Leigh Mitchell… No – but I’d go on one now at those prices
Rebecca Roach… What a memory – delighted to find this – I went on the Magic Bus to Athens from Kings Cross station in 1972/3 (?) stayed at The Funny Trumpet hostal in Athens – that was an experience!
R Stene… Yes. London to Athens in 1978. I was the oldest person on the ride (36) and best dressed it turned out. No head rests for three days and a memorable toilet stop for two girls on the side of the road in Yugoslavia in the snow. Lots of interesong smoking going on in the back seats.
Mike Curtis… No. Cos it was “too much”
John Wilde… Yes twice to Amsterdam.
Vicki Campbell… Yes, Athens to Amsterdam 1975. Yugoslavia we broke down near Skopje. Pretty rough travel but the price was right! I remember how happy everyone was to cross into Austria! The fresh produce in Yugoslavia was the best anywhere.
Heather Sidery… Yes.. France and back. We we’re stopped in UK, and searched by police. Nothing found…..
Julie Findlay-jones… My uncle used to drive for them in the 70s.
David Hamblett… Went to Athens 1979, it cost £28,Should have been 3 days but took 4 as Yugoslavia police stopped the bus and took away the driver, Fantastic
Amanda Darling… David, I was on that bus too! My son was conceived on the roadside in Yugoslavia when the bus driver was taken off by the police!
Joan Hicks… I (a Kiwi) traveled Athens to London 1976. Alan was the lone driver. He had his kids Claire and Roger with him. Alan had a kidney stone attack in the Alps, so the whole busload baby sat until he came back. Also got stuck at the Yugoslavian border, the border guards demanding $200 US for a Visa I already had. 🙁 Also got an unplanned day in Amsterdam. Brilliant trip. Made some good friends and still keep in touch with a couple of them. Traveled on with Alan down to Cornwall and stayed with him and his wife Flora for a few days. Happy days!
Meryl Gay… Yes, I took the 3day trip in 1975 from London via France, Italy over the ferry at Brindisi to Greece down to Athens. What a adventure. We had a puncture in France! Had many happy memories.
Peter Ellingworth… I didn’t myself but my youngest cousin Moira, sadly no longer with us having succumbed to cancer, and over from Australia at the time (1975-8) on their traditional overseas rite of passage, did so with her Canadian flat mate she lodged with in Shepherds Bush…..and ended up in Athens marrying a Greek. Did the bus go from the old coach station half way up Pentonville Rd., (now an upmarket restaurant) or from outside King’s Cross Rail station itself, most likely in York Way ?
Scuzz Monster… Yes, Athens to London in 1981. £35 one way. Two drivers who were involved in all sorts. Smuggling, drunken/dangerous driving, counterfeit currency, drugs, you name it – it was great Set me up nicely for four trans-Canada Greyhound bus trips later that decade but the first big one is always the most memorable.
John Calvert… Yes, Athens to Amsterdam, 1976. Bought my ticket at the Funny Trumpets.
Dave… I travelled on the magic bus on December 30th 1978, from London to Athens 1978 with my best friend ( Hugh Glancy now deceased ) on route to our final destination (Israel). I can remember it was freezing cold travelling on through Europe, especially due to the drivers front windscreen being fully broken !! When we arrived in Athens, we stayed in Pete’s Pub for a few weeks and met a few interesting travellers whilst there. Thanks for the amazing memories magic bus !!
Fiona McGarry… Did Amsterdam to Athens for £35 single journey in 1979. Bus driver sped thru countries like a mad man as he had white goods for sale in the trunk. Yugoslavia was interesting not. Big party when got over the border w Greece. Ouzo reigned supreme and we arrived near the Parthenon after midnight and slept in the ancient ruins. Five fun weeks island hopping and then back via Athens. Single tix back to London only £28! Took a bit longer as while traversing France the drivers had a long lunch and after a while a few of us realised they were heading us south to Marseille as they were so pissed! Chez La vie – mad fun times
Graham Sherrington… To Amsterdam and back many times whilst working there via Harwich and Rotterdam. Ow those ferries in the winter.
Jeremy Williams… I remember it well. London to Athens (3 days, 2 nights with hardly a stop) in August 1977. The two drivers took it in turns (one sleeping on the back seat). They were given cash for each country to buy fuel but, to cream off some for themselves, they refused to turn on the air-con the whole way. When they stopped for a toilet break, they would shout “20 minutes!” and everyone piled out to join the queue. Exactly 20 minutes later the bus would drive off, sometimes without some of the passengers. The drivers amused themselves by parking just out of sight and watching the poor beggars running down the road in a panic. The main road through Yugoslavia was scary (wrecked lorries and cars lining the route) and, yes, the local fuzz pulled us over for some concocted infringement but they let us go after an on-the-spot “fine” had been paid. There was a longer stop in Venice (2 hours?) which allowed some minimal sight-seeing. In Athens, I slept on the roof of a very cheap hotel (name forgotten) and awoke with a fabulous view of the Acropolis. Walked over to see the Parthenon and caught a local bus to Piraeus whence my ship sailed for Haifa. After a few weeks on a kibbutz and touring The Holy Land, did the return journey. Total cost of tickets less than £100 I remember.
What a memory – delighted to find this – I went on the Magic Bus to Athens from Kings Cross station in 1972/3 (?) stayed at The Funny Trumpet hostal in Athens – that was an experience!
Yes. London to Athens in 1978. I was the oldest person on the ride (36) and best dressed it turned out. No head rests for three days and a memorable toilet stop for two girls on the side of the road in Yugoslavia in the snow. Lits if interesong smoking going on in the back seats.
Yes, Athens to Amsterdam 1975
Yugoslavia we broke down near Skopje.
Pretty rough travel, but the price was right!
I remember how happy everyone was to cross into Austria!
The fresh produce in Yugoslavia was the best anywhere.
Went to Athens 1979, it cost £28,Should have been 3 days but took 4 as Yugoslave police stopped the bus and took away the driver,Fantastic
I was on that bus too! My son was conceived on the roadside in Yugoslavia when the bus driver was taken off by the police!
I (a Kiwi) traveled Athens to London 1976. Alan was the lone driver. He had his kids Claire and Roger with him. Alan had a kidney stone attack in the Alps, so the whole busload baby sat until he came back. Also got stuck at the Yugoslavian border, the border guards demanding $200 US for a Visa I already had. 🙁 Also got an unplanned day in Amsterdam.
Brilliant trip. Made some good friends and still keep in touch with a couple of them. Traveled on with Alan down to Cornwall and stayed with him and his wife Flora for a few days. Happy days!
Yes, I took the 3day trip in 1975 from London via France, Italy over the ferry at Brindisi to Greece down to Athens. What a adventure. We had a puncture in France! Had many happy memories.
I didn’t myself but my youngest cousin Moira, sadly no longer with us having succumbed to cancer, and over from Australia at the time (1975-8) on their traditional overseas rite of passage, did so with her Canadian flat mate she lodged with in Shepherds Bush…..and ended up in Athens marrying a Greek.
Did the bus go from the old coach station half way up Pentonville Rd., (now an upmarket resturant) or from outside King’s Cross Rail station itself, most likely in York Way ?
Yes, Athens to London in 1981. £35 one way. Two drivers who were involved in all sorts. Smuggling, drunken/dangerous driving, counterfeit currency, drugs, you name it – it was great Set me up nicely for four trans-Canada Greyhound bus trips later that decade but the first big one is always the most memorable.
Yes, Athens to Amsterdam, 1976. Bought my ticket at the Funny Trumpets.
I travelled on the magic bus December 30th 1978 from London to Athens 1978 with my best friend ( Hugh Glancy now deceased )on route to our final destination ( Israel) I can remember it was freezing cold travelling on thro Europe , especially due to the drivers front windscreen being fully broken !!
When we arrived in Athens we stayed in Pete’s Pub for a few weeks and met a few interesting travellers whilst there .
Thanks for the amazing memories magic bus !!
Did Amsterdam to Athens for £35 single journey in 1979. Bus driver sped thru countries like a mad man as he had white goods for sale in the trunk. Yugoslavia was interesting not. Big party when got over the border w Greece. Ouzo reigned supreme and we arrived near the Parthenon after midnight and slept in the ancient ruins. Five fun weeks island hopping and then back via Athens. Single tix back to London only £28! Took a bit longer as while traversing France the drivers had a long lunch and after a while a few of us realised they were heading us south to Marseille as they were so pissed! Chez La vie – mad fun times
I remember it well. London to Athens (3 days, 2 nights with hardly a stop) in August 1977. The two drivers took it in turns (one sleeping on the back seat). They were given cash for each country to buy fuel but, to cream off some for themselves, they refused to turn on the air-con the whole way. When they stopped for a toilet break, they would shout “20 minutes!” and everyone piled out to join the queue. Exactly 20 minutes later the bus would drive off, sometimes without some of the passengers. The drivers amused themselves by parking just out of sight and watching the poor beggars running down the road in a panic. The main road through Yugoslavia was scary (wrecked lorries and cars lining the route) and, yes, the local fuzz pulled us over for some concocted infringement but they let us go after an on-the-spot “fine” had been paid. There was a longer stop in Venice (2 hours?) which allowed some minimal sight-seeing. In Athens, I slept on the roof of a very cheap hotel (name forgotten) and awoke with a fabulous view of the Acropolis. Walked over to see the Parthenon and caught a local bus to Piraeus whence my ship sailed for Haifa. After a few weeks on a kibbutz and touring The Holy Land, did the return journey. Total cost of tickets less than £100 I remember.