What difficulties should you be prepared for when choosing a cheap bus tour? Bus tours in Europe How to choose an economy bus tour

By selecting sightseeing tours , You will receive an interesting, rich and comfortable holidays abroad . At night, on our tours you will find the most comfortable European hotels with excellent service and delicious dishes. Of all the tours presented by our company, the ones that are especially popular are. Therefore, when developing excursion tours in this direction, we pay attention to all the details. You can choose trips that provide the opportunity to get acquainted with the main attractions of this city of romantics. However, this is not only the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, amazing cuisine and Moulin Rouge. These are also excursion tours to the sunny Cote d'Azur, fragrant vineyards, mountains with white caps of snow. Very often, French Provence is visited by groups who have booked. The charm of this province and the taste of Marseille bouillabaisse will forever remain the most delicious memories of tours to Europe.

Holidays abroad the one you dreamed of

Walk through the narrow streets Latin Quarter in Paris, ride a bike around Montmartre, and tomorrow - watch the morning sun reflected in the Belvedere fountains, sighing the aromatic smell of Viennese coffee... Try chocolate truffles in Belgium and see the vibrant carnivals of Spain, visit the greatest museums in London, see the creations of famous artists and listen to real classical music at the Grand Opera, or maybe just relax in a noisy Berlin club or grab a glass of good beer in the company of an old and wise Bavarian - such a vacation can become not a dream, but a reality if you choose tours from the Tourtrans-Voyage company. Tours to Europe are not just an opportunity to enjoy the culture of countries that have flourished for many centuries, but also a chance to relax, plunge into a real fairy tale, and gain inspiration, which is always so lacking. After all, tours around Europe seem to be created in order to lift the curtain on the world, become part of it, enjoy the most positive emotions and gain memories dear to the heart. By the way, many travelers prefer

Bus tours- one of the most budget types of recreation. That is why they are so popular among novice tourists: to see the cities of the Golden Ring or even more - Europe - in, let's say, a full-color version for the price of a three-day holiday on the Black Sea coast, somewhere near Anapa, is quite a tempting thing.

On the other hand, there are plenty of dangers and surprises awaiting you on bus tours. Which side of the scale will tip the scale is up to you to decide. So let’s not bore potential bus travelers with a long prelude and waste the time of those for whom such tours are categorically contraindicated. Let's start with the positive.

Advantages of bus tours

Price. Well, you definitely can’t argue with that: bus tours are really the most a budget option travel.

No, don’t rush to argue that the price for a seven-day holiday in Turkey is two times lower than a seven-day bus tour. The bus tour includes transfer, a large set of excursions, meals and hotel accommodation. During it you will explore several cities or even countries.

And for the amount for which you ended up on the coast of Antalya, all you can do is lie on the sand and admire the sea. And if you wish active rest, visiting antiquities, entertainment and good alcohol, you will have to pay another tidy sum on top of the trip.

So the result remains unchanged: of all types of recreation, bus travel is the most budget-friendly.

Attractions. If your primary goal is to explore historical and modern sights, and not to serenely drink cocktails while lying on a sun lounger, then this is indeed a huge plus of such tours.

You will visit many most interesting places, and during your transfers you will have time to admire the various landscapes to your heart’s content - none of this you will be able to do when purchasing a regular tour to a hotel.

Among the disadvantages of bus tourism:

Lack of comfort. Really. Rest during which most time you have to think about what kind of pretzel to twist your legs into in order to somehow stretch them, it’s a stretch to call them comfortable.

Among the difficulties and hardships of this type of tourism there are also: poor nutrition, periodic lack of shower, lack of sleep due to night travel and lack of personal space.

Again, the severity of such hardships depends on the type of tour and the type of bus - the higher the class of the tour, the less inconvenience the transfers will cause you.

The above problems are solved and practically nullified if there are no night transfers in the tour program: this means that you will spend the night in motels and hotels. The level of service may also vary, but you will definitely have a horizontal bed and minimal amenities like a bathroom and dinner in a cafe.

Short tour dates. Bus tours really do not imply free use of your own time: in Italy they will take you at a run through the Vatican, in France they will rush you while visiting the Louvre, and in the Czech Republic they will not allow you to quietly snack on a dumpling somewhere on the Charles Bridge. Often you will move almost at a run, and in the rain, and in the snow, and in the cold, and even when you have caught a slight cold.

No, of course, sometimes you will have two or three hours to walk, but not everywhere and not always. Sometimes tourists complain that they have to leave cities without visiting one or another attraction that they have dreamed of visiting all their lives.

Schedule tourist buses quite dense: stay here too long, you won’t have time there, and the whole tour will be down the drain. So if you are not one of those who values punctuality and are not ready to stoically endure an inspection world heritage from the bus window, such travel is not suitable for you.

Here it is worth remembering that it is impossible to embrace the immensity. Are you ready to come to terms with this fact? Then you can think about taking a bus trip.

In addition (we don’t know whether to write this down as pros or cons, but the fact remains): for a long period you will have to stay in a group of unfamiliar people, among whom there may well be entities that are distant from you in character and therefore extremely annoying. No one is safe from noisy children, drunken men and aunts who are always dissatisfied with everything and everyone. So think three times whether your philanthropy will withstand this test.

The conclusion from all of the above suggests the following: if you are easy-going, easy-going and non-confrontational, and want to see a lot at once - bus tours are definitely for you. Go without hesitation!

Admire the historical and cultural centers old ladies of Europe, taking a walk in the parks of London, Paris or Prague is a holiday prospect that is increasingly attracting Russians, despite the crisis, tour operators say. And they offer “anti-crisis” bus tours.

“Interest in going on vacation abroad this year has decreased by 25-30%. Bus travel is the only segment of the tourism market that has hardly suffered from the difficult economic situation, has maintained its popularity and even attracted new clients,” says Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). The secret is in the price. Road trips have always been cheaper than tours with flights, and this fall even more attractive offers have appeared.

Thus, operators have increased the number of programs with overnight travel (a night on the road, a day in the country), thereby saving on hotels. In addition, they refused the services of expensive hotels, choosing hostels, hotels along the road or on the outskirts. “You shouldn’t be afraid of such apartments. These are not luxurious, but very good in terms of the quality of service and interior decoration,” added Lomidze. Two stars in Europe are far from two stars in Turkey. European motels, unlike Asian guest houses, guarantee quality accommodation.

"Price and details sightseeing tours— the main advantages of bus tours,” says the executive director travel company « Old city» Lyudmila Davydova. For example, an eight-day trip to Paris with flights, a hotel (three stars) and three meals a day will cost 1,500 euros per person, not counting additional costs for excursions, souvenirs, and shopping. A two-week trip Vienna - Venice - Milan - Paris - Prague by bus with overnight stays in roadside hotels, a couple of excursions, several night transfers, breakfasts, overview stories from a guide and a visa - 380 euros (not counting additional expenses for food).

As Lyudmila Davydova said, the cheapest places to travel are to Finland, Poland and the Czech Republic (280-330 euros for five days); now these destinations are the most popular among clients. If you get to transit points by plane or train, the cost of travel increases by 30% (plus air or train tickets).

Route selection

There are three ways to go on a bus cruise: go directly from Moscow to St. Petersburg or Brest by bus; get to St. Petersburg or Brest by train, and then transfer to a bus; The most comfortable and expensive option is to fly into the country by plane, and from there begin your journey with a guide and other group members.

The trip takes from 7 to 15 days, but the road eats up 2-4 days of rest due to traffic jams, queues at the border and the crossings themselves. Therefore, five-day tours, although the cheapest, are not the most productive. The buses offered by most companies are equipped with a toilet, reclining seats for sleeping, TV monitors with DVD players, air conditioning, and sometimes even a small kitchen with a microwave, refrigerator and coffee maker. Your time on the road will be more fun if you grab a couple of CDs with your favorite films. However, get ready that another 30-60 people will share your leisure time and everyday life with you. You will have to be together with your fellow travelers almost around the clock.

“This vacation is not for misanthropes, but lonely travelers looking for companionship will have fun,” says Dmitry Fomintsev, head of the travel company Turtrans-Voyage.

Experts recommend taking care of your seat on the bus in advance - when purchasing, reserve a specific seat and make sure that it is indicated on the voucher or ticket. If you are seated in the back, then unpleasant shaking is inevitable; you may be bothered by foreign odors near the toilet and kitchen, and there may be drafts near the entrance. Most comfortable places located in the center of the salon.

Be ready

You will be taken either through several European capitals, or through large and small cities of one state, depending on the tour program. Stops for sightseeing and a snack at a cafe are provided every two hours. This brings variety and prevents you from getting bored. Almost every evening the bus arrives at a new one locality. IN local hotel travelers spend the night and after breakfast go on excursions.

Day for bus tourist starts very early - at 6 am. The organizers arrange a free breakfast, and then take the group to see local attractions. These can be like museums and architectural ensembles, as well as local diamond processing plants and watch factories. If along the way there is a bar or a pastry shop offering tastings, tourists will definitely be taken there. It is absolutely impossible to refuse or change the given route. Optional excursion can take place only for a fee and only at the request of the majority.

But after the “compulsory” program, everyone will have 1.5-2 hours of free time and can go wherever they want. The main thing is to stock up on parking maps - the guides do not provide them. Free time- at the same time a big minus. During this time, you won’t have time to go to the museum, and you’re afraid to go far from the bus, so as not to get lost. As a result, it turns into confused fermentation within a radius of 100 meters from the parking lot. And if the weather is bad, then most sit out in the cabin.

“Operators provide only free breakfasts and sightseeing excursions; the costs of other meals and trips to places not covered by the program are borne entirely by our clients,” says Dmitry Fomintsev.

He recommends taking extra funds with you up to a maximum of 50 euros per day per person. About 15 euros will be spent on food (150 euros for a ten-day trip), and the rest on gifts, souvenirs and other personal purchases. To be prepared for unpredictable weather, pack both lightweight and very warm layers. The main thing is that they are comfortable.

What awaits a tourist on a bus trip?

Cheap (280-330 euros depending on the number of days of travel)
Getting to know several countries in one trip
Many new friends among fellow travelers
Visits to bars and pastry shops for free tasting of local wines and delicacies
Opportunity to save on food (particularly thrifty tourists stock up on smoked sausage and canned food)
The opportunity to see not only the capitals, but also the provinces
Bus tour - good reconnaissance for a future more detailed trip

Limited time in cities
Inability to change the route at personal request
Lack of comfort
Noisy company of fellow travelers
Problems with obtaining a visa, since illegal immigrants also travel to Europe through bus tours
Lost time at the border, in traffic jams and during breakdowns
Unpredictable weather means you will have to stock up on both light and warm clothes.

When is the best time to go?

The most suitable time for bus tours is autumn and spring, when it is not yet / no longer hot, but not cold either. In autumn you will have the opportunity to see European cities in an unusual, fabulous condition. At this time, even the smells change, and we remember them with tenderness long after the end of the trip itself. In the spring we have a series May holidays, which can also be used not only for the first barbecue picnics, but also for traveling to see how Europe is waking up!

Tour booking

If you are traveling for the first time, although this also applies to experienced tourists, the trip should be booked in advance. And there are several reasons for this:

1. You will be able to communicate with different travel agencies and tour operators, compare offers and prices, and really choose what you want, and not what is left on a residual basis. Those. Start getting interested in tours about two months before the trip itself. It would also be a good idea to read reviews about travel agencies. Also, don’t go for too cheap tours.

2. You will have time to collect and prepare Required documents to obtain a visa without haste. In this case, the international passport, of course, should already be available. Don't leave everything to the last minute.

3. Early booking Most travel agencies offer small but still pleasant discounts. Also, don’t hesitate to ask about auction tours; sometimes companies organize various promotions.

4. You can borrow best places on the bus, since most often the allocation of seats occurs as requests from tourists are received. Here, in the literal sense, the rule “who gets up first gets the slippers” applies. But in some cases, the first rows on the bus are offered for an additional fee, so do not forget to check this point with a consultant. The same tourists who were the last to apply are usually placed on last places, where it is not very comfortable, and also makes you sick and you can’t always hear the guide.

What should you pay attention to when choosing a tour?

The most tiring part of bus tours is the night travel. Therefore, try to choose those that contain one, maximum two night transfers. As a rule, there are almost no tours without traveling at night, so if you find one, pay attention to it.

It is also important to take into account the fact that most often the price of the tour only includes breakfast, and even that does not happen every day, but only during your stay in hotels. Try to always have some snacks in your backpack, as well as plenty of water.

When choosing a tour, you should also pay attention to the point of departure, because very often trips start from Lviv or Uzhgorod, which means you will have to spend extra on round-trip tickets if you live in another city. Yes, and with booking tickets to westward There are often problems, especially on holidays.

What to take on the road?

To make your travel comfortable, you should take with you on your trip:

A special pillow for the neck (without it it will be very uncomfortable to sleep at night on the bus);

At least one warm thing - a long jacket or sweater is best, which you can use to cover yourself at night;

Comfortable, durable and waterproof shoes, it is better to take proven ones, because... a new one can rub and cause discomfort while traveling, forget about heels and, especially, stilettos;

Dry food and a sufficient amount of water, but importing animal products into the EU is strictly prohibited;

An umbrella, since the weather can sometimes be very changeable (also check the forecasts in advance);

A minimum first aid kit (including anti-sickness pills), as well as the medications you take (don’t forget to take prescriptions from your doctor, if some of them require it, in order to avoid problems at the border);

Wet wipes with a supply and hand sanitizers - they will be indispensable assistants on the road;

Small money for buying coffee and snacks during stops at parking lots and gas stations (check the country's currency in advance; in extreme cases, you can pay by card), as well as for visiting the toilets, because they are not always free.

People who are overweight and tall (from 190 cm), older people (here, of course, everything depends on the state of health, but still, if there is the slightest doubt, it is better to refuse), as well as small and restless children (like Typically, these are children under 6 years old).

And finally

When boarding a bus, immediately check your seat to ensure it is working properly and can recline. If there is something wrong with him, immediately inform the attendant so that you can immediately change your seat. When listening to music on headphones, try not to disturb the volume of your neighbors. Do not walk around the cabin while driving. Always keep money and documents with you in your breast pocket; do not leave them unattended on the bus or in hotels. Make a copy of your passport in advance and store it separately from the original. Always keep your travel plan with you, which should include the names of hotels, telephone numbers of accompanying persons and detailed description your minibus so that you know where the group is if you suddenly fall behind.

And most importantly, don’t be nervous and try to enjoy the trip under any circumstances!

A trip to Europe is an excellent springboard for a novice traveler. Firstly, it is economical, secondly, if you wish, you can cover several countries at once, thirdly, you have the opportunity to see much more than the airport, hotel, beach and several tourist spots, which means you will understand and feel the country better.

There are other advantages too. These are the wonderful autobahns of Europe and stops in the middle of the picturesque Alps or Apennines (if you are driving through them), these are hamburgers in cafes at gas stations, which are just a blast from the road and seem tastier than any delicacy, this is watching films and listening to ethnic music, when outside the windows, the landscapes change one after another, there is a lack of check-in procedures at airports, and for those who are afraid of airplanes, there is practically no alternative type of travel.

But, as with any other type of trip (and bus tours are a much greater adventure than air tours), there can be pitfalls, inconsistencies, and various unpleasant moments. And all of them are often associated with the wrong expectations of the tourist, as well as the lack of basic behavior skills on a bus trip.

Choose the right company

This is the first and most important thing to do. A bus trip is a responsible matter, because here the group leader will be with you all days of the trip, you will spend the maximum amount of time with him and other tourists in the group, which means that the travel agency must be very reliable so that with its help you can minimize all unpleasant situations.

If the tour operator you are traveling with is unreliable, you may experience great amount troubles - from banal disorganization and delays at destinations, to ripping off tourists in the form of additional payments right on the road, about which you were not warned in advance.

The question of how to choose a tour operator is quite sensitive, and this is rather a topic for a separate publication. Here we note that he must have been working in the market for many years, he must have a positive credit history, good feedback tourists, recommendations, its activities should be as transparent as possible for the consumer.

Be patient

When choosing a bus tour, in the program we see something like: “Hungary – transfer to Austria – overnight – crossing the border with Italy.” Many in such a situation will think that moving is as quick and insignificant as reading the names of countries and cities from a piece of paper. In fact, the journey takes a long time, sometimes almost a day. Therefore, when we see some destinations on the route, we must understand what we are dealing with. And the daily changes of cities or even countries should make you think that the journeys will be long, and the breaks between them will be short. This makes you very tired. Although, in essence, this is neither good nor bad. You just need to be prepared for this and be aware of all the difficulties of long journeys in advance.

Find out if there will be night crossings

This is a fundamental question. Because there are tours with them, and there are ones without. If you know that you won’t be able to get enough sleep on the bus, choose the second option. Typically, tours without overnight transfers are designed so that you do not spend the whole day on the bus, but still get to your destination in half a day, settle down there and then go on excursions from there. Therefore, your journey does not turn into a continuous trip. But still, if you really regret this time, and you sleep very well on a bus, choose tours in which you will spend the night in transport, and during the day you will enjoy only excursions.

About included holidays

Pay attention to whether each day of the program is packed with travel and transfers, or whether you will still be given time to rest, perhaps even for several days. Ideal tours are those that include several days at the resort and several days purely excursion program. On such trips you can get some sleep, get a little healthier, swim in the sea, and get a lot of fresh impressions. But they are more expensive. Firstly, because such tours are usually longer, and secondly, they try to include more expensive hotels for the recreational part. That is, these are no longer transit two or three stars, but, for example, fours.

In general, this is what is proposed huge number variations that you will even get confused at first. These are now popular weekend tours, and tours for two weeks or longer, combining relaxation and travel, and tours with included accommodation in the mountains, and only with the beach and sea... Any whim of a tourist!

Choose a vacation by status

The people you travel with will spend the entire journey with you. Each of them has their own character, habits, their own needs, their own social status. You will have to put up with a lot, turn a blind eye to a lot. This is something to remember and take lightly if you are already on the road.

But first you can try to minimize the risk that you will not like the trip. How? If you have enough money, do not choose tours that are too cheap. Then your bus will not be filled with, for example, poor students who will always be late everywhere, drink alcohol in the last rows and have loud fun when you want to fall asleep.

Take some snacks

On the autobahns, cafes offer very good high prices. If this is Europe, then a couple of hamburgers and cups of coffee will cost you 10-15 euros. For residents Western countries It’s pennies, but for our people it’s a tangible amount. Therefore, the ideal option is to take something quickly eaten and non-perishable with you on the bus: nuts, chips, cookies, dried fruits, bananas, apples, breadsticks. This is enough goodness for you to have a snack when everyone is spending extra money at a roadside cafe and trying to fit it into the allotted 15 minutes.

And, by the way, divide all things into two categories - those that are needed on the bus, and those that can be hidden in luggage. In the first category, include some food, a blanket, comfortable shoes, woolen socks or slippers, safety glasses, earplugs, a pillow under your head, wet sanitary napkins, and medications.

Know your money in advance

European bus tours are usually not very expensive: from 2 thousand UAH to 20 thousand UAH per trip for two. This amount usually includes medical insurance, a visa, bus travel, some excursions, and the services of a group leader. For everything else you will have to pay extra.

How to calculate the final cost of the tour? There is one simple rule: you need to multiply the fee you pay to the travel agency by two. That is, another 50% of your expenses will go towards food, souvenirs, excursions and other needs. Thus, the tour that you purchased for 400 euros will ultimately cost 800 euros.