The Bus Stops Here--in Wales, Scotland

Bus and tour services designed for backpackers continue to widen in North America, the South Pacific, continental Europe and Britain. This year the Hairy Hog bus service will help budget travelers explore Wales, and Haggis Backpackers will continue to offer group and at-your-own-speed tours in Scotland.

The Hairy Hog trips, geared to those 17 to 35, begin at the Bath, England, Youth Hostel Assn. hostel every Monday (three-day tour) and Tuesday (six-day tour) throughout the year. Three-day tours are $115 and six-day excursions are $199 but don’t include accommodations and entrance fees. It is wise to budget an additional $30 for admissions and $13 per night for hostel rooms.

Travel is by 16-passenger minibus, and accommodations are in dormitory rooms. The bus stops for meals during the day.

The three-day tour begins with a visit to Brecon Beacons National Park, one of the three Welsh national parks. Passengers visit the Carreg Cennen Castle, then Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, and then spend the night at the local youth hostel.

Day 2 of the tour goes to central Wales, passing through small seaside towns and villages to the Cambrian Mountains. Later the group enters Snowdonia National Park to Mt. Snowdon, the tallest mountain in Wales, and will spend the night at the base of the mountain.

On Day 3, the tour heads for Blaenau Ffestiniog, where passengers visit a working slate mine. Then it’s off to the border towns of Ludlow, England, and Hay-on-Wye, Wales. Ludlow is a 13th century market town with 700-year-old taverns. Hay-on-Wye is known for its thriving secondhand book industry. The tour finishes back at the Bath YHA.

Hairy Hog advises that you reserve accommodations at the Bath hostel (telephone 011-44-1225-465674).

Tours can be purchased on arrival in Britain by contacting Hairy Hog Backpackers Adventures, tel. 011-44-1453-751009, or from their offices in Britain and Ireland. In London they have offices at the British Travel Centre, 12 Regent St., Piccadilly Circus and the Backpacker Co. at 22 Conduit Place in Paddington. Tour reservations are not available from the U.S.

This year Haggis Backpackers is offering year-round Jump On Jump Off bus tours, plus three- and six-day programs for budget-conscious travelers that start at $125 and rise to $142 in the summer.

Bus tickets are valid for travel along a 620-mile route; passengers can decide where to get off and how long to stay. Buses pass each point along the route once a day in summer and a minimum of five times a week in winter. For hostel accommodations, budget an additional $13 to $15 per night. Haggis Backpacker three-day tours cover the wilds of the Highlands and the islands for about $115, and a six-day tour that starts at $215. For more information, contact Haggis Backpackers, 11 Blackfriars St., Edinburgh, EH1 1NB, Scotland, tel. 011-44-131-557-9393.