12 Reasons Why You Should Explore Europe with a Busabout Hop-on | Hop-off Pass

I just finished three incredible weeks hopping-on and hopping different coaches with Busabout Europe, and it was an absolute blast!

From getting lost among the scenic canals of Amsterdam, being mesmerized by gorgeous sunsets in Prague, and spending four wild days camping, dancing, and partying it up at Europe’s most famous electronic music festival, Tomorrowland…it’s safe to say that this was an experience that I’ll never forget!

This was my first trip with Busabout Europe, but I’ve got a feeling it won’t be my last!  I love the hop-on / hop-off travel flexibility, the social atmosphere is amazing, and ALL of the Busabout crewmembers I met are so much fun.

If you’re planning a trip to Europe over the summer, take a look at why I think you should consider getting your hands on a Busabout pass!

All pictures in this article were taken during my three-week Busabout trip!

Have you ever arrived into a new city and found out about a really cool event, concert, or festival that you want to attend…but you’ve already booked a flight for that day?  It’s honestly happened to me countless times, and it’s always a terrible feeling.

Well, that’s why I love the hop-on / hop off travel style.  It gives you that flexibility to make last minute changes and add some spontaneous adventures when necessary.

If you fall in love with a city…stay for a week!

If you’re not feeling a certain destination…hop on the next bus!

It’s that easy…

While you’re always free to stay at whatever hostel, hotel, AirBNB, or friends couch that you want in each place…the official recommended accommodations are the pick-up and drop off points for the Busabout network, and they’re all fantastic choices.

They’re focused on fun hostels that have a lively atmosphere ideal for meeting other travelers, which are well equipped with great reviews and strong wi-fi.

A couple of my favorites were St. Christopher’s Inn in Paris, BauHaus in Bruges, and Wombats Hostel in Munich.

How much time and money have you spent on taxis/ public transportation costs to/from airports, train stations, and bus stations in the past…?

I honestly never think about those costs, but they really do add up quickly…so having door-to-door service is a huge benefit to traveling around Europe.

Instead of lugging your backpack and suitcase kilometers to your accommodation, you can simply lay back, relax, and watch movies on the bus until you’re ready to check-in.

During my three week trip on the hop-on/ hop-off bus network, I probably met at least 20-30 different Busabout crew members, and ALL of them were super awesome people!

I actually used to be a travel guide in Europe (read my About Me page), so I definitely have a lot of respect for all of their hard work.

You can tell they have a real passion for travel, and were always doing everything they could to make sure everyone was having the best time possible.

Whether they’re giving brief introductions about the next city during the bus ride, discussing all excursion options, or planning group dinners/ pub crawls – the Busabout guides really can make a big difference.  ASK THEM QUESTIONS – because they’ve been to all these places so many times, and are more than happy to give you all their insider tips.

I’ve been on A LOT of different busses in my time in Europe, and BusAbout has an absolutely beautiful fleet.  They’re super clean, spacious, and pretty damn comfortable.

There is Wi-Fi on board that works surprisingly well at sometimes, but can sporadically be annoying to deal with.  Everyone gets 10 minutes for free each bus trip, but there is an option to purchase 1GB of data for 12 euro (which I ended up doing twice due to SIM card issues).

It’s also extremely rare for a bus to be completely sold-out, and I NEVER had to share a row with anyone.  I really loved that aspect mainly because I’m just a big guy, and enjoy having a bit more room to spread out.

Pro-tip – Be the first person to check-in for the bus to try and snag the entire back row.  If you’re lucky, you’ll have the ideal bus sleeping situation.  ;-)

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles” – Tim Cahill

Sorry for the cliché travel quote, but it seemed fitting, lol.

The truth is though that it’s practically impossible to complete a Busabout trip without having dozens of new travel friends.  It’s ideal for solo travelers like myself, and it’s simply an easy way to find people to share your travels with.

As well, since it’s a hop-on / hop-off travel style, you’re constantly going to be meeting new people on the bus rides!

Europe is home to some of the best music festivals in the world, and there are DOZENS to choose from all summer across Busabout’s expansive network.  If you plan strategically plan ahead, you could easily hit up 4 or 5 different festivals in one summer.

I joined the Busabout squad on their sold-out Tomorrowland tour, and it was easily the highlight of my European travels!!

Check out my full Tomorrowland Facebook Album and browse through all my pictures.

Walking tours, bike rides, pub crawls, day-trips, cooking lessons, wine tasting, horseback rides, whitewater rafting, and a whole lot more…

While some of these discounts only give 1-2 euro off, there are definitely some really great deals that Busabout get its customers.

The guides do a really good job giving descriptions about each of them before getting into the next city, and you can book them directly on the bus with cash or card.

Similar to an airplane, there are a ton of free movies to choose from to keep yourself entertained during the longer bus rides on the network.  The streaming capabilities work really well, and there are even USB plugs to keep your phone & tablet fully charged while on the bus.

All you need is the wi-fi password:  #busabout :-)

When it comes to traveling Europe during the summer on a budget, there aren’t many betters options than booking one of Busabout’s 2-Month, 3-Month, or Unlimited Passes.

You’ll have plenty of time to see dozens of places across the network, and you won’t have to worry about any ridiculous hidden airport fees, baggage restrictions, or government taxes.

Europe is absolutely amazing over summer, but it’s also high season which means everything is a bit more pricey.  If you book a pass you’ll have a lot less to worry about, with all the flexibility you’d want.

As a travel blogger, I always a appreciate a beautiful and easy-to-use website, and I’m in LOVE with the Busabout site!  Just take a browse through it, and you’ll know what I mean.

The trip planner, network map, coach timetable, and calendar make it super simple to figure out how you want to utilize your hop on / hop off pass, and then you can book everything on the go with your phone.  If you decide to change up your plans last-minute, then that’s not a problem at all.

The site is also filled with epic sample itineraries, last-minute deals, travel articles, and so much more.  I’ve got to give a shoutout to whoever designed the Busabout site – you’re an absolute legend!

Last, but certainly not least — Busabout can bring you to over 47 amazing destinations in Europe across 15 different countries.  I’ve actually visited the majority of their places already, and can honestly say they’ve perfectly mapped out how to make the most of bus travel in Europe.

When you look at the map of the network, it’s really easy to spot the convenient loops you can go on, but there really are infinite possibilities on how to utilize a pass.

My Busabout Trip went like this:

Amsterdam -> Berlin -> Prague -> Cesky Krumlov -> Munich -> Paris -> Tomorrowland -> Bruges -> Amsterdam 

That’s where all these photos in this post were taken, and really was a jam-packed few weeks!  I wish I had more time in Europe to explore more, but hey, there’s always next summer. :-)

Overall, I thoroughly loved my entire trip with Busabout!  It’s definitely the best hop-on / hop-off bus pass option out there in Europe, and I know everyone will love all the staff, destinations, and accommodation.

If you ever have any questions about my trip with Busabout, feel free to shoot me an email or send me a DM on social media, and I’ll respond ASAP.  :-)  I’m always happy to help people plan their travels!

This really was an incredible 3-week adventure for me, and I had a blast re-visiting some of my favorite cities in Europe, as well as discovering a couple of hidden gems!  I just got back to California, but already planning my next trip back to my favorite continent!

Disclaimer:  I was invited by Busabout to hop on a complimentary tour this summer and attend Tomorrowland with their festival crew.  As always, all opinions are my own, and I would definitely recommend using them for future European travels!  Some of the links in this article are affiliates, which means I may receive a small commission at NO extra cost to you.