People could travel from Kolkata to London via bus in the 1950s. Considered the longest bus service in the world, the journey took 50 days and cost £85. The bus service from London, England to Calcutta, India (now Kolkata) was considered to be the longest bus route in the world. The bus service, which started in 1957, was routed to India via Belgium, Yugoslavia and North Western India. This route is also known as the Hippie Route. It took about 50 days for the bus to reach Calcutta from London. The voyage was over 10,000 miles (16,000 km) one way and 20,300 miles (32,700 km) for the round trip. It was in service until 1976. The cost of the trip one-way was £85 in 1957 (equivalent to £2,589 in 2023) and £145 in 1973 (equivalent to £2,215 in 2023). This amount included food, travel and accommodation.