....the 'Big Bus' tour in Washington is TERRIBLE ....the 'Big Bus' tour in Washington, DC. Nothing they say is like it is. They say they have signs all over the place for pick up points. Never saw a sign when we were there. We were let off at the Vietnam Memorial (a designated stopping point) . When we went to board the bus again, the driver just pointed to the next stop and went on. We had to walk 1/2 mile to the next bus stop (marked for the Metro, no sign for Big Bus). They say the buses run 15-20 minutes apart. We waited over 45 minutes for a bus. When it stopped, the driver said he was due to be off and acted like he was doing a favor picking us up. We got two rides out of them. One from Arlington to the Vietnam memorial and from the WWII memorial to the drop off where we could walk to L'Enfant plaza to catch the Metro back to our hotel. We spent most of our time chasing buses on foot, as if we hadn't walked enough already. I rate Big Bus in Washington DC, NO stars and consider it to be a rip off by paying good money for very little promised service.

FAILED to deliver as promised Purchased this tour because it INCLUDED the National Cathedral (green line). Stood @ stop 40 minutes. NO BUS. Called #, put on hold for 20 min. FINALLY, man on the phone said, "sorry, the green line stopped running last week...." - DESPITE my DIRECT questions on Nov 5 when I purchased the tickets. The Old Towne Trolley Co came by a few minutes later and GRACIOUSLY offered us a FREE ride to the Cathedral and we paid for a city bus/metro back. Buses were LATE, Commentary was poor/minimal/crude.

The concept is great, BUT The concept is great, a bus that stops at every important display in DC. Unfortunately, a company that is thrilled to collect your money, but not willing to put any of it back into maintenance. The first bus had no AC working and the air suspension system was gone. So the chassis was setting on the frame and rode like a buck board. The driver had no idea what an air suspension was, so probably never reported it. So, the next bus we got on had no room up top and the AC was not working downstairs, so it was an oven (in May no less, wait until J J & A). Out of six deferent busses we got on, only one had the AC working. The old relicts they called busses were well past their time. Except for one, the drivers were rude and offensive.

Poor Customer Service Bought tickets in advance, online. Was directed from bus to clerk in office. She had to use a Walkie Talkie to get a code to confirm my tickets. Process took 10-15 minutes. It would have been quicker to just buy them onsite. Once on the bus we were not given any directions. Guests around us told us about the headphones. We missed commentary on a couple of monuments. Neither organized nor focused on their customers.

I so wish I read the reviews before… I so wish I read the reviews before purchasing tickets. I experienced many of the issues posted in the reviews. Half of the top deck is encased in glass with NO air conditioning or circulation. People were profusely sweating and miserable; baking in the sun. When someone asked the guide if the air conditioning could be turned on, he made a sarcastic comment about there being a huge open hole at the back of the bus that air escapes from. We were so miserable from the heat ( mind you, I live in south Florida) after the first stop, we did not get back on the bus and finish the tour. Save your money and go elsewhere.