Taking a Bus Holiday in Europe’s Off-Season

Europe in the off-season is a trade-off; shorter days and questionable weather for the advantages of less competition for budget accommodations, shorter lines at tourist sites and more space on transportation services.

You can make off-season travel easier on yourself by not having to lug your pack around town in bad weather to find economical accommodation. This winter, one backpacker bus service will drop you off and pick you up at the door of some of the more popular hostels, including stops in some major winter resort regions.

Busabout, the European hop-on-hop-off bus service, will provide service to the major cities along its routes every second day between Oct. 14 and April 16.

Seats can be reserved ahead or booked while on board with a company representative. Discounted rates are available to those who hold International Youth (under 26) or Student Identity cards (sold by student travel agencies in North America).

The Busabout buses are 50-passenger luxury coaches. Each one has an on-board representative who can help answer questions, offer recommendations and reserve beds at the hostel that has been chosen as the drop-off point for each city. Passengers also receive an information booklet with information about pickup points, cyber-cafes, tourist offices and emergency contacts.

This winter Busabout will provide service along a “Northern Route” that links Paris to Bruges, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Heidelberg and back to Paris; and a “Southern Route” that links Paris to Zurich, Lucerne, Munich, the Tirol ski region, Innsbruck, Venice, Rome, Florence, Nice, Avignon, Lyons, Geneva, Interlaken, Zurich and back to Paris.

Winter passes for consecutive days of travel are: 15 days, $209 or $179 for students/youth; 21 days, $319 or $259 students/youth; one month, $409 or $319; two months, $569 or $449. A season pass is $649 or $539. Return transportation from London can be added for $49 for passes up to 21 days, $25 for passes up to two months or for free if you are a season pass holder.

This winter it’s also possible to purchase passes for set itineraries. For the Northern Route, which would be covered in 16 days, it’s $239 or $209 students/youth. For the Southern Route, which is covered in 20 days, it’s $319 or $259 for students/youth.

Side-trip tickets can be purchased on the buses from Berlin to Warsaw and Krakow, Vienna to Budapest and Rome to Naples.

Busabout will not provide services on Christmas Day or from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2. They recommend that you make New Year’s travel and accommodation arrangements in advance.

Another choice for European transportation is by rail with a Eurail pass. Travel agents can help you research the opportunities, or you can call (800) 4EURAIL or find Eurail on the Internet at https:// www.raileurope.com. Eurail Passes (including Youth Passes for travelers under 26) must be purchased from a travel agent before you go abroad. A Eurail Youth Pass for 15 days of travel over two months is currently $599. But the price goes up Jan. 1, so it’s best to buy the pass before that date.

Busabout Passes can be purchased from STA Travel, telephone (323) 934-8722 or (800) 777-0112, or Council Travel, tel. (310) 208- 3551 or (800) 2COUNCIL. Busabout can be found on the Internet at https://www.busabout.com.