The World's Longest Trolleybus Line

"I'm just a few more hours from swimming in the Black Sea," I kept telling myself as I squeezed like a sardine into the trolleybus. There were easier and quicker ways to get to Yalta, but this was my chance to ride the longest trolleybus line in the world.

Built in the '50s as a way to avoid extending the train lines through the mountains, the trolleybus line takes visitors from Simferopol -- the main gateway to the Crimea -- about 55 miles to the popular seaside resort town of Yalta. There are lines going to other cities as well, but this is the longest line there is. The low-cost trip takes you up as high as 2,500 feet into the Angarskiy Pass before descending down to the Black Sea coast. The cost is about a buck-fifty.

I had just taken the night train from Kiev, so I had already been traveling for about 18 hours or so. The trolleybus moves slow so I was told it would take about three hours. Of course, I didn't expect the driver to crash and wreck his lines, so we added an hour or more for the replacement bus to come. But at least everyone on the vehicle spoke English and could explain to me what was going on… oh wait.

The long ride was indeed painful, but at the end of the day, I had several reasons to be proud I made the trip. First, car service is much more expensive to get to Yalta. Second, I could have opted for a mini-bus that's only a bit more costly, but it's still cramped and not the best ride for the environment. The trolleybus is powered by electricity and is more eco-friendly. Finally, I get bragging rights for saying I rode the longest trolleybus line in the world. Sure, that's not like hiking Everest, but if you saw how cramped this baby got you'd know it was quite a feat!