Coach Holidays
Travelling by coach can be a great way to experience a country - or several countries on one trip – and it's not just a means of transport for the elderly or for cash-strapped students. Several coach tour operators provide luxurious vehicles (think airline-style seating and waitress service) with air-conditioning and other mod-cons for longer coach tours, city breaks by coach and simply for travel to and from Europe.
‘Do’ a Continent
One of the best ways to cram a heap of sightseeing into a relatively short trip is to take a coach tour. Young people's favourite Contiki has coach tours of Europe, Asia, North America, Russia, North Africa, Australia and New Zealand from 8 to 46 days long, starting at £299 for a 5-day tour in Asia, excluding flights.
For a more luxurious, less hectic trip, consider a Shearings' European tour. Choose from several escorted tours, all by luxury coach with leather seats and on-board entertainment. A 9-day tour of the medieval towns of Germany costs from £669 including travel from several pick up points throughout the UK and accommodation. Grand UK Holidays offers similar trips.
Cantabrica offers family summer holidays to Spain, Italy, the South of France, the French Alps and the Austrian Tyrol with travel by coach from £98 for adults and the first child goes free.
City breaks
Budget airlines like Ryanair may advertise city breaks for less than the price of an M&S sandwich, but once you've added the tax, luggage charges and the cost of getting to and from the airport and the price is often no longer so attractive. Travel by coach and it'll take you from city centre to city centre for genuinely low fares. Comfy coach operator Eurolines travels to many of the most popular cities in eastern and western Europe with fares from a ridiculously low £12 each way. With pick up points scattered throughout the UK, there's no need to travel to a major city to start your journey, saving you money on train fares and petrol too.
For visits to London and other cities in the UK, try Eurolines sister brand National Express, which also offers affordable airport transfers by express coach, which are often more convenient than train links.
Booze Cruise on Wheels
Fancy a booze cruise to Calais to stock up for Christmas but don't have your own set of wheels? Excalibur runs shopping trips from London to Calais every Saturday, Monday and Wednesday from £30 pp. For something a little more sophisticated, you could visit one of Europe's Christmas markets by coach. Eurolines offers coach travel from various pick up points in the UK to markets in Belgium, France and Germany just £15 one way – leaving you more dosh for prezzies!
Skiing
If you don't mind sitting with your knees under your chin for 15 hours, travelling by coach instead of flying can be a great way to save money on a ski holiday. It can also be less hassle as the coach will take you direct to the resort.
Ski Weekends , Cantabrica and Snowcoach offer coach packages to the Alps. A 3-day package to Brides-les-Bains in the 3 Valleys, France, costs from £179 including overnight coach travel and half-board in a hotel with Ski Weekends. Eurolines offers coach transport to 13 French resorts from London Victoria from £79 return.
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