Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
prices for booking early versus using a pass are close, I'll probably go with the pass as there is value in
flexibility (I change my mind a lot).
In the end, a train pass isn't right for all trips but for most people who will be spending a long time in
Europe and traveling vast distances, having a pass will save them money. While the reservation fees stink,
the basic principles of the pass still hold: if you are traveling long distances, using a lot of high-speed trains,
and booking last minute, a rail pass is going to save you money.
Buses
In the UK, the cheapest way to travel around is via the Megabus (uk.megabus.com), where fares can cost
as little as $1.50 USD. You'll need to book at least a month in advance on popular routes to get the special
fare. However, even if you don't get the cheap fare, you can find fares for around $25 USD, which is still
considerably lower than day-of buses on National Express Coach (coach.nationalexpress.com), which cost
around $37 USD. However, for me, Megabus is the only way to go. Moreover, they now serve the cities of
Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels for around $20 USD for a one-way ticket.
The main bus service in Europe is called Eurolines (eurolines .com), and it reaches throughout the con-
tinent. Eurolines is the continental umbrella organization for international bus travel. Every country has its
own national bus service, but for international long distances, there is Eurolines.
Buses are cheaper than trains. Taking Eurolines from Berlin to Paris works out to be about $100 USD,
while the last-minute booking on the train is as high as $248 USD (booking in advance will get the price
down to around $143 USD). The downside to bus travel is that instead of being spread out like on a train,
you are cramped on a tiny bus. What you save in money, you lose in comfort.
Eurolines also offers continent-wide bus passes where you can enjoy unlimited bus travel between its
forty-three major destinations. Prices for the fifteen-day pass are $237 USD to $388 USD, depending on the
season, and they're $330 USD to $370 USD for the thirty-day pass. If you are going to travel every four
or five days, this ticket is worth it because you'll use the pass enough to make up for its cost. However, if
you are in cities for a week or more and only traveling short, inexpensive distances, this pass is not worth
buying. You simply won't use the pass enough to justify the cost. You can find out more at eurolines.com/
eurolines-pass.
There is also Busabout (busabout.com), which is a bus service for travelers. This company has set routes
throughout Europe and lets travelers buy bus passes that allow riders to hop on and hop off the bus anytime
they want along any one of the routes they paid for. You can spend as little or as long as you want in a des-
tination and then just catch the next bus to your next stop. The passes also include activities in many of the
cities and provide help finding accommodations. Passes range from $470 USD to $1,200 USD for an adult
(student passes are 10 percent cheaper), depending on the route and number of days you travel. These buses
only stop at the major cities in Europe, so if you are deviating from the route they have, you'll need to buy
extra tickets. However, if you are a single traveler or someone without a lot of experience or nervous about
your ability to travel alone, Busabout would be a good “get your feet wet” option, and the guides do a great
job of making sure everyone gets to know one another.
Flying
The rise of the budget airlines discussed in Chapter 5 has made flying around Europe quite cheap. When I
am pressed for time or just not in the mood for an overnight train ride, I fly. There are so many cheap deals
that flying is often the most inexpensive way to get around. Generally, airline tickets in Europe are about
50 percent less than the cost of a train ticket. However, if you book a flight at the very last minute (within
