RSSThings To Do | San Francisco Travel Blog - Part 68
Reserve Your Bay Area Charter Buses for the Giants and A’s Home Openers
No matter which side of the bay your baseball allegiance lies, there’s only one way for you and your group to get to and from the game in comfort and style and have a great time: a Bay Area charter bus rental from NLS Limo. We are a locally owned and operated company that takes a great deal of pride in serving our guests in the Bay Area, and we know that with spring training underway, it won’t be long until the Giants’ and A’s home openers!
New Prevost Energy Management System Signals Better Fuel Economy for Tour Buses
Tour bus manufacturer Prevost recently announced that their new PRIME (Power Recovery by Intelligent Management of Energy) energy management system will improve fuel economy by at least two percent and potentially much more, depending on model, terrain and passenger load. This is good news for the San Francisco tour bus rental side of our business, as well as our clients, as it will eventually help lower fuel costs. Not many people know that we rent Bay Area tour buses in addition to our San Francisco limousines and other luxury vehicles. However, we regard these larger vehicles as an essential part of accommodating our guests’ luxury transportation needs.
New Limo Bus Offers Passengers Higher Profile and Better View
Group transportation vehicle manufacturer Ameritrans recently unveiled their new limo bus, which is expected to make its debut at the UMA Expo in Orlando, FL, on Jan. 22, 2013, and will be displayed at the upcoming 2013 International LCT Show exhibit hall in Las Vegas in early February. This new limo bus is built on the Ford F550 chassis, and it offers a very roomy cabin with ample space for passenger legroom and accommodations for guests in wheelchairs. Passengers will also sit a bit higher than they did in previous models, affording them a better vantage point for enjoying the scenery. As San Francisco’s premier limo bus provider, we’re very excited to hear about this new entry into the mid-size group transportation market.
Article Provides Automotive Advice to Classic Car Collectors
A recent New York Times article provided a wealth of information to first-time classic car collectors who want to make sure that they are making the right decision. All this sounds quite practical to us, since we are longtime, serious classic car lovers and we provide San Francisco classic car rentals for our clients. The article addressed common and practical questions for inexperienced buyers, such as: What car to buy? Where to find classic cars for sale? How to find the right classic car for the right price?
Paul McCartney’s Vintage Car Sells for More Than $551,000
A vintage Aston Martin that once belonged to Sir Paul McCartney recently sold for an astonishing £344,400, or around $551,000. The 1964 roadster was sold at an auction conducted by RM Auction London and was expected to fetch at least $450,000. Sir Paul bought the Aston Martin DB5 in the summer of 1964 after completing filming for A Hard Day’s Night and before beginning the Beatles’ 1964 World Tour that heralded the British Invasion in pop music. McCartney owned it until 1970, when he sold it after having put around 40,000 miles on the odometer.
This vintage Aston still has its original Sierra blue paint job and features many luxury options including chrome wire wheels, an equally vintage Phillips Auto-Morgan record player, black leather seating and interior and many other creature comforts. McCartney originally ordered a custom leather interior patterned with musical notes. Sadly, one of the owners replaced that interior with plain black leather.
Peter Wallman, who was one of the auctioneers monitoring the bidding on the Aston for RM Auctions, thought that Beatlemania might drive buyers to extraordinary lengths to own this beautiful car.
“I’m not going to predict that happening here but if somebody collects Beatles memorabilia and just really wanted to have Paul McCartney’s Aston Martin then it could go crazy.”
There is no doubt that $551,000 is a crazy price, even for a bona fide piece of automotive and musical history. If you love the look and feel of vintage automobiles but don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to indulge that craving, you’re in luck! We offer several different San Francisco vintage car rentals that you can rent for a few hours, a day or even a weekend cruise down the Beautiful California coast. Each antique car in our collection is immaculately clean, lovingly restored and in top running condition to give our guests a chance to experience automotive history without having to pay historically high rates.
Our Bay Area antique car rentals are popular for weddings, wine tours, film shoots, anniversaries, birthdays and many other special occasions, like getting out of the city for an afternoon. If renting a San Francisco vintage car sounds like your idea of a great time or a great gift idea, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to make your reservation today! Baby, you can drive my car…
Young Driver Who Damaged Rolls-Royce Faces Severe Financial Hardship
All of us have bad days every once in a while, but a recent day experienced by a young Chinese man puts most peoples’ bad days in perspective. The 21-year-old man was driving along a road near the Lukou International Airport near Nanjing when he swerved off the road slightly. Under normal circumstances, this small incident would be easily forgotten. However, this was not a normal day at all. The young man happened to swerve into a Rolls-Royce Phantom, which was parked along the side of the road and suffered around $158,000 in damage when the driver struck it with his car.
The Rolls had been parked there while the chauffeur waited for VIPs to arrive so it could transport them to their destinations. The police report states that the unfortunate driver struck the front left side of the Phantom, crushing the fender, grill, bumper, hood, headlamp assembly and support structure of the $1.9 million vehicle. If that wasn’t bad enough, the young driver admitted that the accident was his fault, which allowed his insurance company to deny paying for the damage. The driver, a chef by trade, has little in savings, certainly not enough to cover the $158,000 repair tab. He is planning to appeal directly to the Phantom’s owners to see if they can reach an accommodation on how the repair bill will be paid.
Yikes. That was a bad day. Hopefully, the driver and the owner will be able to figure out an arrangement that will work for both parties. On a much brighter note, if you’re looking for San Francisco Rolls-Royce rentals, you have come to the right place! We offer one of the widest selections of Rolls-Royce limousines from which to choose in the Bay Area. From classic Silver Wraiths to vintage Silver Cloud convertibles, no other Bay Area limousine service offers a better selection at affordable rates. Our beautiful Rolls-Royce limousines are perfect for the following:
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Weddings
- Sightseeing tours
- Gift ideas
- Wine tours
- Employee rewards programs
- Many other special occasions
For images and information about the Bay Area Rolls-Royce rentals in our fleet, please browse the pages of our site. For answers to your questions and to reserve one of our Rolls-Royce limos for your special event, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936!
Reserve Your San Francisco Valentine’s Day Limousine Now
Those of you who are planning to rent a Bay Area limousine for Valentine’s Day still have time to make your reservation, but the window of opportunity is closing for the most popular models. The most romantic day of the year will be here before you know it, and, if you’re planning something extra sweet for your sweetheart, like a San Francisco limo experience, for example, there’s no better time to make your reservation. Some of our most popular limousines for couples have already been reserved, but we still have some great options available, such as these:
- Stretch limos available in white or black
- Our famous and very romantic San Francisco hot tub limousine
- Hummer SUV Limos
- Expedition SUV Limos
- Lincoln Navigator Limos
- Limousine buses
- Party buses
- Classic Rolls-Royce limousines
- Other luxurious options!
No matter which luxury vehicle you select for your San Francisco limo experience, they all come with our legendary customer service and many perks that are included in the very affordable rate. Unlike other Bay Area limousine services, we include lots of amenities in the price we quote instead of nickel-and-diming our guests and surprising them with additional charge at the end of the evening.
Although your thoughts may be focused on the upcoming holidays and get-togethers with friends and family, make your Valentine’s Day limo reservations now for the best selection at the best rates. For more information about your limousine options, our affordable rates and ways that we can help you customize your limousine experience, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936. If you’re planning on going out for New Year’s Eve, ask us about renting a San Francisco limo for the second-biggest date night of the year, too!
Concertgoers Stranded When Party Bus Fails to Appear After Concert
A party bus is perhaps the ultimate vehicle for concert transportation. With plenty of room, wet bars, mood lighting, stripper poles and many other amenities, there is no better way to get to and from a concert with friends and family. At least that’s what 38 Californians thought when they rented a party bus for a recent Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias concert at the Staples Center. They reserved The Super Sexy Party Bus from a local party bus provider to transport them from Thousand Oaks to downtown Los Angeles and home again so they could all concentrate on having a good time.
"They had what looked like the best party bus on the market," said passenger Bruce Barrios. "It looked like a night club on wheels."
"It had four great neon light-up stripper poles and a disco ball," said passenger Suzie Hayden.
The evening of fun, music and merriment got off to an inauspicious beginning, however, when the party bus arrived two hours late. Making matters worse, the air conditioning on the party bus was not working, and it wasn’t long before the guests were quite uncomfortable in the sweltering heat.
"I thought I was going to die," said passenger Marco Jimenez.
The lateness of the arrival of their party bus also caused the guests to miss a big chunk of the concert, which was already well underway when they arrived at the Staples Center. After the concert, the guests were outraged when they gathered at the predetermined pickup point only to find that their party bus was gone, along with the belongings they had left on board. Their calls to the party bus provider went unanswered, and the group ended up having to take cabs to get back home.
The guests complained to the Public Utilities Commission, which oversees all for-hire ground transportation companies in California and learned that, while the bus and the limousine service that owns the party bus are in compliance with CPUC regulations, the limo service has an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau. That’s not very sexy.
If you’re looking for an ethical, affordable and professional San Francisco party bus provider that is also in full compliance with CPUC regulations but takes much better care of its guests, call us at NLS Limo today at 800-339-8936. We have become the Bay Area’s premier limousine and party bus provider by providing super-clean and comfortable luxury vehicles for our guests at the best rates in the area. Add in our superb customer service, and you and your guests are guaranteed to have a wonderful time! Our party buses are perfect for concerts, sporting events, pub crawls, birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties and many other special occasions. Call us today!
Centenarian Celebrates Birthday on Party Bus With 26 Friends
Harriet Bump of Eldridge, Iowa, celebrated a very special milestone recently and did so in grand style. Twenty-six of her closest friends celebrated her 100th birthday by renting a party bus for a tour of holiday lights and a stop at a local ice cream parlor and confectionary. The resident of Grand Haven Retirement Village did not know about the special excursion or its destination until friends told her to dress extra warmly for her birthday party. When the appointed time arrived, she was escorted out to her waiting party bus for an hour-long tour of the Quad Cities, which straddles the Mississippi River in Iowa and Illinois.
When the tour was complete, she and her friends enjoyed ice cream treats at Lagomarcino’s, a local ice cream parlor and confectionary that has been owned and operated by the Lagomarcino family since 1908. When they arrived, the birthday girl and her guests were greeted by “Happy 100th Harriet” on the parlor’s marquee. Harriet wasted no time on deciding what type of ice cream treat she would enjoy on this momentous occasion.
“I know just what I want,” she said. “I want a strawberry sundae!”
“She didn’t say it, she exclaimed it,” says Tom Lagomarcino, one of the owners.
After ordering her sundae and settling into one of the parlor’s wooden booths, she sat with a wide smile on her face while the staff and her friends sang “Happy Birthday.”
Self-effacing and modest even on this extraordinary occasion, Harriet coyly mentioned that she wasn’t sure what all the hoopla was all about.
“Such a fuss,” she said. “I’m only 100.”
Birthdays are some of the most popular reasons why our guests rent our San Francisco party buses, which can comfortably and affordably accommodate groups of 26 family and friends and many more! If you know someone who is celebrating an important milestone and you would like to make it extra special, rent a Bay Area party bus from us, and let us take care of all the details! They are roomy, comfortable, loaded with luxury amenities and more affordable than you may think! For more information about rates, availability and the wide range of different party bus options available, call us today at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936. Cheers, Harriet!
Dutch Company Announces Submersible Limousine for Ultra-Wealthy Clientele
Because it is our mission to bring our readers all sorts of limousine news from the sublime to the ridiculous, we thought we’d share this limo news item out of the Netherlands. A Dutch company called U-Boat Worx, which manufactures custom submarines, has announced that they have created the world’s first “subsea limousine,” the C-Explorer 5. This underwater limo was unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show this past September and seats up to four guests, including the chauffeur.
Aimed squarely at customers at the higher end of the income bracket, the C-Explorer 5 retails for around $2.4 million and is designed for intrepid owners who want to explore depths down to 1,000 feet below sea level. It is capable of reaching speeds up to 3 knots, or 3.5 miles per hour and is equipped with high-capacity lithium-ion batteries that can power the limo up to eight hours. This limousine closely resembles the remotely operated vessels (ROVs) that researchers use to explore the ocean’s depths but on a larger scale. A pressurized steel and acrylic sphere protects the occupants, and the sphere is framed by a steel cage and outboard pontoon-like structures, which house the thrusters and stabilizers.
If the occupants happen to get a bit more adventurous than they planned, the vessel is capable of supporting the crew for up to 96 hours or even longer with the optional 16-hour batteries. The chauffeur controls the underwater limo through dual-2kWh thrusters and optional dual-1.2kWh thrusters for controlling side-to-side movement. Moving inside, the amenities are more practical than luxurious by necessity. The CE5 features LED lighting, air conditioning, bucket seats and underwater instrumentation. However, the CE5 does offer some cool amenities not found on most limousines: there is a smaller tethered ROV for exploring tighter spaces, an external arm, a high-definition camcorder and sonar equipment.
There is no doubt that this limousine is one of the coolest limos that we have seen, but it isn’t very practical. After all, where is the wet bar, moon roof, flat-screen TV, audio system, privacy screen and other luxurious amenities found in all of our San Francisco limousines? While this limo may be great for a specific kind of sightseeing, and a spectacular one at that, it would have limited range and appeal for most of our guests. If you want a San Francisco limo, party bus or other type of luxury transportation for an upcoming wedding, concert or other special occasion held above sea level, call us at NLS Limo today at 800-339-8936. Our Bay Area limousines might not be able to take you and your guests on an underwater adventure, but we’d be glad to transport you to the Aquarium of the Bay, Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences, Monterey Bay Aquarium or any other destination you’d like!
Call 1-800-339-8936 for your free quote
Great customer service, great prices, and always a lot of fun.
I've used Nationwide 3 or 4 times now and have not once been disappointed. Great customer service, great prices, and always a lot of fun. Staff always helps me pick the best option for my group and our budget.