Tourbusing has reached a new plateau with
the custom-made coaches of the Rotel Tour group, out of
Tittling, Germany. Called Das Rollende Hotel ("The Rolling
Hotel"), this line-up of totally self-contained tour buses
offers separate sleeping quarters for each of the passengers
on the bus, and an outdoor kitchen, which forms when an
exterior panel on the side or back of the bus folds out
into a canopied platform with counter space.
This model, with 24 seats and bunks, is used for
countries with good roads, such as the United States.
CLUI photo
Each type of bus is designed for tours
destined for different parts of the world. The buses either
drive directly from Europe, or are shipped to the point
of origin for the tour, then are usually returned to Germany
for the next tour. Rotel offers overland bus tours to
virtually every country on earth, from Inuvik, on the
Arctic Ocean of Canada, to Cape Horn, and from the top
of Scandinavia through Bagdad and Bali. Locally, the distinctive
red and black buses can be seen lumbering through National
Parks and Monuments, mostly in the Southwest.
This model has high clearance and 4 wheel drive and
seats and sleeps 20. It is used for rugged trips through
the Middle East, China, and Africa.
Rotel Tours photo
The full size bus and trailer combination
seats and sleeps 40. It is used throughout Europe
and Asia. There is also a four-wheel drive 34 seater
with a trailer for trips such as the Trans-African
expedition.
