Bus tours have a number of advantages over ordinary travel, and low cost is not the least of them.
The most information- and entertainment-packed program (almost like television) is that of bus tours around Europe. Another plus is the low cost of the tour. Such a trip will cost you no more than a vacation in your own region. That is why it is useful to take advantage of all these benefits.
The luggage compartment of the bus, designed for shopping tours, is roomy. Our hefty bags settled in quite comfortably. One thing is a pity – the three seats I had carefully booked for the family were separated, and one was in front of the toilet...
What kind of people travel by bus? Naturally, the most resilient and ready to endure any hardships are women, and of all ages. In our group there were only four men, and those with their significant others.
You get tired of the road only on the first day. It's hard to fall asleep. You want to stretch – and you joyfully run out at every stop. Then the body adapts, you melt into the seat, the bus becomes familiar and cozy. Foreign landscapes cease to excite, and at any time of day you calmly doze, snack, or chat with neighbors...
Reading on the bus due to the shaking is uncomfortable, so don't count on a detective novel. The best thing is to take a collection of charades and crosswords (they help you get to know your neighbors better). As for your favorite music, if you bring a player, you can delight the entire bus cabin with it.
If the bus's TV system hasn't been shaken apart on the bumps of our native expanses, there is a chance to watch a video as well.
Interestingly, modern buses have a computer that records the entire driving mode. The traffic police abroad check the route and the drivers' compliance with safety regulations, taking into account not only speed but also whether the driver had time for a proper (hot) meal and restorative sleep.
The bus is a home, it is now our homeland, with its own microclimate, native language, and culture. And so our little world rushes across the expanses of Europe.
Rocky mountains and rolling, noisy rivers, indifferent valleys and legendary rivers: the Vistula, the Oder, the Danube... Some of my fellow travelers had the impression that we had toured the entire world. In any case, each brought back a huge number of professional photographs.
A short stop and observations from the bus window... That is all a curious tourist can afford. Little? But also consider the rich excursion program. For first impressions, it is quite enough. At least – to decide which city you need to return to.