Europe: Getting Around on Land

Flying is not always the cheapest option when getting from country to country, and depending on travel dates can be expensive and inconvenient with airports being far outside cities. Europe is very well connected, and the European Union makes travelling on land often a more convenient and cost efficient way to travel. Oftentimes during the bank and summer holidays, airlines will hike up prices cutting into the budgets of long term travellers and the weekend getaways. Many bus companies all over Europe are now opening up routes and running low cost, frequent trips from small and large cities all over the continent. This is also a great way to enjoy the view when travelling through countries such as Switzerland, Italy or the Netherlands. Plus, most bus companies now have WiFi on board and offer more legroom and comfort than an Easyjet flight. Here are the top three coach companies with easy to use websites and booking platforms:

Megabus: Operating in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and most of Europe, Megabus is a great alternative to trains or other public transport. Running routes multiple times a day with Wifi and bathrooms on board, this is a fan favourite for the traveller on a budget.

National Express: Operating on the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Poland National Express is another great and reliable coach service to use getting to and from cities and town within Europe. Often the cheaper alternative to getting to the airport in the United Kingdom, tickets can be up to 50% less than trains to and from London airports. National express also stops at most small towns in the United Kingdom that are often hard to reach by train. This service is the penny-pinching student’s ticket home for the weekend!

Flixbus: Flixbus is a relatively new service, operating out of Germany and reaching over two thousand destinations across Europe. Tickets can be as low at five euros and Flixbus is the most luxurious of all the bus companies offering high-speed wifi, reclining seats and footrests. And because they run so many times a day they are rarely full, so if you are lucky you might get a whole seat to yourself. Flix bus stops at many destinations that other bus companies do not, allowing to you explore new places off the beaten path, often being the same price as public transportation.

Although bus travel is a cheaper and more scenic way to travel, tickets are still subject to change due to demand. So if you know when you wish to travel book the ticket as soon as possible! Coach companies are much more lenient on cancellations or booking alterations, often only charging 10% of the ticket price to cancel compared to 100% when it comes to budget airlines. For airport buses, always give yourself extra time in case there is traffic, its always better safe than sorry!