From Kathleen Crislip,
Your Guide to Student Travel.
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Busabout is a terrific resource for getting around once you're in Europe. Busabout is like a tour -- but you can direct your own itinerary.

Busabout, a flexible "hop-on, hop-off" private bus network, is meant for backpackers and young people and covers 41 cool cities in 11 western and central European countries. "Extra" Greek island tours and Morocco camping can also be had from Busabout.

How Busabout Works

The buses have travel loops, and you can stay on the bus for the duration of your trip (the bus stops in a city each night), or choose to jump off the bus at one of their drop-off spots, cruise around for a couple of days, and jump back on the next bus coming through at one of Busabout's pick-up locations, which are usually at or near Busabout's recommended accomodations.

Busabout will hook you up with hand picked accommodations if you like -- budget hotels, hostels or campgrounds. Campgrounds provide cabins and linens.

Busabout Things to Consider

You'll buy a Busabout travel pass ranging from two weeks to six months, which can be done on the website and can be rearranged on the bus. You can follow the bus's itinerary or be utterly flexible (by hopping and off) with the security of knowing you have transportation, no matter what. Very reassuring!

Two types of passes exist :

- Flexipass -- you must buy extra days if you decide to hop off for a few days.

- Unlimited Pass-- gives you (as it says) unlimited freedom to hop on and off.

A sample price for an a two week unlimited pass is $419USD - a 14 day Flexipass is $619USD. Check prices here.

Busabout Things to Remember

The bus doesn't wait for you when it stops to let folks off - it's on a mission. If you choose to hop off when the bus stops at a predetermined destination, remember the bus only stops long enough for folks to jump on or off, so don't count on taking an hour of sightseeing and then reboarding.

If you stay on the bus, you'll arrive at the night's destination and get back on the bus in the morning (around 8:00 a.m.) and head for the next destination (hopefully having done some cruising around in the city the night before). The bus does stop every few hours for bathroom breaks and eats, aside from its designated drop-off spots.

This is not a point-to-point service - you've bought a pass for a tour. If you just need a bus ticket, use Eurolines.

The Busabout season runs from May through October and buses operate in large clockwise loops around the network, with departures every two days.

Busabout Bus Amenities

Buses are comfortable. You can watch DVD's or listen to cd's and the air conditioning rocks.

Each bus has a guide as well as a driver. From the website: "The guide will give you loads of practical information about each city, assist with onward travel and accommodation reservations or just answer any of those questions that your guide book wasn't able to."

Each bus guide has a handheld computer to change reservations for you on the spot if you want to book a seat on a different bus or arrange for Busabout's Excellent Extras, like a Busabout trip to Greece.

Bottom Line

If you have the dinero, these bus trips are a great way to see Europe and special spots periodically offered (like Morocco and Greece). If you choose to stay with the bus for your trip, you're taken care of as far as accomodations and transportation go. If you want to do a little indepedent exploring, you'll never be stranded, provided you don't stray too far from your pick up spot. Have a great trip!

"Travelling is like flirting with life. It's like saying, 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.'"
--Lisa St. Aubin de Teran