Bussing Around Eastern Europe
We’ve been traveling by bus. A lot of people don’t really think about traveling by bus, considering the intense train networks in Europe and conveniences like the Eurorail passes. But, travel by bus is cheaper, so that’s how we’ve been doing it.
Three of the main bus lines are Eurolines, Orangeways, and Student Agency Bus. We have yet to take Eurolines, but I’m sure we will soon. While there are some perks to travel by bus, there are also some downfalls.
When we booked the bus, we figured it was just a bus-with wheels, seats, and a steering wheel and hopefully a driver to take us to our destinations. But these buses are a bit more. We wondered if there would be a toilet on the bus and there was. (But there is a sign on the door that says “ONLY NUMBER 1”. There is a bus attendant, usually a woman from the country we are departing who brings you drinks. You can purchase beer and pop and water for a steep price, but you can drink all the coffee, hot chocolate, and other hot drinks you like. She comes around with a garbage bag a few times throughout the ride. If you can read the langauge of the country we’re departing from, you can get a newspaper for free as well. And they play movies (more on that in a bit). For the cheap price these rides are offered, we felt like we were getting a lot more than we paid for.
Yesterday’s bus ride was a bit rough. It took almost eight hours to get from Budapest to Krakow. Online it said the trip was only five and a half hours. Most of the buses put a type of tinting on the windows to keep the sun out, but its also keeping my eyes focused in. Part of the reason I prefer the bus to the train is that you get to see more of the countryside, as trains are cut out of the earth most of the time. But on Orangeways, you can’t look outside. And they show movies, which is a nice way to pass the time when you cannot see the scenery, but they play crap movies. Yesterday we watched The Lake House, Wedding Crashers, and What Happens in Vegas. It was a full bus, and we were seated right in front of a TV screen, so we had no choice but to submit ourselves to the garbage some people consider entertainment. I felt trapped, and I’m sure Ryan felt even worse than I did.
All that said, the busses are still good. And they’re cheap. Have I mentioned this yet? For our eight hour bus ride, we paid 22 USD. From Prague to Krakow we paid around the same price. We met a couple who paid 70-something Euros each for the same route on the train. I may complain, but I’d still recommend.
Tags: bus, eastern europe, Europe
lauracat
youd probably be watching those movies on TBS if you were home…dont complain 🙂