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Travelling Europe By Bus - Eurolines vs Megabus

Travelling Europe By Bus: Eurolines vs. Megabus

by Katie Dawes

I’m going to make a very bold statement here:

8-hours non-stop on a coach across Europe isn’t so bad.

There you go. Just don’t expect me to repeat that out loud!

Last year I figured it was about time to return to Paris (you can read why here!) and I really wanted to get the Eurostar. One look at their website and I realised that for £100 I really didn’t want to get the Eurostar.

Both RyanAir and EasyJet offered flights from London to Paris for around £30-£40, which is great if you don’t count the extra £15 or £11 charged respectively for hold luggage, plus the £30 it would cost me to get to London on the train from Portsmouth, plus the fact that RyanAir’s flights fly at ridiculous times from the furthest London airport from my home.

So, it was time to check the bus timetables!

P.s. this article covers my experience with Megabus and Eurolines – for a comparison of OUIBUS and Eurolines read the article – Travelling Europe by Bus: OUIBUS vs. Megabus.

Travelling Europe By Bus: Eurolines vs. Megabus

Eurolines vs. Megabus

Megabus: London – Paris

Trip Details

Price: €25

Departure Time: 10.30am

Arrival Time: 7pm

Departure From: Victoria Coach Station at the junction of Buckingham Palace Rd and Elizabeth Street

  • Victoria Coach Station is a ten minute walk from Victoria Train Station, and once there you will find the Megabus information and check-in counters opposite the very last gate so make sure to walk all the way to the end.

Arriving At: Porte Maillot Coach park

  • The entrance to Metro line 1 at Porte Maillot is opposite the drop off point and this is definitely the easiest way to get to your hostel from there as the taxis that line up outside aren’t keen to do inner-city runs due to the high levels of Parisienne traffic.
  • If you need to get to Gare du Nord then take the M1 towards Chateau de Vincennes and change at Charles de Gaulle (after 2 stops) for the M2 to Gare du Nord (in the direction of Nation). To see the metro map of Paris click here.

After umming and aahing about possible transport solutions to and from the airports in London and Paris I remembered a friend of mine telling me that he would often get buses or coaches around Europe for half the price of flights.

After checking out the Megabus website and mouth-dropping at the sight of £20 tickets straight to the border of Paris (not out of town like the main Airport) I booked my seat and prepared for a long day of reading and sleep.

➤ If you missed it, make sure to check out my recent post: Ten Books To Inspire Wanderlust.

Four hours in to the journey and I was fed up. I couldn’t get in to my book without nodding off, as any kind of transport seems to send me to sleep! And when I wasn’t sleeping the views were less than impressive. Just motorways and motorways.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Travelling with Megabus

Disadvantages

I’m not sure what I was expecting really, except a brief stop every few hours to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. There were no stops (luckily I had grabbed a big bottle of water and sandwich that morning!) and by the time I bundled myself off the bus my legs were so cramped and I was miserable!

Advantages

I have to say though that the drivers were very friendly, the information at Victoria Coach station was easy to follow, and there was free wifi which wasn’t too shabby! I even had two seats to myself, as did most other travellers on the bus.

Nightfall in the Netherlands_Rotterdam_1

Eurolines: Paris – Rotterdam

Trip Details

Price: €43

Departure Time: 9am

Arrival Time: 4.15pm

Departure From: 28 Avenue Du General De Gaulle, 93541 Bagnolet

  • If arriving by Metro you want to get the Metro Line 3 to ‘Gallieni’ Station. Once you get off there will be signs for Eurolines on the platform going in the opposite direction to the exit most others will take.

Arriving At: Rotterdam Centraal Station.

  • There is a drop off point for all coaches behind the Rotterdam Centraal, so if you need to get a connecting train or metro just head on inside the station for more information. For the Rotterdam metro map click here.

Needless to say, after my first non-stop 8-hour couch journey had left me in a miserable state vowing never to set foot on a bus in Europe again, I did in fact end up another bus from Paris to Rotterdam. This time I went with Eurolines, as on the day I needed to travel there was a not-so-convenient rail-strike going on in Brussels.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Travelling with Eurolines

Disadvantages

At €43 the bus was more expensive than Megabus, and the wifi wasn’t nearly as good. Another benefit that Megabus had over Eurolines was the provision of plug sockets for each row – really useful at times when I was neither sleeping nor reading and guilted myself in to getting some work done and not completely wasting a whole day’s travel.

Advantages

On the plus side however, we stopped! At least twice! It really is the little things sometimes… Outside the bus it was cold and dull but being able to breathe in the fresh air and stretch my cramped legs was a huge advantage over the previous Megabus journey.

The first stop was even at a rest-stop, so those who hadn’t brought food with them could go and grab a bottle of water and snacks. I had obviously learnt my lesson with Megabus the week before and come prepared with croissants!

Travelling Europe by Bus Megabus vs Eurolines

Megabus vs. Eurolines

Overall, my experience with Eurolines exceeded my experience with Megabus, purely for the fact that being able to get off the bus and walk around in the fresh air makes such a difference.

However, they both have their good and bad points. For example, I recently booked another trip from London to Paris with Megabus, as they are cheaper and faster – a benefit I am guessing of not stopping! Also, the Megabus for Paris leaves a little later than the Eurolines bus and gets in to Paris earlier, leaving me a little less rushed in the morning.

The bus you decide will be based on personal preference, just like my decision to travel again with Megabus, but either way I have listed a few tips for travelling Europe by bus below.


What's In My Weekend Bag?

Tips for Travelling Europe By Bus

  • Always pack a large bottle of water and a packed lunch. You don’t know if the bus will stop, and if it does it may not be at a rest-stop where you can buy food.
  • Make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes early for international departures. Megabus actually advise arriving an hour before, but as the check in didn’t open until half an hour before I’d say give yourself at least 45 minutes in advance.
  • Wear very comfortable clothing. Trust me, if you’re sat in one position for 8 hours you do not want to be wearing your tightest jeans that chafe behind the knees.
  • Use your common sense when picking your timetable. European bus stations can be a little out of the way and very quiet at night. For this reason, even though an overnight bus feels like less of a waste of time, I chose not to get an overnight bus from Brussels that left at 11pm as I didn’t want to be hanging around the streets that late alone.
  • If putting luggage in the hold under the bus, wrap a bright scarf around the handle so you can quickly whip it out and go. I had a small roller case with a bright red handle which I managed to grab and go before half of the other travellers had left their seats.
  • Each country that Eurolines covers has their own website, and you will need to book your travel with them depending on the country of your departure city. For example, to leave from Brussels you need to book on their Belgium site. Some of their sites can be tricky to translate on mobile so I always suggest finding an internet cafe or using hostel-provided computers to book bus travel.
  • Always print a copy of your booking and any PDF tickets you are sent by the company. To cross borders in Europe you will still need a paper copy rather than an e-copy.

Tips To Cope With Long Bus Journeys Across Europe

Map of My Travels, with coach station spots and recommended hostels

London: If you want to spend the night in London before leaving early by bus for Europe, I’d really recommend Safestay. It’s not too far from Victoria Coach Station and offers a calm environment if, like me, you can’t stomach travelling with a hangover! You can read my review of Safestay here.

Paris: A great hostel not too far from Porte Maillot is Vintage Hostel. Located right in the heart of Montmarte and just one stop short of Gare Du Nord on the M2 it has the perfect location and the staff are fantastic! You can read my review of Vintage Hostel here.

I have only mentioned two different bus lines here, but if you’d like to know more then make sure you check out the Budget Traveller’s Guide to Bus Companies in Europe.

I highly suggest travelling Europe by bus as it is extremely cost-effective and whilst it takes longer than rail… well sometimes you need a rest day!

Lots of love,

Katie Dawes The Hostel Girl Signature

Note that I have used affiliate links in this post. I always promise to recommend only those products or services that I use personally and love. If you purchase any products recommended, I’ll receive a small commission from the company at no extra cost to you. Those small commissions help me reduce the cost of keeping this site up and running. So thank you in advance!

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65 comments

Emma Gaynor June 27, 2015 - 7:28 pm

Hey, love the article thank you for sharing your experience with the buses. I am looking to book from Liverpool to Dublin with Eurolines, could you advise me on the booking? Do i book the Eurolines and then I am good to go? I don’t have to book a boat/ship ticket? x

Katie Dawes June 28, 2015 - 4:06 pm

Hi Emma! Once you have the ticket from the Eurolines website you are good to go! The coach will likely take you across on the boat – or you will transfer to another – but Eurolines will take care of everything so you don’t need to buy a ticket for the boat 🙂 Have a great time in Dublin!

Clive_G July 1, 2015 - 5:03 pm

Looking to go from Genoa to Marseille late October (2015) – no bus/train schedules available at this time, (planes are out of the question since there are no direct flights and we’d be flying in all directions with long layovers); Eurolines or iDBUS appear to be the possible options – any suggestions/recommendations?

Thanks.

Katie Dawes July 2, 2015 - 10:36 am

iDBUS definitely goes from Genoa to Marseille – another option is to check on BusBud (https://www.busbud.com/en/) which searches a number of different bus companies in Europe to find you the best options 🙂

A French friend of mine swears by iDBUS – and I will be taking my first trip with them later today from Montpellier to Lyon so I will let you know how it goes!

Clive_G July 2, 2015 - 10:49 am

Great. Thanks for the response……looking forward to your evaluation of their services.

Katie Dawes July 16, 2015 - 4:02 pm

Hi Clive! I’ve just published my comparison of iDBus with Megabus and you’ll be pleased to know it was such a great journey! Read it here – http://thehostelgirl.com/travelling-europe-by-bus-idbus-vs-megabus/

Clive_G July 16, 2015 - 4:29 pm

Hi Katie: Thanks for the critique and the amusing/informative appraisal…….all we have to do now, (other than fly from Toronto to Genoa), is wait until iDBus issues their Fall schedule, (around the end of August we’re told), and we’ll book round trip bus tickets.

Much appreciated! Thanks again.

Katie Dawes July 16, 2015 - 7:01 pm

Glad you like the comparison! I hope they have all the routes and dates you need as it really was a very comfortable ride! 🙂

Clive_G July 16, 2015 - 8:06 pm

We’re scheduled to be back in Canada sometime in mid-November, so if we do manage to connect with the bus line I’ll try and remember to fire off a précis of the trip. 🙂

Katie Dawes July 19, 2015 - 1:32 pm

Sounds great – look forward to hearing if our opinions match!

Clive_G October 30, 2015 - 12:41 pm

Writing while on the Ouibus, (formerly iDbus), from Genoa to Marseille. Bus was on time, it’s clean, comfortable, and the WiFi is good, except when going through tunnels.

We’re very happy with them.

Thanks for the tip!

Katie Dawes October 30, 2015 - 3:05 pm

Great to hear Clive! And so nice of you to check back in and let me know your experience 🙂 Have a great time in Marseille!! 🙂 x

Jimmas September 7, 2015 - 10:06 pm

Nice article. It’s funny however, I had exactly the opposite experience with the stops. I went from Paris to Berlin and all we did it was just two 10′ stops (for 15 hours of route). With Megabus from Paris to Barcelone (14 hours) there were many stops from 5 to 40′. Also, the seats are much more confortable.

Katie Dawes September 10, 2015 - 8:52 am

Hi Jimmas – thanks for adding to the evaluation! It’s very strange you had the opposite experience – overall I just think there should definitely be standard procedure when it comes to stops. On my next trip with Megabus they did stop, but still not enough (http://thehostelgirl.com/travelling-europe-by-bus-idbus-vs-megabus/).

Yana September 11, 2015 - 5:34 pm

hello i need an advice i tried to book megabus for europe and it declines all my cards, says the card needs to be issued in Uk… how to make paykent happen?

Katie Dawes September 13, 2015 - 11:21 am

Hi Yana. I’m afraid I can’t reply directly as I don’t represent megabus, and I also don’t know the specific details of where your card has been issued and where you are planning to travel. Your best bet is to contact them at enquiries@megabus.com – I hope you have everything resolved!

Nidhal September 22, 2015 - 1:25 pm

Thank you so much Katie for this information , I prepare myself to visit 18 cities from 16 countries in 3 month next year , after 3 days reviewing and reading about Eurail Pass I discovered it’s just a waste of money for me … and I noticed that traveling via bus much easier and much cheap ! and the most importing thing for me ( because my trip it will be so much flexible ) it’s that I can book online even few hours before the depart , not like the train you must be ready ! and almost all of bus station it in middle of the city !
So katie you have for me any advices ?

Katie Dawes September 23, 2015 - 8:56 am

Hi Nidhal. I’m so glad this article could help you with your travel planning! The fact that you can book last minute is definitely a bonus for me – recent trips to Lyon and London were both possible because other transport was too expensive and I couldn’t book in advance 🙂

My biggest piece of advice would be to check all the bus companies for the best deal for you. For example, I took a bus yesterday(!) from Amsterdam to London; Megabus was cheaper but as I wanted to be sure I had wifi and plugs to work on my laptop I took OUIBus (used to be called iDBus) for an extra €10.

So the top companies to check each time would be:
– Megabus
– Eurolines
– OUIBus
– Meinfernbus/Flixbus (mostly Germany)
– Alsa (Spain)

Another great option I love is BlaBlaCar – especially in Spain where you often have more chances of getting a ride you want!

Any more questions just let me know Nidhal 🙂

Nidhal September 23, 2015 - 9:05 am

Thank You so much Katie for your answer , I found that Megabus always have a overnight trip for the long distance ( example Paris To Barcelona ) , and this will make me gain time and of course money because I will sleep on the Bus , so My question bus it’s comfortable for such a trip that take so many hours, I will don’t have problem with my legs ? when you did such trip with bus you sleep without problem ?

Katie Dawes September 23, 2015 - 6:44 pm

Hi Nidhal, you’re welcome for the answer 🙂 The reason I actually paid a little extra for my last trip is because it was an overnight bus and OUIBus tends to be a little more comfortable than megabus & eurolines. There also tends to be less people on a more expensive overnight bus, and so you might get two seats to yourself to stretch out your legs!

Saying that, I used to find it really easy to sleep on buses but overall it is not easy to sleep on an overnight bus. Paris to Barcelona may be easier as it is less likely that you will be stopped at security in the middle of the night (this happens if you get a bus to London for example and cross the channel) but in general you will ache quite a bit the next day! My tip is to stay in the destination city (i.e. Barcelona) for at least two days after an overnight bus just to make sure you catch up on rest you may not get on the bus.

To help you sleep, make sure to download some podcasts and music and carry headphones to drown out any noise! Also take a jumper as sometimes they turn the air conditioning up too high.

Nidhal September 23, 2015 - 6:48 pm

I understand that , thank you so so much Katie for your advice , this is really help me … Thank you again :* <3

Katie Dawes September 24, 2015 - 10:34 am

Any time – let me know how it all goes! 🙂

Nidhal September 26, 2015 - 10:03 pm

Katie can you please make for us a post about Ryanair because I found them flight so cheap , but the problem I didn’t understand the baggage story ! … If my baggage less than 10KG and respect them dimension , I will not pay any other fees ?

Katie Dawes September 29, 2015 - 11:24 am

Hi Nidhal – Ryanair is an airline to watch out for as if you do exceed the hand luggage allowance they do tend to charge you! Your hand luggage must be the size they specify, and if you are taking luggage to check in then it must be paid for separate to the flight ticket. You can find more information here – https://www.ryanair.com/en/questions/baggage/

Hope that helps! 🙂

Clive_G November 28, 2015 - 12:15 pm

Hi Katie:

We’re back, (after your helpful advice pertaining to the Genoa – Marseille run), requesting suggestions, (for the April 2016 time frame), regarding Barcelona to Leon by bus.

Do you have any experience with this route, and/or any insights you’d be prepared to share?

Thanks.

Katie Dawes December 2, 2015 - 2:00 pm

Hi Clive! Welcome back 🙂 Are you talking about Leon is Spain or Lyon in France? I’ve taken the route from Montpellier to Lyon with OuiBus (I wrote about it back when they were iDBus) if that helps at all?

Clive_G December 2, 2015 - 2:05 pm

This’d be Spain. 😉

Katie Dawes December 3, 2015 - 8:04 am

Of course I knew that… 😉 In that case I did my whole Spanish trip via BlaBlaCar and I can’t recommend it more! Sorry I haven’t written about it (yet…!) but it’s cheaper or on level with the cost of the buses and far more convenient! I’d definitely give it a go !

Clive_G December 3, 2015 - 8:31 am

We’ll certainly check it out, closer to the date, (too far in advance at this time it seems), but it appears, (although this link is 10 months old), that there may be law suits pending:

http://novobrief.com/blablacar-spain-regulation/

(Also, since we’ll be booking accommodation(s) in advance, in multiple cities, we, (two ‘old’ people with luggage), may not be quite as flexible, timewise, as might be required.)

Thanks, again for your responses.

Katie Dawes December 4, 2015 - 4:40 pm

Cor blimey – the buses services in Spain do not seem happy with Blablacar! I used in September and it was still running perfectly smoothly – but you are right that with pre-booked accommodation and lack of advanced booking on BlaBlaCar that perhaps the bus will be more suitable.

Let me know if you have had a look at this site before – they don’t give much of a review on the bus services but they do help you see what is available so that you can research further – https://www.busbud.com/

Sorry I didn’t get buses in Spain! Now I feel I should have to have extended my budget bus guides!

Barbara December 22, 2015 - 6:39 pm

Hi Katie,

I’ll be traveling to Munich, Germany next month and am planning a trip to Amsterdam in February. My options of traveling there are on bus and I found that mega bus and euro lines are the better options. I do want to ask you though, would you recommend flix bus or meinfern bus? I was considering them but saw that they do not have the best reviews.

Katie Dawes December 23, 2015 - 12:15 pm

Hi Barbara – what great trips you have planned! I don’t have any personal experience with Meinfernbus I’m afraid, but a friend of mine wrote a review of her experience with them which you might find useful. Hope it helps! – http://giveforgranted.com/10-reasons-to-fall-in-love-with-meinfernbus-flixbus/

Birte from MeinFernbus FlixBus December 23, 2015 - 12:40 pm

Hello Barbara,

maybe we can help you a bit with your decision 😉
We offer several direct, daily connections from Munich to Amsterdam – starting with a top price of 33,00 Euro. You can find a lot of information about your route on our website, where you can also easily book your ride:

https://www.flixbus.com/bus-routes/bus-amsterdam-munich

Still not sure? With MeinFernbus FlixBus – we are one – you travel super flexible: you can book, rebook and cancel up to 15 minutes before departure on our website free of charge. And if you cancel your trip, you get a voucher of the full ticket price, which is valid for 1 year – so no money is lost. You can bringt 2 pieces of baggage and additional hand luggage, all already included in the ticket.

Comfortable seats, plug sockets and in most of our busses free Wifi – you should try yourself and hopefully we can convince you to travel green 🙂 We would be happy to welcome you aboard.

Best wishes
Birte from MeinFernbus FlixBus

Alex Chai February 25, 2016 - 4:43 pm

I plan to travel from cologne to Paris on night time, should I go for megabus or eurolines Germany ? How many stops along the way?

Katie Dawes February 27, 2016 - 12:12 am

Hi Alex – that’s definitely a trip to take at night and hopefully you get at least a decent night’s sleep. I prefer Megabus just slightly to Eurolines – but I’m afraid I can’t know how many stops there will be. A glance at the Megabus website specifies just one in Brussels, but to be sure I’d email their customer service team 🙂 P.s. Enjoy Cologne and Paris!

Julie March 2, 2016 - 10:14 am

Eurolines! What a SHITTY COMPANY! The worst one!!!!! First time i travel with them and THE LAST! We went took a trip with my sister for an interview to barcelone from toulouse, we had our luggages, my sister luggage and mine… Do you know the surprise we got when we reached barcelona!? We just found ONE LUGGAGE! Mine… They robbed my sister’s luggage.. Inside she had all her stuff for the interview, papers (resume, passport, pictures, etc.) and sadly as my luggage was too full, i had to put my jewellry box in sister’s lugagge… So all disappeared.. After 8h in the bus, we spended 1h at the police for a complain against the company, and of course against these TWO IRRESPONSABLE CHAUFFERS we had, because they didnt even checked the passengers whe were taking the luggages.. Anyways, its really sad that we come back to france..
Hopefully we’ll had a good return from our interview.
So i advise you all against taking EUROLINES!

Katie Dawes March 6, 2016 - 3:20 pm

Hi Julie – wow what a terrible experience and thank you for sharing this here for everyone to see. It would be great if you can let us know if you receive any compensation from Eurolines. I don’t think Megabus offers liability for any lost luggage – I hope this isn’t the same in your case!

Abe March 4, 2016 - 2:48 pm

Nice post. However, you said there were no stops on your way to Paris? What about when you were crossing the channel? Did you take the ferry or the Channel tunnel? Either way, you should have had an option to get out of the bus? I took a bus from London to Amsterdam twice. Once with Megabus and recently with Eurolines (going again today with Eurolines, woohoo!). With the Megabus a couple of years ago we took the ferry and could walk around for at least an hour and a half. With the tunnel we were able to get off the bus too, but I was too sleepy to get off and stayed in. Anyways, for me a non-stop journey would probably be an advantage. When I’m going somewhere I want to get there! And also, the wifi on Eurolines doesn’t work for me, whereas Megabus wifi is fine.

Katie Dawes March 6, 2016 - 3:18 pm

Hi Abe – thanks for your input! On this particular trip we got the tunnel and yes, whilst you can walk around inside it’s not particularly the fresh air stop I’d have liked! On other trips taken since writing this we have had a chance to get off the bus at the tunnel, but only when we were waiting to load so it definitely still doesn’t seem that they schedule them, which is a shame. Funnily enough I’ve never taken the ferry despite taking a lot of Megabus’

JC April 15, 2016 - 4:13 am

Deciding to make a decision on which to take to netherlands at 4am in the morning a couple of days before i go and i have to say this has been very helpful in making me decide on which company to travel with, with thanks J

The Hostel Girl April 16, 2016 - 3:54 pm

Ah thanks JC! Let me know how you find the trip wand enjoy the Netherlands! 🙂

sa May 18, 2016 - 5:16 pm

I am planning to take a trip from London to Cologne (Germany)
I am not sure which bus to take… either MegaBus or Eurolines as they both have their pros and cons
The journey in all is 10 hours long max so which one should I book?

Thank you

The Hostel Girl May 21, 2016 - 7:06 pm

Hi there! Wow that is a long trip! As you said they both have pros and cons that makes it difficult to know which is best. Recently I travelled 8 hours with Eurolines and had no problems at all and the wifi worked, whilst I also had a great overnight trip with Megabus from Paris to London. I would take a look at the locations of the bus pick up and drop off points for both, plus the price, to see what works best for you and sorry I can’t pick a favourite!

Sarah Chant May 30, 2016 - 6:05 pm

Thanks for sharing your experience! I’ve only booked with Flix through Germany but am going to give Megabus a go as they’re cheaper on the day/route we need and the times suit better 🙂

The Hostel Girl May 31, 2016 - 2:44 pm

Hi Sarah – I’m glad you like the post! As I mentioned, Megabus can be unreliable with wifi/plugs so I hope you get a fully working bus! Let me know how it goes 🙂

Sarah Chant May 31, 2016 - 3:20 pm

As long as it gets us there in reasonable time, we’ll be happy 🙂

Kendra Alexandra May 31, 2016 - 5:25 am

Hey Katie,

My friend and I are looking to go from Budapest to Split on the 17th of June and wondered whether it was worth booking a bus or looking for other alternatives for the 13+ hour trip?

The Hostel Girl May 31, 2016 - 2:46 pm

Hi Kendra – wow that is a long trip! A great way to compare times and prices is through Rome2Rio which is currently suggesting that perhaps the train would be a good option for this journey (http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Budapest/Split).

Alternatively if I’ve got a really long journey I often see if there’s anywhere I’d like to stop off en route. Zagreb for example might make a nice one-night break for you?

The Hostel Girl June 26, 2016 - 3:13 pm

Hi Makio! I have never experienced pickpocketing whilst asleep, or heard of it from others. I travel with a laptop and keep that in my carry on backpack with my purse and phone. The best situation is when you are lucky enough to get two seats to yourself – in which case when I sleep I lay on my bag and use it as a pillow – a pickpocket would have a hard time reaching it! If you only have one seat to yourself, I keep my backpack under my feet which I think is also a hard place to pickpocket!

I also keep my backpack on me if I ever leave the bus for passport checks, etc. Honestly, when it comes to carry on luggage the possibility of pickpocketing is quite low. I guess it is easier for someone to quickly run off with a bag kept under the bus once they are unloaded at stops along the route – but the bus companies take no liability for lost luggage so this is a calculated risk for all of us. Personally, I only keep clothes in my under-bus luggage – things that don’t mean much and are easily replaced if lost.

Hope that helps!

The Hostel Girl June 26, 2016 - 3:19 pm

Hi Emily,

Personally, I feel safe on overnight buses. It is a personal choice – you will be sharing a bus with strangers and possibly have to sit next to others if traveling solo on a busy bus. If you’re sat next to someone who makes you uncomfortable, there may be the possibility to change seats if the bus isn’t full.

If you’re worried about keeping your belongings safe, always carry your most valuable possessions in a backpack and keep it on you. If you’re worried about personal safety, use your intuition and don’t feel bad about moving seats if someone else is making you feel uncomfortable. Also, check the location from where the night buses leave. In London for example, the night buses leave from Victoria Coach stations which has great staff and is highly lit late at night. But the night buses from Brussels leave outside the city centre in a dark area and not one I would like to wait in at 11pm for example.

I hope that helps!

almohtarif January 20, 2017 - 9:13 pm

Hi Katie Thanks for the great topic when I was reading your post some question come turning on my head but after I see the comments and your answers i find the answers of my questions
Really thanks

Katie Dawes January 22, 2017 - 5:38 pm

Hi there – I’m so glad all your questions were answered! 🙂

Shervin January 23, 2017 - 8:25 pm

Hi! Thanks for the wonderful article! Does Megabus cross the channel via ferry or the tunnel? I really want to take the ferry, haha!

Katie Dawes January 27, 2017 - 8:39 pm

Hi Shervin! Megabus takes both the train and the ferry. Unfortunately it’s very hard to know which method will be taken for your journey. Usually I don’t find out until we get to the port!

Nerissa February 18, 2017 - 7:21 am

Hi Katie, thank you for this articles!
I have a trip coming this May and my planned destinations for now are Brussels, Amsterdam,, Berlin, Prague & Austria (Vienna, Salzburg & Innsbruck) – and I’m thinking to get the Euroline Pass (30 days). Do you think it will be worth it? Or should I just book one by one?
But, after reading through reviews online I also start considering Flix Bus; but the €99 Pass can only allow us to travel to 5 cities.
Thank you so much in advance, Katie. I hope I can hear some advice from you! X

Katie Dawes February 27, 2017 - 10:48 pm

Hi Nerissa!

I’m glad you like the articles! You have some great cities planned, and I think the best way to decide on a ticket is to measure the pros and cons of price and comfort. Flixbus is definitely more comfortable for me – and the pass is cheaper. You may end up spending more if you need to buy tickets that aren’t covered by the five cities you choose – but it might still be cheaper 🙂

Joanne February 18, 2017 - 12:51 pm

Hi katie, was the bus on time?

Katie Dawes February 27, 2017 - 10:16 pm

Hi Joanne, these buses were, but I have also had buses be late. You can read more in the series to get an overall judgement by clicking here 🙂

zainab March 27, 2017 - 12:53 pm

Hi Katie
I am a mother of 4 and like you I have a huge passion for travel.Last year , my youngest two and I had a fantastic time going from London-france (paris-migennes-jyogny auxerre)-brussels-amsterdam-london and we used MegaBus all through. This year I plan to take my two oldest plus my niece and nephew (16y,14y,11y& 12y) on another Europe vacation but this time around we are starting from Paris. I dont want to go anywhere I went last time except for brussels. I would really appreciate it if you could recommend 5 countries we can do from Paris and in what order. We are ending our holiday back in Paris .

I enjoyed your article and respect the fact that you actually replied each comment. I would really appreciate a kind reply especially if you include some tips about traveling with teenagers thru europe.
* I see that Flixbus has taken over Mega bus and doubled the ticket prices too.

Katie Dawes April 5, 2017 - 10:12 am

Hi Zainab! Wow – it’s great that your sharing your passion for travel with other members of your family! It’s true that ticket prices have increased, although the huge jump in price you mention will also be because you’ve got a bigger group I think? One way to help is that Flixbus (who have taken over Megabus – you’re right!) offer a five country pass which might help lower some costs. But you’re right, for 5 of you that is already €500. One way to double check prices, especially if you’re booking in advance, is to check BusBud. I use them all the time to find the cheapest rates!

As for the five cities… woo! Okay I would suggest to go from Paris to Bruges (BE) – Antwerp (BE) – The Hague (NL) – Rotterdam (NL) – and finish in Cologne (GE). Unfortunately, Cologne is quite a long bus ride from Rotterdam but it’s the closest city I can think of! Let me know how you get on and sorry it took me a while to reply to you!

Zainab March 28, 2017 - 2:09 am

Hi,
I left a comment here before about my need for tips on travelling to 5 countries with teengers and pre teens.

I forgot to mention that in 2016 when I travelled to 4 countries with my young children, we only spent £180 for all of us On megabus. Suddenly , I look and see that no matter what, our next trip is going to cost us at least €500 .

YFCY April 15, 2017 - 8:59 pm

Hello, thank you for your posts, you should know that you are really helping a lot of us.

I am thinking of booking a trip from Paris to Dusseldorf and as far as I can see my choices are Eurolines and Flixbus. Which one would you recommend?
Any general tips for bus travelling, or for the specific companies? (1st time bus traveller)

Thank you

Katie Dawes April 20, 2017 - 12:14 pm

Hi there! I think we already spoke on Facebook(?). But just incase it wasn’t you… I find Flixbus far more comfortable than Eurolines, especially for long journeys. As for my more general tips on bus travel, you can find them in this post: Tips For Surviving Long Bus Journeys Across Europe. I hope that helps!

Enzo September 22, 2017 - 2:43 am

hi! thanks for your info. I was thinking of taking the bus from London to Paris at night, so i can arrive to Paris in the morning. But i read what you said about being alone late at night, what do you knowabout of the security in london stations?

Katie Dawes September 22, 2017 - 11:18 am

Hi Enzo. I think getting the overnight bus is a great idea – I do it myself a lot and always alone. London Victoria Coach Station is pretty safe. They close at 1 am until 5 am every night, and the rest of the time there is staff in the station to keep an eye on things and run the buses. I hope that helps!

Comments are closed.

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