Lately, you’ve started to hear about the European tour by bus everywhere and see the photos of those who went, right? It happened to me, on the other hand, I was wondering how to go all the way by bus and how to organize to see all the places in the same trip.. That’s why I decided to join Let’s go to Europe company’s tour called Great European Tour as soon as I had the opportunity, and then I started to write a recommendation letter to tour Europe with this bus.. In this article, I will tell you both my experiences with the tour I participated in, and what you should pay attention to in bus tours with a similar concept.. Thus, I will try to help you decide if traveling Europe by bus is right for you.
Why did the idea of a European Tour by Bus become popular?
Everyone who wants to travel but can’t travel enough has more or less similar reasons; it is expensive to travel (even more expensive now that the exchange rates have increased), time is less, there are many places to visit…
For example, someone who will step into Europe for the first time, is an icon on this continent Naturally, he wants to see the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, walk around Amsterdam’s Red Light street, ride the gondola in Venice, eat tapas in Barcelona and do many other things; but he doesn’t know where to buy tickets, how to pay for it, how to organize his route and how he can fit so much in such a short time. emerged as a solution and became popular because it solves everyone’s common problems.
Our European tour bus by bus
What should be considered when choosing a tour company?
I think there are three most important criteria : Tour itinerary, tour price & services included in the price, comments of those who went before.
As someone who researches for days and sometimes weeks before all my trips, of course, all companies that provide similar services I looked through their pages and finally decided to choose Let’s go to Europe.. Because by far the lowest price and best thought out tour program was there.. Since I had been to some of the cities within the scope of the tour beforehand, I knew the things that should not be missed there and they were all included in the program.. Based on this, I thought that I could likewise make the best use of time in places I had not been to.. In other words, I came to the conclusion that the company saw me not as a ‘customer’ but as a ‘traveller’ and that’s why I trusted.
Company manager Mr. Kemal, whom I called to get detailed information and register. , he was so helpful in everything that I did not even have the slightest question mark in my mind and I started to wait for the day of the tour with curiosity.. All the questions that came to our mind until the tour started were answered immediately for the pre-tour & tour process, and the visa process was handled by a professional company for those who need a visa.
How is the European Tour by bus, how are the hotels and accommodation in the bus?
Tour participants Turkey It can be from any city you can think of in. If I talk about the Come on Europe company, since the company is based in Ankara, the bus departs from Ankara and takes its participants from Bolu, Izmit, Istanbul and the Thrace region to Ipsala.. In other words, when you register, you specify where you will join the tour, you have to come from the points on the bus route to the closest one by your own means.
The first night in the Great Europe tour that I participated in, I passed by leaving the Turkish border on the way and In the following days, there were nights spent on the bus.. These nights are already mentioned in the tour program and during the tour they are often reminded where the continuation of the tour will be so that the participants can make the necessary preparations.. For example, you stayed at the hotel for one night, the next night you will pass on the road and the next night at the hotel again.. In this case, you have to take your belongings with you until you enter the next hotel, except for the items you will put in your luggage when you leave the first hotel; like different clothes, socks, toothbrush and paste. Of course, if you have something you want to have with you in the trunk, you can ask the drivers to open it during breaks, but since there are difficulties for both you and the drivers, in general, everyone gets used to organizing their belongings from the first day.
Not without throwing a coin in the Fountain of Love in Rome
The bus is very comfortable so you can sleep at night on the road, everyone is tired there is no noise because he is and wants to sleep. Of course, since it will never be as comfortable as sleeping in a bed, there is always a hotel accommodation for the night after the night on the bus (it is very important, you should definitely check the program of the tour you will join!). So it’s never two nights in a row on the bus, so you get to your hotel room when you feel like your strength is running out and you feel like ‘I have to take a shower now’.
As for the hotels, here are the ones we stayed at. usually 3 or 4 star hotels with breakfast included and internet connection (wifi). Some were exactly in the city center and some were a little outside, but if the hotel was not in the center, it was definitely informed how to get to the city center by public transport.. Since we had already seen the most important points of the cities during the tours we made with the guide as a group, few people preferred to travel individually afterwards.. But I went out every time and went out of the hotel by my own means without any problems, by metro in big European cities, and by taxi in more affordable places like Belgrade.
The walking part usually goes like this; When you reach the point to visit, you get off the bus as a group and start to tour with the guide’s narration.. After visiting the most important and must-see places together, free time is given and then where and when to meet is stated.. During that time, everyone hangs out according to their own taste; you can do whatever you want to do there, such as shopping, dining, visiting museums.. On the days of hotel accommodation, the departure time of the bus is announced before the group disperses, you need to be ready at that time to complete your morning preparation and breakfast and unload your belongings to the bus.
While traveling in Europe by bus, they usually stay in comfortable 3- or 4-star hotels.
How is the journey itself, what are the opportunities?
As I mentioned, the bus is very comfortable, suitable for sitting for a long time without discomfort and sleeping on the bus at night.. Even I, as someone who can’t sleep at all, have completed such a tour, I think anyone with the intention can do it.
There is an electrical outlet next to the seats, it is possible to charge your phone and other electrical appliances when needed.. This way, you don’t have to worry about “I don’t look at my phone while traveling, so its battery doesn’t run out”, you can hang out however you want
There are two different options, such as accompanying a tour guide or meeting with a local guide in places visited.. If the tour is accompanied by the guide, he will tell you all the information you need about the places to go, through the microphone on the bus before you get there. In my opinion, the best part of traveling is that someone gives you all the important information when you can’t find time to research and learn about a place.. Since I am someone who does not like to wander around, I listened to what our guide told me every time, I think it was great information and one of my favorite things about the tour was this information.
The tour manager organizes needed breaks at regular intervals and depending on the demand, each time specifying the meeting time before getting out of the vehicle.. For example, if you are a smoker or someone who goes to the toilet frequently and you are brooding over what to do while traveling, there is no problem.. “Will they leave without me?” There is no need to worry, at the end of each break, the tour manager counts to see if everyone has arrived.. However, latecomers are of course not welcome at all, please always follow the departure times as a responsible person on such tours
In the tour I participated in, at intervals determined by the tour manager and informing everyone shifted two rows forward. In other words, no one had to sit in the front or the very back of the bus throughout the tour.
There may also be those who are curious about the driver; Two drivers accompany the tour and since there is a section on the bus where the driver will sleep, the drivers drive well rested.. Already in Europe, parameters such as the maximum continuous driving time are regulated very strictly and there are incredibly high fines if these are not followed.. For example, if such sightseeing buses are on the road for 6 days, they should be rested for 1 day and 24 hours, such rules about the driver and the vehicle are always considered when organizing the tour program.. Thus, safe travel is ensured at the highest level.
This is what the interior of the bus looks like in general, everyone puts the things they need in the compartments above.
What kind of expenses are there in addition to the tour fee?
In the tour program Included and excluded fees are clearly stated, you should pay attention to them. Before the trip, fees such as obtaining a visa if necessary and reaching the departure point of the bus are usually the first expenses.
After you start the trip, you first have to eat and drink.. There can be two different tour participants in this regard; firstly, those who like to eat in places they visit and can allocate a budget for it, secondly, those who try to manage with what they bring with them or buy from the market due to their more limited financial means.. Both are considered normal and no one asks anyone, “Why is he trying to boil instant soup on the bus with the kettle he brought with him?” it doesn’t seem strange. A situation like the tour company taking you to expensive restaurants has never happened in Let’s go to Europe. Since lunch breaks are already part of ‘free time’, you can eat wherever you want or not at all.
You may have personal expenses such as shopping and entrance fees to places you want to see, apart from eating and drinking, now you decide for yourself according to your budget and what is specific to the places you go. For example, I visited the Kafka Museum in Prague, which has an entrance fee, and at night, I went to the famous nightclub called Karlovy Lazne and paid both the entrance fee and the drinks inside.. I also bought a subway ticket because I took the subway to go there.. However, those who preferred to rest at the hotel during their free time in Prague did not make any of the expenses I mentioned, so the personal expense part is entirely up to you
Group We did not neglect to take the photo
There are also extra tours. “Why is the tour extra paid, we have already paid for it?” do not think; because extra tours usually consist of things that are not included in the general tour price due to the entrance/activity fee or distance. Examples include going to Nemi Village in Rome (extra distance) and riding a gondola in Venice (paid). Since such activities do not attract everyone, including them in the tour fee increases the price unnecessarily for people who are not interested, and these people may not find time for other things they want to do.. Therefore, considering such extras separately from the tour fee is actually in favor of the participants.. Of course, if your preferred tour company is directing you to take an extra tour to show you around Paris itself, then you can question the situation.
Let’s go to Europe I really liked and participated in all of the extra tours offered, because they were both full of content and not exorbitant in price.. The contents were explained by the guide before that extra tour, so everyone tried to decide whether it would interest them or not.. The fact that almost all of the other tour companies plan as an extra (or only include it if the tour fee is too high) was not charged for the Esztergom tour in Hungary and the Zaanse Schans – Volendam Town tour, which is famous for its windmills in the Netherlands, received great applause from all of us
One has to lie on the grass and watch the Eiffel tower in Paris.
How to prepare for a European tour by bus?
If I start with what you need to take with you, I think that in addition to the things you take with you on your routine travels, you can use a sleeping pillow and eyeglasses. band is important. Thus, you can be more comfortable when you need to sleep on the bus.
Coming with food supplies will also help you relax your budget; You can add snacks such as canned, instant soup, nuts, biscuits and beverages such as tea and coffee bags to your suitcase.. In addition, we Turks complain about the lack of breakfast the most when we go abroad, I saw people who brought food such as vacuumed olives with them during the tour.. If you have a travel-sized kettle and make a set such as plastic cups, cutlery, and knives, you can fill your stomach without any expense when you get hungry during bus breaks.
In addition to what to take with you, travel The issue of how you should prepare for the content is also extremely important.. I beg of you, please do not read and research a word about the places he will go, and when he is given free time, “So what are we going to do now?” Don’t be one of the tour participants looking at each other. Yes, you’re right, there will be a guide telling you about the places you will visit, but if you don’t have any plans for the times when the guide leaves everyone free for their own interests, you can’t get the full benefit of your trip.
Charles Bridge, Prague
Prepare a ‘must-do’ list for the places you will go and shape your plan instantly depending on where you are with the free time provided. For example, if you love classical music, find out where Mozart’s house is in Vienna, if you like nightlife, search for the most famous nightclubs in Belgrade, if you are fond of food and drink, take note of which restaurant has the best tapas in Barcelona, and if you like to visit museums, take note of the best restaurants in Florence. Examples can be given, such as identifying the museum that interests you most.. Since the interests of each of the 40 people participating in the tour are different, the guide cannot help you in such personal matters, and maybe if you research beforehand, you will miss something you can do with love just because you don’t know.. For example, I am writing the travel guides on this blog so that this does not happen, why not read the guides of the places you will go as part of the tour and take your notes?
Learn how to use your smartphone during travels, that is, apart from posting photos on Instagram For example, get acquainted with Google maps (Google maps) application and take you from point A in your city. Experiment by asking him to take public transport to point B. After a few tries you will see how simple it is.. With this application, you can travel very comfortably in a large part of Europe by using public transport, that’s what I do.. While you have internet in the hotel or after creating your route at any free wifi point, continue your route without internet and thus “I want to go there now, how should I go?” You don’t have to get information from the tour manager about anything that comes to your mind, such as. You may not be able to get it and you’ll waste time, being able to take care of yourself is always the most practical solution.
I even wrote my blog posts on the bus
Who is suitable for a tour of Europe by bus?
As we can answer as ‘everyone’ in general, I will inform you about who came to the tour the most.. Participants generally consist of young people between the ages of 18 and 40, this is the reason why buses that tour Europe are called “youth buses”.. I have never seen a baby or small child, very young friends in the 13-18 age range there were a few but. I didn’t see many people over 40 – 45 years old, if any, they looked young
There were many people who attended alone, so I joined alone. If the single participants do not want to pay the single room difference, they state it during the registration and the tour manager tries to ensure that they stay in the double room by matching the single participants with close profiles.. Although it might sound like “I don’t want to stay in the same room with someone I don’t know” at first, those who stayed together were already so intimate that they joined with their best friend at the beginning of the tour.. In fact, I was very surprised to learn that many of them met during the tour So for those who want to go somewhere but can’t find a like-minded travel companion, European tours by bus are a super choice.. Since everyone gets together in a short time, you can even choose a different roommate for yourself in every hotel in each city
Mom and son, mother daughter, father daughter, sister, sister, close friend, apart from single participants There were also those who attended together such as group of friends, friends from work, married couple, lovers.. So it doesn’t really matter whether you agree (or disagree) with anyone, it’s enough if you want to.
As those who like to spend the night in Prague, small We went out to have fun with a group, even though the photo is bad, we are in good spirits.
Other than that, there were a lot of people who went abroad for the first time among the tour participants.. Frankly, I think it is a very smart move to act with a group when you go abroad for the first time and not to fall into the middle of a life flowing by yourself, in an order you do not know, in an order you do not know, in languages you do not know.. And if I give an example of the tour I participated in, it is definitely a unique privilege to go abroad for the first time and have the opportunity to see and experience the most important things in 15 – 16 countries of Europe at once.
The other thing that caught my attention the most among the common characteristics of the participants was that they did not have good knowledge of foreign languages, which I think is a very logical reason.. In other words, if you are afraid to travel alone because your English is not enough, bus tours are very suitable for you as there is a guide who will guide you in your own language and people speaking your own language.
Travel through Venice’s beautiful canals.
What to expect and what not to expect from European Tours by Bus ?
Your expectation from European-themed tours by bus is that they show you many beautiful places with limited time and with a limited budget, inform you about the most important things in the places you go, and in general beautiful
The most important thing you should not expect from the tour is that they make you do EVERYTHING.. Do not forget that when you go on such a tour, you make a choice of “doing the best possible in a short time”. It doesn’t make much sense to ask. If you’re still wondering about the answer, it’s pretty simple; That’s why you didn’t set aside a week’s time and budget to visit Italy You saw that you loved Rome very much and there are other things you want to do there, then you create the necessary time to buy a plane ticket to Rome and travel more extensively.. The contribution of the bus tour is that it helps you understand that you love Rome.
Many cities in Europe are not just for going once, and everyone likes different cities.. For example, I lived in Vienna for a year and then went two more times, and when I went again as part of the tour, I was very excited because it was a city I loved very much.. However, some of the tour participants did not like it at all even though they came for the first time and they loved Budapest.. Thanks to the tour, they decided that they would like to see both Vienna and Budapest and find a plane ticket to Budapest at the first opportunity, although they did not plan to come to Vienna again.. “We loved Budapest so much, why don’t we stay here longer?” If they had said that, they would have had a wrong expectation.
Breakfast was included in the hotel accommodation during the European tour by bus, we even took a trip with us
Are you satisfied, would you consider joining again?
Frankly, this is me I joined a tour for the first time in concept, and I was a little hesitant at first because I couldn’t sleep during the trips.. But then I realized that at the end of all my trips that I had a busy schedule before, I thought to myself, “I’m tired but I had a great time”, after all, we can’t have any good experience without moving a finger from where we sit So instead of worrying and giving up, I decided to go ahead and try it as usual. , and I have another “good thing” in life.
In short, the most frequently asked question “Is the European bus tour too tiring?” The answer is actually yes. But it’s up to you whether you want to be someone who stays at home and watches others from afar, afraid of getting tired, or who you want to be someone who chases after their dreams by saying ‘if I get tired, I will rest later’.. If the option of making your dreams come true, click on the link to tour Europe by bus to view the tours of Let’s Europe company. You can also contact the company on the haydiavrupaya instagram page, you can see more information and photos about the tours.. Since I’m thinking of joining new tours, maybe we can even meet up
The same company also has summer youth camps with tents focused on activity and entertainment on the Mediterranean Aegean coasts for young people.. If you want to have an economical holiday in the summer, you can visit avencamp.com site.
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