🚌 Bus tours: pros and cons
There is practically no free time, but you really want to go on a trip? There is an exit! Bus tours around Europe will give you a huge amount of impressions in a short time. Travel agencies offer many options. You can go to nearby Lithuania, Latvia or Poland for a weekend or see several countries at once, for example, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg. This material has collected all the pros and cons of bus tours, so that you can determine for yourself whether this method of travel is right for you.
pros
Organization
Agencies offer those interested places on already formed tours. The only thing a person needs to do is choose the appropriate option. The rest falls on the shoulders of the travel agency. Employees will book hotels, buses, and purchase tickets to the museum. Those who prefer this method of travel do not need to worry about drawing up a detailed travel plan. Which places to visit, which road to take, where to stop for food and overnight, and even how to get everything done – these issues are decided in advance by the company offering the tour.
Having familiarized yourself with the options, a person knows exactly what awaits him, how much time he has in a particular place and what is worth paying attention to – this way he will be able to enjoy exploring new places without background anxiety. Even solving emerging problems will not require effort from the tourist himself – on bus tours there is always an accompanying guide. His responsibilities include communicating with local residents, checking vacationers into hotels, organizing meals and much more.
By the way, if you want to independently plan an unusual trip to Europe, like in the movie ” Eurotrip,” then read our material.
Low cost
Bus tours around Europe are often much cheaper compared to a self-planned trip to the same points. This is explained simply – the cost of good round-trip air tickets is usually half the budget. And if the trip involves visiting several countries, then finding suitable flights is also very difficult. Bus tours allow you to save on transport costs.
Of course, there are different price options. The cost depends on the duration and distance of the trip. The cheapest ones include a visit to one or two nearby countries. For example, a 3-day tour Riga- Jurmala – Vilnius will cost 70€, and a 5-day tour to Poland with a trip to 4 cities will cost 170€. Participation in a seven-day tour to the ski resorts of Poland and Slovakia is a little more expensive – 260.€, as is a five-day trip to Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Lithuania – 258.00 €.
Options for a week-long trip in most cases cost more than 500 €. Thus, a visit to six cities in Switzerland and Italy will cost 540 €, and 11 cities in France and the Netherlands – 565 €. You will find a detailed guide about one of the most amazing countries in Europe, Switzerland, in our material.
Variety of places
Even when going on weekend tours, tourists manage to see several cities of one country at once, usually 4. On week-long trips, tourists visit 8-10 cities in 5-6 European countries, passing through them. So, even from the bus you can admire the surrounding landscapes, notice the difference in the architecture of cities and form your own opinion about the region.
The most iconic and unusual places are selected for excursions. They demonstrate the country's rich cultural and historical past. In just a few hours you can see completely different attractions – from museums and castles to national parks and shopping centers. By the way, the most unusual museums in the world can be found here.
In addition, there are tours that combine different recreation options – sightseeing and beach. In this case, see the most interesting cities in a week and enjoy the sea to your heart's content.
Communication
Groups of 40 to 70 people go on bus tours. You will stay close for a significant part of the trip, diverging only in your free time. If you are not very sociable, such company can be annoying. However, a large team is primarily an opportunity for support. There is always someone to ask for help, borrow change or a phone charger, find out the necessary facts, or simply discuss what you see.
Easier to get a visa
Last on the list, but by no means the least important plus of purchasing a bus tour is the opportunity to easily and inexpensively obtain a Schengen visa. Some of the offers are aimed at tourists who already have permission to enter Europe. But some agencies also offer the service of obtaining a Schengen visa when purchasing a tour. However, in this case you need to pay in advance, often six months in advance, in order to have time to complete the documents.
But the savings are significant. The cost of the tour, which includes travel, accommodation and excursions, together with payment for the visa, will be only a couple of tens of euros more expensive than applying on your own. The benefit is obvious.
Most often, France, Italy and Hungary provide a Schengen visa for tourists on bus tours, even if the main countries on the route are different. The guarantee of obtaining a visa is almost 100%, but it is difficult to predict the period for which it will be opened. Blank passports are usually issued for one-time dates of travel or the next few months; there are exceptions. Schengen for a year or two is usually given to those who already have similar visas in their passport, but even here it is difficult to predict. In the end, sometimes it's all about luck.
Minuses
Lack of free time
Due to a busy schedule, there will not be much free time. On average, on a bus tour, a group is given 2-3 hours to explore a new city. A portion goes towards the mandatory excursion program. During the remaining period, you need to have a snack, visit interesting places, and buy souvenirs. During this time it is simply impossible to thoroughly explore the city. But getting into the atmosphere and forming your own impression is quite possible.
When choosing where to go, focus primarily on the proximity of the location and the absence of queues, so as not to delay the rest of the group. Please note that the main bus tour program applies to all participants. You cannot change it according to your wishes; you will have to adapt to everyone. Even if you are not at all interested in any city on the list, you won’t be able to refuse to visit it.
Lots of time on the bus
The specificity of a bus tour is to cover the distances between all cities, in fact, by bus. In some cases, these are night crossings, while in others, countries are crossed during the day. Every day you will spend a lot of time inside the transport. Sitting for 4 or more hours without moving is a difficult task. Even on the most comfortable and convenient buses, sooner or later your legs will become numb and your back will hurt. Try to get off the vehicle at every stop to warm up and move around for at least 10 minutes.
In addition to physical discomfort, boredom can also be a problem. Even the most picturesque landscapes outside the window become boring. The guides take care of the mood of passengers. They talk about the places the group passes, the traditions and culture of the local population, play films and simply communicate with the sad.
Cheap hotels
Most bus tours include overnight stops in economy class hotels. They are much cheaper than luxury ones, but the conditions in them are not ideal. Most often, these are options far from the city center or at the entrance to it. And you shouldn’t count on single rooms – they accommodate from 2 to 4 people per room. The level of convenience and cleanliness, of course, varies depending on the hotel itself, but you can’t count on maximum comfort.
Poor nutrition
A lack of free time will also affect your diet. Don't expect to have full breakfasts, lunches and dinners every day. If you can get lucky with the first one at the hotel – and you will get a buffet at best, or coffee and toast at worst, then with the rest of the meals things are even worse. Snacks on the run, fast food, various bars and sweets along with soda are the most realistic option. Of course, you can visit cafes in the cities you explore, but then you will have to sacrifice your free time.
The best option is to buy healthy foods: fruits, vegetable salads, yoghurts, sandwiches and try to eat them in a comfortable environment. And don't forget about water. Dehydration leads to loss of energy, insomnia and headaches. And if you're traveling to visit Michelin -starred restaurants, read our article about them.
Monotonous routes
Although there are a huge number of different bus tours, most of them follow the same route. There is simply no point in visiting the same countries on different tours – most likely the path will run through places that you have already seen. Therefore, avid travelers who have already visited many places will simply be bored.
Bus tours are a real adventure. You shouldn’t expect comfort and ideal conditions from them, but you are guaranteed to get a sea of vivid impressions and interesting acquaintances! If bus tours are not for you or you want something exotic, then you can contact Tiqets.com and Trip.com.