Travel 18-HOUR MARATHON Bus ride to Reno was memorable THERE IS no doubt that one of the best travel bargains on the market is the bus tour to Reno from Vancouver. travel wise by Barbara McCreadie The price varies by a few dollars, depending on the time of year, but on Nov. 14 my friend and I paid $167 each for a package that included our round-trip (ex- press) bus fare and five nights ac- commodation at a pleasant hotel in Reno. In addition we could have gone on various tours during our stay in Reno, attended a champagne reception and drunk free Bloody Marys every morning in our hotel. As I said, could have. Anyone handing me a Bloody Mary, free or otherwise, before about 4 p.m. has a death wish. Bus travel isn’t everyone’s favorite pastime. Personally, | don’t mind it, but [’m such a trav- el addict I’d go by mule train to Moose. Jaw if the opportunity arose.. : I have a hunch that my friend, Sharon, doesn’t feel quite the same way — anyone who looks me straight in the eye and says, ‘‘I’m going to get you for this,’’ leaves me with that impression, There are two types of tours available, the express and the regu- lar, The express leaves Vancouver around 8 p.m. with two drivers. While one drives the other sleeps in a berth at the rear of the bus. Aside from coffee stops every three to four hours, the bus goes straight through, arriving in Reno mid-afternoon the following day. The regular tour departs Van- couver in the early morning and stops for the night, usually in or around Eugene, Oregon. There they generally have some sort of wine and cheese party for the pas- sengers. Since there is no night- time: driving the bus driver ar- tanges diversions such as bingo and sing-songs to help pass the time. I prefer the express bus since I'd sooner sleep than play bingo any old day. The regular tours are slightly more expensive as motels in Oregon are more expensive than in Reno. How does one survive an 18- hour marathon on a crowded bus? Answer: With some difficulty. First | must warn you — choose your original seat with great care! Those who board the bus at the earliest pick-up point have the choice of seats. The four seats at the very rear of the bus are to be avoided at ail costs — they don’t recline and have all the leg-room of a sarcline can. At every stop {except one, which See Tips Page 46 Careers in Travel fy =We can open the door to the § @ exciting world of travel for YOU i f DAY AND EVENING COURSES & conducted by industry professionals ff in TRAVEL COUNSELLING SALES & MARKETING # RESERVEC COMPUTERS with on-site Installations 3 f TRAVEL TRAINING CENTRE} H 6Ste. 2:1583 Pemberton Ave. North Vancouver 986-2221 ety GALAPAGOS ISLANDS