Here's why Red Arrow could be the best bus ride you ever take

We all need to get from place to place in Alberta, whether its to visit family or friends in a different city, for a little vacation from your everyday life, or even for work meetings.

And it can be a huge pain driving sometimes. After all, our province is pretty vast. Rather than wasting valuable time, usually hours, focusing directly on the road (how boring), you could be spending your time enjoying the beautiful countryside views, getting some extra work done on your laptop, or even just sitting back and relaxing.

Have you ever thought about ditching the car and taking the bus instead? Well, from now on, you’ll want to swap driving your car for a luxury journey with Red Arrow.

The Alberta-based, family-owned coach service is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and giving back to the passengers and communities they serve. With that in mind, here’s a look at why Red Arrow could be the best bus ride you ever take.

Comfort is everything

If you’ve ever had an uncomfortable bus journey, you know it’s something that you don’t want to experience ever again. With Red Arrow, comfort is the priority for passengers. That’s why the coach service makes sure their seats are well-equipped for intercity travel (seatbelts included). You can also reserve single seats at no extra charge if you want some extra personal space while travelling solo.

Four decades ago, the company’s business class coaches on the original Calgary—Edmonton—Fort McMurray route were ahead of their time with single-row seating, as well as complimentary snacks and refreshments. Yes — you can still get snacks onboard today! Simply head to the gallery in the back for cookies, water, a soft drink, or coffee.

Stay connected

It’s time to put the days of “no WiFi zones” behind you. Travelling with Red Arrow lets you stay connected with friends and family, study, get your reports done, or post on Instagram — all while you’re on the road. Thank you, free WiFi. Each seat has plugs and USB ports, too, so you can recharge your devices along the way.

If you want to escape during the journey, Red Arrow plays movies on every trip and offer earbuds for sale, so there’s no stress if you forget yours.

Enjoy the convenience

One of the best things about travelling with Red Arrow is the fact that you can avoid lineups such as those you would typically experience at the airport. All you have to do is show up and check in 15 minutes before your departure time at one of the Red Arrow Ticket Offices.

If you need to use the bathroom during your trip (as humans do), you won’t have to wait until you reach the next stop because Red Arrow has washrooms on all of their coaches. Wondering how much luggage you can take with you? Two (yes, you heard that right) pieces are allowed for free, and it only costs $10 to add two more bags if you need to.

All coaches are wheelchair accessible, and Red Arrow only needs 24 hours’ notice to ensure everything is ready to go for your trip. If your plans change before your trip, you only have to let Red Arrow know 30 minutes ahead of time in the morning or three hours earlier after 12 noon.

Take in the view

When you’re in the driver seat, you don’t get to take in the beautiful vistas around you because you’re focusing on the road. But when you travel with Red Arrow, you can sit back and enjoy scenes of the breathtaking Alberta cityscapes and countryside. Sometimes, journeys like these are exactly what you need to remind yourself why you choose to call Alberta home.

The special offers

Unlike other coach services, Red Arrow gives you an incentive to travel more. They offer AMA discounts on all types of travel, special senior rates, reduced rates for post-secondary students, as well as express travel packs which you can pre-pay in bulk and receive an extra trip for free.

To celebrate their 40th anniversary, Red Arrow is giving back with 40 free trips which will be offered through contests and draws, a lifetime travel pass to a long-time passenger, they’ll be dishing out birthday cake and coffee for passengers at their ticket offices across Alberta on July 9, and much more.

For more information and to be in with a chance to win a free trip, make sure to follow Red Arrow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Start planning your next journey today.