Rather than celebrating the holidays by caroling or baking sugar cookies, some Phoenicians are breaking traditions. This year, they’re viewing the Valley’s Christmas lights from the top of a British double-decker bus.
For the past two years, The Real London Bus Company has offered a stylish way to travel throughout the Phoenix-area for events varying from bar crawls to wedding receptions using an authentic red bus from the United Kingdom.
Now, just in time for the holidays, co-owners Jonathan Pring and Reza Samadi have decked out their iconic English bus with Christmas decorations galore.
The British bus offers Christmas light tours throughout the month of December in its enormous red bus imported straight out of London.
Equipped with holiday music, complimentary hot cocoa and even a Christmas tree inside, the bus will travel to both West and East Valley light displays, offering tours for the month of December.
Pring said the holiday season is the liveliest time of year for this British party bus.
“The calendar has been filling up quickly for the Christmas light tours,” Pring said. “December is our busiest month. Because of the Christmas lights, we start to become really popular.”
According to Pring, several people who enjoyed the light tours on the festive bus last year are coming back for more this holiday season.
Brendan Kelly, who graduated from ASU in 2004, attended one of the previous tours and continues to use the bus for various events.
“It’s a pretty unique vehicle,” Kelly said. “It’s not always easy getting a large group of people around for special events.”
The bus is definitely a showstopper, Kelly said.
“When you roll up to a location, you always get surprised looks when everyone walks out.”
Pring’s bus seats about 60 passengers, but the company soon plans to accommodate the needs of larger groups.
“In order to expand, right now we’re actually buying another bus,” Pring said. “This means the capacity for groups will be doubled.”
A large amount of the company’s revenue generates through advertising done on the side of the bus. However, business has been slower than what the owners originally hoped for when launching their company, Pring said.
“We started when the economy took a nosedive, but luckily we are still doing some expanding,” he said.” Originally, we were hoping to get a second bus right at the start of the business. Two years later and now we’re finally getting it.”
The months following the holidays usually pose as a problem for Pring’s business.
“After Christmas and New Year’s Eve, where we stay busy constantly, January and February can be pretty slow,” he said. “However, we’ll still try to keep the ball rolling and generate as much business as we can.”
For Kelly, every experience with the British bus — as well as with its British owners — has been extremely positive.
“They run a great operation,” Kelly said. “They will accommodate almost anyone at any request. Both of them are really entrepreneurial.”
Groups of all shapes and sizes can enjoy the convenient mode of transportation and good time offered by The Real London Bus Company, whether the bus is decked out for the holidays or simply sporting its everyday English style.
“We are the biggest party bus in Arizona, and we’re trying to promote that fact as much as possible,” Pring said. “Not only does the bus fit a lot of people, but it’s also lot of fun.”
Contact the reporter at katie.kunkel@asu.edu
