Buses

Unlike the United States, where riding Greyhound is like a sentence in a mobile prison, buses in Europe are generally clean, safe, reliable, and fast. In some countries - Greece and Portugal for example - express buses are faster than trains for some trips. This is also the case in Ireland, and, to a lesser extent, in England. If you plan on spending most of your time in these countries, then a train pass may not pay for itself. This is definitely so if you won’t be traveling much.

If you are planning on visiting only major cities in a large number of countries, and are on a very tight budget, you might want to look into Busabout, a long-distance bus company based in London. The buses travel a set route around Europe, hitting about seventy cities in a series of loops and spurs. Buses stop for the night at hostels that are affiliated with the company. Busabout is a viable alternative to a train pass, but a couple of warnings are in order here. The first is that a long-distance ride on a bus is much more uncomfortable than on a train. The second is that a standard Busabout pass does not cover Greece, Ireland, Hungary, or Scandinavia, as a Eurail pass would. A two-month unlimited-travel Busabout pass for those under 26 is USD 669 - cheaper than a train pass, though of course only good on the Busabout system. If you’re interested in checking them out, Busabout has a fine website with an excellent description of their service at ®www.busabout.com. You can also get hold of them at Busabout, 258 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V IBS, England (©020/7950 1661, ©020/ 7950 1662, ©info@busabout.co.uk).

Another bus option worth considering is the “slow coach” operation. These are also designed for ultra-budget types, and consist of a number of buses that follow a preset route around a particular country, dropping off and picking up travelers anywhere along the route. Basically, you buy a ticket for a certain amount of time, then jump on and off buses as desired. Be advised that these operations focus on the cheapest possible accommodations when they stop for the night. Check the London magazines mentioned on p.21 or at tourist offices in major European cities for these types of operators, or look for posters in hostels and budget accommodations.

Finally, if you are planning only a few trips between cities, say three weeks in London, followed by three weeks in Paris, followed by three weeks back in London, making those trips by bus is going to be your cheapest option. You certainly don’t need a rail pass for such a trip.