I am no fan of the bus journey. Probably the longest 36 hours of my life were spent on a coach going from London to Krakow, and at the end of it I would have sold my rucksack for a return air ticket. But bussing, as I recently heard it called by some eager young travellers, seems to have taken on a new lease of life. Last week, I reviewed the Moose Network, a Canadian enterprise, and promised more: here are some other ways of exploring the remoter parts of the world by bus.
Nine-day tour of the Grand Canyon from San Francisco £323 (including most food)
Appropriately enough, the Green Tortoise site is rather plodding, but the wait is worth it. The company specialises in sleeper coach tours of the US and Central America. Although the rest of the facilities are rather spartan, travellers can sleep on bunks with mattresses and save the cost of accommodation. Green Tortoise also runs an inexpensive hostel in San Francisco.
Cape Town-Durban £95 single
"Our 22-seater Mercedes- Benzes have trailers so there's plenty of space for people, surf boards and guitars!" promises Baz, whose buses ply the South African coast and the north- west of the country. He needs to spend a little more time with his website, however, and the rates are not exactly cheap.
Istanbul to Ephesus (via Gallipoli) return £69
Amateurish site offering hop-on, hop-off buses and packages around Turkey for those who want to explore the interior as well as the beaches.
3-day tour of Skye £79
If you don't mind the embarrassment of telling people you are on a Shamrocker Tour (or a Haggis Adventure), these might appeal. Cheap hostel beds are guaranteed.
Hop-on, hop-off bus pass covering most of New Zealand £251
Promises to visit places other buses don't reach. Accommodation is not included but can be booked on your behalf. The sister company, Ozexperience.com, operates a similar service in Australia.
10 days' travel in two months £259
A cheaper alternative to Interrail, Busabout plies a series of routes to popular cities in Europe.
Galway-Dublin single £59
A cross between a tour and a jump-on, jump-off service, Stray operates buses in Britain, Ireland and continental Europe.
30 days of unlimited travel in Europe on Eurolines routes £162 (£129 for under-25s)
Excellent links to Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain; not so useful for other countries. The Apex prices, which apply to seats booked at least a week in advance, manage to significantly undercut the budget airlines.
London or Cambridge to Amsterdam return £50
Eleven-hour trip by rail and Stena Line to the Dutch capital.
