn in case of an emergency. Should I buy tickets in advance? We strongly recommend buying tickets at least a couple of days in advance via the Internet or at the River Ride office.

How many minutes before departure does boarding start? You can enter with a ticket 15 minutes before the start of the journey. Is it possible to reserve seats on the boat bus? Seats are taken on a first come, first served basis, reservation is not provided. Do children occupy a separate chair or sit on the lap of adults? The amphibious bus can accommodate 43 people (not including the River Ride workers). All passengers are provided with a separate seat.

Have a good trip!

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These amazing amphibious buses are capable of driving through city streets as well as floating on water. Their appearance resembles bright children's toys of huge sizes. Such buses can be seen in many cities: Montreal, San Francisco, Ottawa, Glasgow, Budapest, Rotterdam ... Toronto also has its own amphibus. Here he is called “Harry Hippo”.

Floating bus "Harry Hippo". Canada, Toronto

“Harry Hippo” is an amazing vehicle with which you can take a tour and send you on a water tour of the largest city in Canada. The amphibious bus can accommodate 40 people. A fascinating tour on a huge yellow "hippopotamus" lasts an hour and a half. Time will pass quickly. During this period of time, a unique bus will not miss a single historical site of the beautiful city. During the boat tour, there is the opportunity to swim in Lake Ontario. By the way, from the side, the sight when the bus goes on the water resembles a barge and a truck from the Second World War.

Guests of the city or local residents, who have chosen such an unusual way to get acquainted with the city's sights, board the bus on the ground, and upon reaching Ontario, the amphibus switches to water mode and then the excursion goes on the water. If suddenly a bus or a car unexpectedly required repair, then the drivers bought alloy wheels on the website www.mir-koles.com.ua/ of high-quality manufacturers at low prices!

Be that as it may, in case of force majeure in the amphibus "Harry Hippo" there are life jackets, which you will be briefed on before sailing. The inside of the bus is dry and only on windy days can the passengers get splashed. But there is no need to worry, because tours to "Harry Hippo" are held only in the warm season - from May to October.

Passenger amphibians. Moscow buses will go into the water

In 2019, the Moscow authorities will purchase amphibious buses that will carry people not only along the streets of the city, but also across water bodies, acting as a pleasure boat. For five vehicles, 350 million rubles will be allocated from the city budget, and subsequently another 50 million will be spent annually on their maintenance. In which countries such buses already exist and why Moscow needs mechanical "ichthyandras", "360" understood.

Moscow is not the first city to see amphibious buses. They have been in operation in Stockholm since April 2017. The ten-ton Ocean Bus travels on land and then continues through the water. The project was invented back in 2013, but launched on the route in the past - it took time to implement the idea and ensure security.

There are similar sightseeing buses in Germany, Hungary and Great Britain. The amphibious bus has proven itself well in the UAE, England, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and Bermuda. And the very first was launched in San Francisco 10 years ago.

Here is an American version of an amphibious bus called the Hydra-Terra, designed by Cool Amphibious Manufacturers International (CAMI). This yellow "clown" looks rather ridiculous.

The Singaporean counterpart is called DUCKtours. He looks as strange as his counterpart from the United States. Outwardly, DUCKtours were made as similar as possible to a duck. The bus route begins on the city embankments, and then continues for half an hour along the river and the sea bay. The ticket costs 37 dollars (2,429 rubles) for adults and 27 (1,772 rubles) for children over three years old.

Photo Source: jc / Flickr

In Russia, amphibious vehicles have been produced for a long time, but they are intended for the needs of the military or rescuers. It was decided to launch the first floating tourist bus in Moscow in 2019. According to preliminary estimates, its cost will be about 35 million rubles per unit. For comparison: a regular domestic transport service costs about 12-14 million rubles. Of course, he cannot swim.

In total, it is planned to purchase five amphibious buses. But the route and implementation of the project remain important issues, because there is no exit for ground vehicles to the Moscow River so far. Fortunately.

Why does Moscow need amphibious buses?

Moscow's transport infrastructure is picking up more and more new trends. First, electric buses appeared: on September 1, the mayor of the capital, Sergei Sobyanin, took a ride on one, however, it was discharged or broke down after several stops. On the Day of Knowledge, 30 electric buses were supposed to leave the city roads, but only one did it. A month and a half later, this ecological transport. But the authorities are not abandoning the idea, assuring them that they plan to buy 300 and then 800 electric buses a year. At the same time, such a copy is about three times more expensive than a conventional diesel one.

"360" asked transport specialists and tourism representatives how good the idea is to introduce amphibious buses on the roads and how this will affect the tourism sector.

Advisor to the head of Rostourism for transport, head of the transport committee of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) Dmitry Gorin in a conversation with "360" supported the idea. According to him, this will help organize new types of excursions.

We have to start from the fact that Moscow is a popular city for both foreign tourists and Russian ones. Every year, a huge number of tourists come to various, including eventful, events, and, of course, the development of tourist infrastructure, the possibility of organizing new types of excursions is always positive. Taking into account the global nature of tourist projects in Moscow

Dmitry Gorintransport advisor to the head of Rostourism.

Irina Irbitskaya, director of the RANEPA Urban Planning Competence Center, explained to 360 that any decisions in the field of hospitality infrastructure should be considered.

“Transport is one of the key tools. If these are routes that affect not only well-known Moscow historical sites, but also natural tracts, then, of course, this will add popularity to the city, ”said Irbitskaya.

Karen Goncharov, general director of the travel agency DSBW, also spoke in favor. In a conversation with 360, Goncharov agreed that any creative ideas would have a good impact on the tourist flow.

Interesting idea. The more such cool, unusual, unexpected ideas there are, the more informational reasons for tourists to come to the capital of Russia. Any such creative ideas are good. In addition, of course, it is necessary to develop a network of routes for open-top buses, which now travel in Moscow.

Karen GoncharovcEO of DSBW.

According to Goncharov, there is no mass production of such vehicles, since amphibious buses belong to the section of special equipment, which is assembled by workshops rather than large factories.

“This is from a series of special equipment. Special equipment is usually altered by some semi-workshop. Suppose a Mercedes plant produces a Mercedes chassis, and then at one small enterprise they make a minibus out of it, at another - an armored car for transporting money. Specialized enterprises are engaged in this [production], ”explained the CEO of DSBW.

The capital's transport department also plans to purchase 10 icebreaker-class river trams, which will go on the route Nizhniye Mnevniki - Kievsky railway station. The purchase and maintenance of vessels will cost the budget in 2019 820 million rubles, and in 2020-2021 - 515 million rubles annually.

How long is the excursion?

The tour of the city takes about 1 hour and 35 minutes. The floating bus spends half the time on land, half in the water.

What language is the tour in?

We have live English speaking guides for our services and an audio guide in 12 languages \u200b\u200b(English, German, Hungarian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Danish, Swedish, Romanian, Ukrainian).

Can I use headphones?

No, the tour is guided.

Is there a toilet on the bus?

There is no toilet on the bus.

Is the bus closed?

The floating bus is a closed vehicle, cooled in summer, heated in winter, so in rain or snow our amphibian is an ideal way to explore Budapest.

Does the floating bus operate all year round?

The floating bus operates all year round unless the water level is too high or low or when the Danube is covered with ice.

Where can you buy tickets?

Tickets can be bought at the RiverRide office (5. district of Akademiya str. 1.) from April to October from 09:00 to 19:00, from November to March from 09:00 to 18:00, at the floating bus stop half an hour before each departure. Tickets can also be purchased 24/7 online at www.riverride.com

Can I get off the bus while traveling?

Can I use the purchased tickets at any time?

Tickets booked for a specific date are not, but gift vouchers are possible.
The gift voucher is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase, but it is worth booking a place at a time when the owner of the gift certificate already knows exactly when to use the service.

Where can I get on the bus?

Bus departure point: V. district, Istvan Széchenyi Square 7/8. (formerly Roosevelt Square) The bus stop is in front of the administration building, next to the Four Seasons Hotel.

How much are the tickets?

For adults (from 14 years old): 9000 HUF / person (28 EUR)
Junior / Student (from 6 to 14 flew student ID): 6000 HUF / person (19 EUR)
Free city tour up to 6 years old (maximum 2 children can travel with one adult).

Do passengers get life jackets?

Of course, in the bus, according to the standards, there are life jackets for all passengers. The vest is optional during the excursion.

is it worth buying tickets in advance?

You should buy tickets online or at our office, but not less than 1-2 days before the departure of the route. Phone orders are not accepted.

How early before the start of the tour do you need to come?

You can get on the bus 15 minutes before departure. If you do not have a ticket, it is recommended to arrive 30 minutes before departure.

Can I reserve seats?

There are no reserved seats on the bus, passengers take their seats in the order of boarding.

Can children sit on an adult's lap?

Our bus can carry a maximum of 43 people at a time (plus RiverRide staff) and each passenger is assigned a separate seat.