With sterling in its customary parlous state, anything that makes your European holiday money go further is going to be welcome. And one simple but rewarding method is to make friends with the humble local bus. Yes, it’s true that most endure a humdrum existence ferrying commuters and shoppers about, but if you ferret around you’ll discover that many others pass through scenery worthy of a glitzy sightseeing tour. But they do so for a fraction of the cost. And furthermore, they often afford the traveller an authentic slice of local life into the bargain.
Here, then, are six fantastically scenic European bus routes – all of them so inexpensive you’ll want to give the driver a tip.
Sorrento to Amalfi, Italy
The Amalfi coast, south-east of Naples, has long been swooned over for its beauty, sense of romance and all-round chicness. Its cliffs overlook the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the picturesque towns and villages that cling to them have proved a magnet for the fashionable set. Fellini, Rossellini and numerous other film directors have rolled their cameras here, and movie stars have sipped cocktails on terraces high above the waves. The coastline’s rocky landscape and biodiversity have led to it being designated a Unesco world heritage site.
All of it can be yours for €3.10 (buy your Corsa Singola ticket in a tabacchi shop before boarding). The 5070 bus travels along the coast from Sorrento – cue views of Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri – and takes in Positano, a town that drapes itself over the rocks like a piece of multicoloured seaweed. Your trip takes about 90 minutes and ends at Amalfi, with its cheerful little beach and houses apparently stacked on top of one another. If you haven’t had your fill of sea views, hop on the 5120 bus, which will carry you eastwards from Amalfi to the old Norman capital of Salerno for €2.60.
For routes and schedules visit unicocampania.it
Across Paris
There’s no need to book a sightseeing tour in Paris: simply buy a €2.10 t+ ticket and take the 69 bus. Heading from west to east across the city, the route begins at the Champ de Mars by the Eiffel Tower and near its end stops at Père Lachaise cemetery, the very last stop for Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and a slew of other cultural icons.
Along the way, the 69 shows its passengers the Esplanade des Invalides, the Alexandre III and Pont Neuf bridges, the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre, (what remains of) Notre-Dame, and the Place de la Bastille. The one downside is that this bus can get crowded, so, at peak times, get on close to either end of the route to ensure yourself a seat. The big upside is that the 69 follows a mostly different route from Père Lachaise back to the Eiffel Tower, so with another t+ ticket you can take a new tour.
Route information at ratp.fr
Lake Bled to Lake Bohinj, Slovenia
Anyone who has even a passing interest in chocolate boxes or jigsaws will have seen Lake Bled. And, to be fair, ringed by wooded hills, overlooked by a castle, and decorated with a tiny island topped by a perfect little church, it is a glorious sight. So, it may come as a surprise to learn that under 19 miles away and 50m higher up there’s a lesser-known lake that is, if anything, even easier on the eye: Lake Bohinj.
A 40-minute bus ride (€3.60) between the two begins in the attractive town of Bled and passes along the eponymous lake’s southern shore. It then follows the banks of the Sava Bohinjka River up into Triglav national park and through a gap in the mountains to Lake Bohinj. Take a seat on the right-hand side to savour views of both lakes.
Timetable and tickets at ap-ljubljana.si
Bran to Rucăr, Romania
Take this bus journey along one of Romania’s most attractive roads and you’ll be following the route taken by traders since the middle ages: the Rucăr-Bran Pass between Transylvania and southern Romania. It also happens to be a treat for mountain lovers. On your way over the pass, you’ll be able to enjoy views of the Piatra Craiului, Leaota and Bucegi ranges. Rising to a height of 1,300 metres, the road slips by photogenic mountain villages, dropping at last down to Bran for the final flourish – Bran Castle. Now a museum, it’s above the surrounding wooded slopes and is known as Dracula’s Castle, albeit on scanty evidence, for Bram Stoker never visited Romania. More fool him, you might say. The 45-minute journey will set you back a less than blood-curdling 10 lei (about £1.80).
Timetable and tickets at autogari.ro
Both sides of Berlin
Berlin’s 100 bus not only offers a grand tour of the German capital’s most historic sights, it’s also a little piece of history in itself: after reunification this route was the first to cross the city’s east/west border. A ticket costs €2.90 and provides a 30-minute whistlestop tour of a guidebook’s worth of attractions.
The odyssey begins in Alexanderplatz beside the 368m television tower, completed in 1969, that remains Germany’s tallest building. The bus goes past the Berliner Dom and Museum Island to reach Unter den Linden and the Reichstag, before taking in Bellevue Palace, the Victory Column and KaDeWe – the largest department store on the European mainland – and arriving at the Zoological Gardens, with its extraordinary Elephant Gate. The 100 is a double-decker bus, so race upstairs to nab the front seat and you’ll have a grandstand view of the sights as they unfold before you.
Timetable and tickets at bvg.de
Nice to Monaco
Apparently, more than 30% of the population of Monaco are millionaires; not, then, the kind of place you’d expect to find anything going for a song. It comes as a pleasant surprise, however, to discover that a taste of that high life will cost €2.50 (€2.10 if you buy your ticket on the Zou bus company app).
You even have a choice of route. Buses run along two of the three famous corniche roads that snake along this slice of the Côte d’Azur at various altitudes. The Grande Corniche – built by Napoleon Bonaparte and beloved of James Bond and Alfred Hitchcock – is often swathed in mist, so it’s as well for those who enjoy a good gawp at a turquoise sea that the 602 bus takes the lower (and clearer) Moyenne Corniche. It also passes through the medieval cliffside settlement of Èze, which is among the highest coastal villages in France.
Vertigo sufferers may prefer the 607 bus, which cruises along the seafront Basse Corniche, breezing cheaply and cheerily by super-posh seaside resorts such as Villefranche-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Vive la différence indeed …
Route information at zou.maregionsud.fr
