Four Points by Sheraton, Charlesbourg, Quebec -- a very bus-friendly hotel.

When you’re on the road that much, the right hotel room can mean the difference between a great trip and a terrible trip. It’s often the little things that make the difference. But it never ceases to amaze me how many hotels screw up the little things!

The basics: a clean, quiet room is a given. But many hotels fall down right there — the room isn’t clean, or not as clean as it should be. Good help is hard to find, I know; but in most cases I’ve seen, management is the issue. People do what’s expected of them and only so far as they’re held accountable. Often a dirty room means someone at a higher level isn’t doing what they’re supposed to be doing. (Does that apply to dirty buses, too?!)

A comfortable bed is also a given, you would think. I’m a tall guy — 6’5″ — and used to a king size bed at home, which is my ideal on the road, too. A queen size bed is still comfortable; but some hotels, mostly older ones, still have full size beds in their standard room. In those, my feet stick out the end, and I definitely don’t sleep as well. Some hotels have newer style “pillow-top” mattresses — wow, some are so comfortable I’m in no hurry to go home! Others have hard, “spring-loaded” mattresses; when you sit down you bounce right back up again — not good.

Other important factors include working temperature control in the room, preferably without having to hear a very noisy air conditioner or heater. A bathroom big enough to turn around in, with plenty of fluffy white towels. A wall mirror in the room in addition to the bathroom. A TV with a working remote. An elevator if you’re not on the first floor. A portico high enough to get the bus underneath for loading/unloading luggage on a rainy day. And, of course, bus parking — if you can’t safely park your motorcoach at or very near the hotel, all of this is a moot point.

Some hotel chains have introduced amenities over the years that have now become must-haves for the regular traveler. In the bathroom, a curved shower rod (thanks, Hampton Inn), and a great shower head (thanks, Holiday Inn). A “free” continental breakfast with at least one or two hot items (saves a lot of time and money when you’re on the road). Free Internet access. All of these used to be niceties, but I don’t want to stay in a room without them anymore.

If you’re away more than one night, especially on a trip where you end up killing a lot of time in a hotel room, a microwave and refrigerator is really important, too — partly for convenience, but especially for cost savings. On a multiple day trip I’ll often make a stop at a supermarket the first day and pick up a few things I can lunch on in the room.

Ironically, the more expensive hotels don’t include many of these things, or charge extra for them. Breakfast and Internet access, for instance, are often extra charges. Those hotels are more for vacationers and corporate travelers. Fortunately, for working travelers like motorcoach drivers, there are several chains who do a great job at meeting our needs. But the list is pretty short for those who do it well and do it consistently. There are exceptions, but overall, here are my favorites; the first three are way, way ahead of the pack:

1. Drury Inn
   Too bad this chain is only in the midwest. “The extras aren’t extra” and they have no equal in my limited experience with them. It’s probably not a coincidence that they aren’t franchises — all are family owned.
2. Hampton Inn
   Long my number one choice until my experience with Drury Inns this summer. They just get it right, over and over, across the chain. Must be someone following up somewhere!
3. Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Select
   These are the newer of the Holiday Inns, and, like Hampton Inn, get it right over and over again.

The rest of the list is a distant fourth place or worse. They tend to be inconsistent — I’ve stayed in some excellent ones, and had to leave an occasional one, it was so bad. But because of the cost and/or location, they’re often in the running:

4. Comfort Inn
   Many (most?) of these are two floors, no elevator. Many are older and run down. But a few are also very nice. I’ve had both good and bad experiences with these.
5. Red Roof Inn
   Low price, pet friendly (which means if there’s a local dog show, you’re going to have lots of animals around!). Inconsistent quality.
6. Days Inn
   Many of these are older and not in good shape, but there are some good ones, too.
7. Ramada Inn
   I’ve only ever stayed in one Ramada I was comfortable in (Ligonier, PA). But I’m sure there must be a few other good ones somewhere.

Sheraton isn’t on my list above, because they’re often among the more expensive hotels that charge extra for things like breakfast and Internet access. But I recently had a good experience with a Sheraton near Quebec City in Canada, which is where the above photo was taken. Note the bus parking — right by the front door! I was the only bus there, so no competition for that spot; but other buses wouldn’t have had too far to go, since this was a fairly new hotel with very large parking lots.

A driver friend of mine has a real simple hotel rule: if there’s no front door giving access to all the rooms, it’s the wrong hotel. An oversimplification, perhaps, but you know what — he’s often right!

That’s my list, based on my personal experience. How does it compare to your experience? Feel free to add your comments below.

Related posts:

1. New Bus Lane at Blackpool Border Crossing

Related posts:

1. NJ State Police Ticketing Frenzy
2. Virginia to Reopen Closed Rest Stops
3. US DOT Bars Truck and Bus Drivers from Texting

Maryland State Troopers in Bus Parking at Maryland House.

Related posts:

1. NJ State Police Ticketing Frenzy
2. Eight Tips to Help You Navigate the Interstate Highway System

To our dismay, as we pulled into the busy rest stop, we found three Maryland state trooper’s cars occupying three bus parking spots! The troopers themselves were nowhere to be found. Fortunately, there were three additional spots left, so we were okay. But two more coaches who came soon after we arrived found nowhere to park. The overflow bus parking area was filled with tractor trailers — unticketed, of course, despite the regular presence of state troopers in the rest area.

As we were preparing to pull out almost 45 minutes later, the three troopers came out of the restaurant. I confronted them (nicely, I didn’t want to find them lying in wait down the road!), as to why they found it necessary to take three bus parking spots that were obviously needed for buses, when they could park anywhere else they wanted. They made no apology, however, and basically said they’d park wherever they wanted. I reminded them about our limited options, and I pointed out all the trucks in the overflow bus parking — without tickets, no less. They assured me that they do ticket truck drivers for parking in bus parking, but I watched as they drove right past them on their way back onto I-95. Most frustrating.

Related posts:

1. Eight Ways to Annoy a Motorcoach Driver
2. NJ State Police Ticketing Frenzy
3. Virginia to Reopen Closed Rest Stops

But there are no crowds! Washington is the least crowded I’ve seen it at cherry blossom time. I even found bus parking on Independence by the Washington Monument. There was also space at Hains Point, and I’m sure at Union Station, too, although I haven’t checked there yet today (that’s our dinner stop). I’m guessing the rain scared a lot of people away, and maybe the economy affected some, too. Last year it was wall to wall people, traffic was gridlocked; this year traffic is moving smoothly, and while there are people here, there aren’t crowds today like I’ve seen before.

No doubt Friday is a factor, too, and more people will be here tomorrow. I’ll be back here again next Saturday, so it will be interesting to compare. Meanwhile I’m enjoying Washington today more than I expected.

Related posts:

1. Happy Holidays

A Love-Hate Relationship

To most motorcoach charter and tour bus drivers who have the “good fortune” of driving trips to New York City, this parking sign seems an endangered species. In the last several months we’ve lost a couple of drivers’ favorite parking spots — 59th Street (between 11th and 12th Avenues), and 62nd Street by Lincoln Center. Last year we had lost another favorite, 36th Street by Midtown Tunnel. If we didn’t already feel unwanted in the Big Apple, now it seemed there was no doubt.

But there may be hope. In the last month, a crop of these new signs have popped up on streets in Manhattan previously unavailable for our use. As mentioned in a post here last week, these signs are now posted on parts of 48th, 49th, 50th, 52nd, and 54th Streets between 11th and 12th Avenues, and along 12th Avenue (east side) between 52nd and 54th Streets. And look closely — the new signs specify “CHARTER BUSES” — not tour buses as in the past! On several other streets, 45th Street, for instance, I’ve noticed the signs have been changed from “TOUR BUSES” to “CHARTER BUSES.” Does that mean no more line run buses fighting for our spots? One can hope … time will tell.

There still isn’t nearly enough bus parking in NYC, but at least we now have a little more than we lost. It’s a start. In combination with the reduced number of coaches in the city right now, thanks to the economy and the time of the year, it’s been a little easier to find parking the last couple of months.

Cars on a Rack in NYC

Parking has always been at a premium in NYC. One has only to drive past one of the many auto parking lots to see the stacked, hydraulically operated parking racks many of them use (see photo) and you understand that land here is very valuable. But there are no parking lots, free or otherwise, for charter or tour buses in Manhattan. The only option is the very limited, free on-street parking on the streets designated with the Bus Layover signs. Nearly all of them are on the west side of Manhattan.

On any given day, there are many more coaches in NYC than there are available parking spaces. That results in two issues, neither of them positive: 1) many coaches parked illegally; and 2) many coaches driving around, sometimes for hours, looking for legal parking, adding to NYC’s already very difficult traffic conditions.

Passengers love going to NYC on buses — they’re convenient, no driving or getting lost or expensive parking hassles for them. And the city wants, and needs, our passengers. But they send the wrong message by not providing adequate parking for buses. NYC has moved in the right direction recently, but more is needed.

Back to the signs … Why do drivers also hate those parking signs? It should be pretty obvious: “No Engine Idling — Max Fine $2000.” Now, drivers care about the environment as much as anyone else. Buses are the “greenest” way there is to move 50 people in one direction. They eliminate anywhere from 20 to 50 cars on one trip, meaning far less emissions being released into our environment.

But those buses are driven by human beings, who get very cold in the winter, very hot in the summer. No engine idling means no heat, no air conditioning. A few of the cities we frequent not only have adequate bus parking, but also provide drivers’ lounges for a reasonably comfortable place to wait while our passengers are doing their thing — Atlantic City, NJ and Williamsburg, VA, for instance, have adequate parking for buses, a drivers’ lounge, and in Atlantic City’s case, even a restaurant just for drivers.

So what do drivers do in NYC? Well, those signs are very effective in one way — no driver can afford a $2000 fine for idling, and few if any companies will pay for the driver’s actions for such fines. So drivers don’t idle — not in place, anyway. The only other option in the heat of summer or the bitter cold of winter is to drive around. That gets the bus cooled off or warmed up and keeps the driver comfortable. But compared to idling, it also greatly increases the amounts of pollutants being released into the environment, adds considerably to NYC’s traffic problems, stresses the drivers, and adds wear and tear on the motorcoaches. So you tell me: are those signs truly effective?

These are tough issues; there are no easy answers. Keeping the buses out of the city isn’t the answer; that could wreak economic chaos on an already challenged city. Adding more bus     parking will certainly help. But don’t put buses out in Timbuktu where there is nothing for the driver to do, nowhere for the driver to eat or stay warm or cool! We need parking where, ideally, we can also interact with our passengers, or at least somewhere where there is the capability of waiting comfortably for our passengers when it’s not comfortable or safe on a non-idling, non-running coach. I’ve always found it ironic that we can pass laws against leaving a dog or cat in a hot car in the summer, but there is no concern for the human beings stuck in a hot or cold bus for hours at a time.

What do you think? What solution would you propose? How do you stay comfortable in extreme weather? Add your comments below to this article.

(This article was written in its entirety while I was legally parked on 45th Street near 12th Avenue in New York City … and I was not idling, just in case you wondered. But I have to finish this for now — my fingers are getting too cold to type!)

Related posts:

1. Eight Ways to Annoy a Motorcoach Driver
2. Eight Ways to Annoy a Motorcoach Driver
3. The Perfect Hotel Room

Luray Caverns, in Luray, Virginia, are the largest and most visited caverns in the eastern US. It’s a great destination for groups of all kinds. In addition to the caverns, next door is the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, an outstanding collection of antique cars, trucks, bicycles and a couple of other modes of transportation. You can purchase admission to both the caverns and the museum on one ticket. Although the caverns are the claim to fame here (and rightly so), I highly recommend the car museum — it’s my favorite spot at this stop. There is also a cafe, and a fudge shop by the entrance to the museum.

A greeter was standing on the sidewalk at the bus drop-off as we pulled in yesterday, waiting to meet my group with their information as well as a meal ticket for me (discount at the cafe). The cafe is basically a fast food operation, but reasonably good food (try the Pork BBQ sandwich — delicious), and can handle bus-size groups easily if they know you’re coming. Public restrooms are right by the bus drop-off, very convenient for bus groups.

I’ve joined groups before on their guided tour though the caverns, so this trip I went once again to the museum where I always seem to see something I hadn’t seen before.

The parking lot is huge, with dedicated bus parking at the far end (bottom) of the lot. That’s my only (minor) gripe here — it’s a long way up the hill to rejoin the group or get something to eat. But it’s worth it. This is an excellent stop, especially if your group hasn’t been here before. It gets my 5-star rating.

Related posts:

1. Eight Ways to Annoy a Motorcoach Driver

I had a group of 8th grade students to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Charlottesville, VA yesterday. The group had an 8 AM appointment, first one of the day, and had been instructed to be there 30 minutes early. That meant leaving our hotel really early, but at the direction of our conscientious group leader, we dutifully arrived on time as instructed. And guess what … the parking lot was empty, not even the staff arrive that early! We wished we had been able to sleep in a little longer.

But the rest of the visit went smoothly. They began their tour at the appointed time, had a competent tour guide, and enjoyed their visit.

New Visitor Center

The new Visitor Center opened just recently, and is fairly impressive. Although the ticket area is at the front right corner of the Visitor Center where you’d expect it, group leaders must go down one level below the ticket area to check in their group — seems like poor planning to me, but I didn’t have a chance to fully check that out. The new cafe, public restrooms, and gift shop are already open. However the new theater and museum areas will not open until the Center’s grand opening on April 15, 2009. We were just a couple of weeks too early to see those.

Bus Info

Bus parking is unchanged from previously, except it appears they’ve eliminated the parking spots for motor homes just behind the buses, where they often made it very difficult for buses to back out of their spaces. Buses drop off and pick up at their parking spots, not in the new, small circle in front of the Visitor Center. There are no trash cans in the bus parking area where they used to be, and I didn’t see any exit signs from the bus parking area — good thing I had been there before, or I could have easily got in a situation where I’d have had to back up in their parking lot (exit right when leaving the bus parking area). Drivers do not get a break for food or coffee, there is no driver’s lounge, but drivers can usually walk along with their group on a tour of the house if they’d like. Their website has no bus specific information that I could find, but does include specific directions for driving.

Related posts:

1. Eight Ways to Annoy a Motorcoach Driver
2. The Perfect Hotel Room
3. Virginia to Reopen Closed Rest Stops

Drop off area at the Mount Vernon Circle

Related posts:

1. New Bus Lane at Blackpool Border Crossing
2. Eight Ways to Annoy a Motorcoach Driver

Related posts:

1. Eight Ways to Annoy a Motorcoach Driver