busabout europe brochure 2016 $aud
DESCRIPTION
BUILD YOUR OWN EUROPEAN ADVENTURE! New for 2016: East Loop Pass & Music FestivalsTRANSCRIPT
TRAVEL ADVENTURES
MUSIC FESTIVALS
SAILING TRIPS
LA BATALLA DEL VINO JUNE • HARO, SPAIN, P43
KING’S DAY APRIL • AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, P39
IBERIAN ADVENTURE P51
CROATIA SAILING P58
SAN FERMIN JULY • PAMPLONA, SPAIN, P40
UP HELLY AA JANUARY • LERWICK, SHETLAND, P83
ST. PATRICK’S DAY MARCH • DUBLIN, IRELAND, P92
CHRISTMAS AND HOGMANAY EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, P100
GREEK ISLANDS P56
BUILD YOUR OWN
EUROPEAN
ADVENTURE BUSABOUT HOP-ON HOP-OFF NEW FOR 2016 6 HOP-ON HOP-OFF EXPLAINED 8 TIMETABLE 14 OUR PASSES 16 COACHES, BEDS & EXCURSIONS 22
BUSABOUT FESTIVALS MUSIC FESTIVALS 30 ST PATRICK’S DAY, TRANSYLVANIA & KINGS DAY 38 SAN FERMIN 40 LA TOMATINA & LA BATALLA DEL VINO 42 OKTOBERFEST 44
BUSABOUT ADVENTURES ITALY 48 SCANDI-BALTIC 49 IBIZA 50 SPAIN & PORTUGAL 51 MOROCCO 52 GREECE 54 CROATIA 58 EASTERN EUROPEAN TREKS 64 TURKEY 68
HAGGIS ADVENTURES (SCO)
ABOUT US 72 COMPASS BUSTER 76 COAST TO COAST & HEBRIDEAN HOPPER 78 HIGHLAND FLING & SKYE HIGH 80 GET ACTIVE & UP HELLY AA 82
SHAMROCKER ADVENTURES (IRL)
ABOUT US 84 ALL IRELAND ROCKER 86 CELTIC ROCKER 88 GIANT’S ROCKER 89 SOUTHERN & WESTERN ROCKER 90 ST PATRICK’S DAY 92
WINTER ADVENTURES THE EUROPEAN WINTER 94 WINTER TRACKS 96 FESTIVE TREKS 98 CHRISTMAS & HOGMANAY 100 ASIA ADVENTURES 104
CONTENTS
LA BATALLA DEL VINO JUNE • HARO, SPAIN, P43
KING’S DAY APRIL • AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, P39
IBERIAN ADVENTURE P51
CROATIA SAILING P58
SAN FERMIN JULY • PAMPLONA, SPAIN, P40
UP HELLY AA JANUARY • LERWICK, SHETLAND, P83
ST. PATRICK’S DAY MARCH • DUBLIN, IRELAND, P92
CHRISTMAS AND HOGMANAY EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, P100
GREEK ISLANDS P56
BOOK & GO!—GUARANTEE—
We have never cancelled a trip and don’t operate a minimum numbers policy. When you book any of our trips you are absolutely guaranteed to go.
Award-winning trips of Scotland, with the best local Guides
Let the Irish show you the real Ireland. Fan-feckin-tastic!
The flexible Hop-on Hop-off travel network plus island hopping, Eastern European Treks and the top European festivals
GET ON AND OFF THE ADVENTURE AS YOU WANT.
IT TAKES US TIME TO PLAN OUR TRIPS. DISCUSSIONS AND DECISIONS ABOUT WHICH PLACE IS MORE BEAUTIFUL AND WHAT PARTY IS MORE RAUCOUS. AND IT’S WORTH IT BECAUSE IT MEANS YOU GET TO SEE ALL THE SPECTACULAR SIGHTS AND MEET ALL THE AWESOME PEOPLE. BUT THERE’S ONE THING WE DON’T PLAN. AND THAT’S HOW AND WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO PIECE IT TOGETHER. WE DON’T PLAN THIS BECAUSE IT’S YOUR JOURNEY AND WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO THE UNIQUE THINGS YOU LOVE. WE GIVE YOU CHOICES, WE GIVE YOU FLEXIBILITY, WE GIVE YOU SERVICE.
WE CREATE THE JOURNEY.WE CREATE THE JOURNEY.
GET ON AND OFF THE ADVENTURE AS YOU WANT.
SPLIT A gobsmacking travel hub for the hedonistic. Split is crammed with culture and links up with our Croatia sailing trips and music festivals. (p58-63)
VIENNA Enrich your eyes by visiting the city that’s too splendorous. Then continue the visual indulgence and head into the Alps on our North Loop. (p18-19)
VENICE A watery labyrinth of marble churches and romantic vistas. Wonder how it was built and wander over to our South Loop. (p18-19)
BLED Instagram the living daylights out of Lake Bled, then burst out into the wilderness for gorgeous rafting and kayaking adventures.
PA GE
6
EUROPE'S TOPTOMORROWLAND,BELGIUM Dance is a vertical articulation of the horizontal passion. It’s the language of the soul. But it’s even better at the world’s largest electronic music festival.
ULTRA, SPLIT A day without dancing is a day lost. So do a lifetime’s worth on our Ultra Festival Hop-on Hop-off add on.
SONAR, BARCELONA Barcelona’s unrivalled arts festival. A creative mash-up in the day and a dance marathon through the night.
SZIGET, BUDAPEST Celebrate the kaleidoscope of musical genres in beautiful Budapest. Rock-out, chill-out, trance-out, freak-out and burn-out.
BBK, BILBAO Big names descend upon the big arts town of Bilbao. Expect alternative music, Basque culture and heaps of ‘free-spirited’ dancing.
PASS
KRAKOW Its sights are mythical and its nights are legendary. Krakow is the fairy tale town of Poland that packs a beery punch.
BUDAPEST The Ancient Romans came here to bathe and party in the hot springs. Follow in their footsteps and explore the beautiful city of Budapest.
MUSIC FESTIVALS
HOP-ON HOP-OFF
GET THE: SUPPORT,
SOCIAL ASPECT & CONVENIENCE
OF A TRADITIONAL
TRAVEL
BOTH WORLDS
WITH A MIX OF INDEPENDENCE AND SUPPORT we let you experience
Europe your way!
?
You can’t categorise Hop-on Hop-off. It’s not quite a traditional tour neither is it totally independent. It’s a mix of the two, a flexible travel
network that gives you unlimited options to build your own adventure. You get the convenience of door to door service, the support of an expert
Busabout Guide and driver, as well as the chance to meet like-minded travellers. You get the freedom to choose how long you travel for and
how much you spend.
PAGE 9
• SPEND AS LONG AS YOU LIKE IN EVERY DESTINATION • PRE PLAN COACH DAYS OR BOOK THEM AS YOU GO • CHANGE YOUR COACH DAYS AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE, FREE OF CHARGE • DISCOVER SOME OF EUROPE’S OFF THE BEATEN TRACK HIDDEN GEMS
4646 DESTINATIONS
FLEXIBILITY & FREEDOMFLEXIBILITY & FREEDOM
WHY IS
AWESOME? It’s awesome because it provides you with the tools to build your own
European adventure. Just imagine it. You hop on a coach from the doorstep of your hostel with a Guide and a bunch of fun travellers. On the journey the Guide tells you about the history and recommends all the best things to see and do. And when you arrive you do what you want. Stay there for weeks, stick with
your new buddies, or head out on the Busabout coach to the next destination. What’s more, you can link up with our Adventures and Festivals and then
reconnect with the Hop-on Hop-off network at a later date.
PA GE
1 0
• TRAVEL DOOR TO DOOR WITH OUR HOSTEL PICK-UPS AND DROP-OFFS
• COACHES LEAVE EVERY DESTINATION, EVERY SECOND DAY BETWEEN MAY AND OCTOBER
• OUR AIR-CONDITIONED COACHES HAVE ALL THE MOD CONS INCLUDING POWER POINTS TO CHARGE UP YOUR ELECTRONIC BITS AND BOBS
• OUR EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDES AND DRIVERS ARE ON HAND TO SHARE THEIR TIPS AND ADVICE
• BOOK COACH DAYS, ACCOMMODATION AND EXCURSIONS USING BUSABOUT’S ONLINE PLANNING TOOL – ‘MYTRIP’
• YOU’LL RECEIVE A FREE PASSENGER HANDBOOK PACKED FULL OF INFO ON WHAT TO SEE AND DO AT EACH DESTINATION
• CHOOSE YOUR START AND FINISH POINT FROM ANYWHERE ON THE NETWORK
• CHOOSE HOW AND WHERE TO SPEND YOUR MONEY
• CHOOSE FROM OUR OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED DAY TRIPS, EXCURSIONS AND ACCOMMODATION
• CHOOSE TO LINK-UP WITH OUR FESTIVALS, ADVENTURES AND SAILING TRIPS
• USE ‘MYTRIP’, BUSABOUT’S ONLINE PLANNING TOOL TO CONNECT WITH FELLOW TRAVELLERS EVEN BEFORE YOU START YOUR TRIP
• MEET LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE AND SHARE YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
• GET CONNECTED. STAY CONNECTED.
PAGE 11
AND FESTIVALS LINK UP
WHERE DOES
(FOR ZRCE BEACH)
lake BLEDlake BLED
Let’s go!
AVIGNON The town itself is stuffed full of UNESCO sites. The people are spoilt by wondrous food and a relaxed pace of life. The surrounding area is the scenic region of Provence. It’s France at its very best.
ZADAR Zadar is the gateway to the infamous island of Pag; there’s cheese, lamb, secluded bays and Zrce beach, home to some of Croatia’s best dance festivals; Fresh Island, Hideout, and Croatia Rocks to name a few.
Ever found a place difficult to leave? Well that’s what these places are. Heart-achingly beautiful locations that look straight out of a Disney movie. You’ll hear our Guides rave about them, and hear them being called the ‘absolute highlight’ of a trip. So make sure you set aside some time for these little surprises when planning your travels!
…P LU
S SO
M E
OF O
UR F
AV OU
RI TE
…P LU
S SO
M E
OF O
UR F
AV OU
RI TE HIDDEN GEMSHIDDEN GEMS
Max out your adventure and save. Break up your Hop-on Hop-off pass and experience our Adventures, Sailing trips, Treks or Festivals and re-join the network at any stop, any time. See p46-47. Look out for the ‘Link up & Save’ boxes for more details.
Buy any Hop-on Hop-off pass together with any of our qualifying trips and you save 10% off the total price. Here are the savings you could make if you purchase one of our bestsellers with a Hop-on Hop-off pass:
…P LU
S SO
M E
OF O
UR F
AV OU
GRÜENAU
This gem is a traditional little village surrounded by awesome Alpine scenery. Take a swim in the crystal clear lakes or just stare at the beautiful views.
ORVIETO Situated on top of an impressive volcanic rock with vertical cliff faces. However the real surprise is the labyrinth of caves and tunnels that lie beneath the surface.
SAVE10%SEE BACK COVER
PAGE 13
Madrid – link to 7 Day Iberian Adventure (p51) SAVE up to $334 Rome – link to 3 Day Italian Adventure (p48) SAVE up to $267 Prague – link to 9 Day Classic Rhapsody Trek (p64) SAVE up to $348 Split – link to 8 Day Croatia Sailing (p60–61) Croatia Music Festivals (p62–63) 7 Day Bohemian Trek (p65) SAVE up to $318 9 Day Ottoman Trek (p65) SAVE up to $338 Ancona – link to* Greek Island Flexi-Hopper (p56–57) SAVE up to $286 8 Day Croatia Sailing (p60–61)
Valencia or Barcelona – link to* 8 Day Ibiza Island Hopper (p50) 4 Day Ibiza Blast (p50)
* Connect by local ferry.
See www.busabout.com for details.
(FOR ZRCE BEACH)
lake BLEDlake BLED
It’s simple. From May to October we have a bunch of coaches travelling the loops in the direction of the arrows. They pass through each
destination every second day and you can hop-off at any stop for as long as you like. You have to stay at least one night at the white stops because our Driver and Guide need to rest there. And you can skip the
black dots altogether or stay there for a minimum of 2 nights.
Use the timetable and the calendar to work out when the coach departs.
The coach leaves white departure cities on white calendar days.
The coach leaves orange departure cities on orange days.
White dots on the map and timetable represent compulsory overnight stops. (This is as far as the coach will travel in one day.)
The black dots are optional overnight stops. Hop-off here for a minimum of 2 nights or continue on to the next compulsory overnight stop.
1 3 5
FROM TO DEPARTS ARRIVES FROM UNTIL
NORTH LOOP (1 MAY–27 OCTOBER) Paris Bruges 8:00 13:00 1 May 16 Oct Bruges Amsterdam 13:00 18:00 1 May 16 Oct Amsterdam Berlin 8:00 18:00 2 May 17 Oct Berlin Dresden 8:00 11:30 3 May 18 Oct Dresden Prague 11:30 16:00 3 May 18 Oct Prague Cesky Krumlov 8:00 11:45 4 May 19 Oct Cesky Krumlov Vienna 11:45 16:30 4 May 19 Oct Vienna Gruenau 8:00 12:00 5 May 20 Oct Gruenau Salzburg 12:00 14:15 5 May 20 Oct Salzburg Munich 14:15 17:00 5 May 20 Oct Munich Stuttgart 8:00 11:15 6 May 27 Oct Stuttgart Paris 11:15 21:30 6 May 27 Oct
EAST LOOP (20 JUNE–11 SEPTEMBER) Vienna Vienna Bratislava 08:00 09:30 20 Jun 06 Sep Bratislava Olomouc 09:30 13:00 20 Jun 06 Sep Olomouc Krakow 13:00 17:00 20 Jun 06 Sep Krakow Zakopane 08:00 11:00 21 Jun 07 Sep Zakopane Budapest 11:00 18:00 21 Jun 07 Sep Budapest Zagreb 08:00 15:00 22 Jun 08 Sep Zagreb Split 15:00 21:30 22 Jun 08 Sep Split Zadar 08:00 10:30 23 Jun 09 Sep Zadar Venice 10:30 18:30 23 Jun 09 Sep Venice Trieste 08:00 10:30 24 Jun 10 Sep Trieste Ljubljana 10:30 13:30 24 Jun 10 Sep Ljubljana Lake Bled 13:30 15:00 24 Jun 10 Sep Lake Bled Graz 08:00 11:30 25 Jun 11 Sep Graz Vienna 11:30 15:00 25 Jun 11 Sep
SOUTH LOOP (12 MAY–26 OCTOBER) Munich Innsbruck 8:00 10:45 12 May 21 Oct Innsbruck Venice 10:45 17:00 12 May 21 Oct Venice Ancona 8:00 13:00 13 May 22 Oct Ancona Rome 13:00 18:30 13 May 22 Oct Rome Orvieto 8:00 10:00 14 May 23 Oct Orvieto Siena 10:00 12:15 14 May 23 Oct Siena Florence 12:15 15:00 14 May 23 Oct Florence La Spezia 8:00 10:30 15 May 24 Oct La Spezia Nice 10:30 16:00 15 May 24 Oct Nice Lake Como 8:00 13:45 16 May 25 Oct Lake Como Swiss Alps 13:45 18:30 16 May 25 Oct Swiss Alps Lucerne 8:00 9:45 17 May 26 Oct Lucerne Munich 9:45 17:00 17 May 26 Oct
WEST LOOP (22 MAY–6 OCTOBER) Paris Bern 8:00 17:15 22 May 1 Oct Bern Swiss Alps 17:15 18:30 22 May 1 Oct Swiss Alps Milan 8:00 13:30 23 May 2 Oct Milan Nice 13:30 18:30 23 May 2 Oct Nice Avignon 8:00 12:15 24 May 3 Oct Avignon Barcelona 12:15 18:30 24 May 3 Oct Barcelona Valencia 8:00 13:00 25 May 4 Oct Valencia Madrid 13:00 18:30 25 May 4 Oct Madrid Pamplona 8:00 15:00 26 May 5 Oct Pamplona San Sebastian 15:00 17:00 26 May 5 Oct San Sebastian Bordeaux 8:00 11:30 27 May 6 Oct Bordeaux Tours 11:30 16:45 27 May 6 Oct Tours Paris 16:45 21:30 27 May 6 Oct
compulsory overnight stopoptional stop
1
30 31
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30
1 2 3
M T W T F S S AUGUST 2016
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
1 2 3 4
26 27 28 29 30
M T W T F S S OCTOBER 2016
1 2
31
PASSESPASSES
PASSESPASSES
P A S S E SP A S S E S
We’ve created three pass options. Flexibility, choice and independence are standard, and you can choose to spend as long as you like at each destination.
We’ve broken up the Hop-on Hop-off network into 4 easy-to-use ‘loops’: North, East, South and West. Each loop concentrates on different parts of Europe.
Build your own pass around the number of cities you want to stop at, anywhere on the network.
Some of our popular routes that take in a variety of destinations across Europe.
TIMETABLE CALENDAR
PAGE 15
• Minimum travel time of 3 weeks.
• Choose a 4 loop pass and travel all 46 destinations on the network.
• Re-visit any destination free of charge on your loop pass.
• Minimum travel time of 4 weeks.
• Perfect if you are unsure of what to see and need some inspiration.
• Best value for the most popular routes.
• Minimum travel time of 2 weeks.
• Add on extra destinations as you travel.
• Good value if you have limited time.
P A S S E SP A S S E S
WHICH TRAVEL PASS IS BEST
FOR ME?
FOR ME?
WE’VE MADE CHOOSING EASY BY LISTING THE DIFFERENCES OF EACH TRAVEL PASS.
1 2 3
PA GE
1 6
COACH DATE FROM TO LOOP NIGHTS
DAYS COACH DATE FROM TO LOOP NIGHTS
DAYS
PASS OPTIONS PASS OPTIONS
LOOPS LOOPS8 31
8 COACH DAY FLEXITRIP PASS
3
HOW TO PLAN
We understand everyone is different when it comes to how they plan their travels. Some like to plan every detail and some like to go with the flow. No matter what, you can change your travel plans as often as you
like free of charge, both before and during your travels.
21 JUNE PRAGUE CESKY N 2
23 JUNE CESKY VIENNA N 3
26 JUNE VIENNA KRAKOW E 3
29 JUNE KRAKOW BUDAPEST E 5
4 JULY BUDAPEST ZAGREB E 2
6 JULY ZAGREB SPLIT E 9
15 JULY SPLIT VENICE E 3
18 JULY VENICE ROME S 4
EXAMPLE PLAN YOUR OWN
FOLLOW THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO PLAN YOUR TRIP.
1 Grab a pen and circle all the destinations you want to visit
2 Think about how long you’d like to spend in each destination
(remember you can change this as you go, free of charge)
3 Count up the number of coach days
4 Count up the number of loops
5 Decide which pass will offer you the best value. See pages 18-21 for prices.
PAGE 17
PA GE
1 8
Europe can be travelled in about a million and one different ways and
that’s what we love about it. So, on our Loop Passes, you start where
you want, and go-round them as much as you like between May and
October. Do one Loop, combine two, three or even four.
P A S S E SP A S S E S
OPTIONAL STOP (MIN 2 NIGHTS) COMPULSORY (OVERNIGHT STOP)
4 LOOP PASS $2,129 STUDENTS $2,065 RACING IT: 55 days – 10 weeks PACING IT: 10 weeks – 6 months
3 LOOP PASS $1,889 STUDENTS $1,835 RACING IT: 45 days – 8 weeks PACING IT: 8 weeks – 6 months
2 LOOP PASS $1,609 STUDENTS $1,565 RACING IT: 30 days – 6 weeks PACING IT: 6 weeks – 6 months
1 LOOP PASS $949 STUDENTS $925 RACING IT: 15 days – 3 weeks PACING IT: 3 weeks – 6 months
PAGE 19
12 DESTINATIONS 6 COUNTRIES The Parisians have more fashionable clothes than you. In Berlin the parties go on longer than you can handle. And Vienna has prettier buildings than your hometown. But whatever; just suck it up and appreciate how unique these places are. The North Loop is a humbling journey through Europe’s heavyweights.
(MAY-OCT)
(JUN-SEP)
(MAY-OCT)
(MAY-OCT)
13 DESTINATIONS 5 COUNTRIES Our South Loop poses questions. How does Italy keep such a sexy figure when the food is so tasty? What makes the Alps so incredibly idyllic? And why in Munich do they swig beer from such massive glasses? Find the answer to these questions yourself by exploring the beautiful and tasty South Loop.
13 DESTINATIONS 4 COUNTRIES Sip on the sophistication of Paris, nibble on the charm of Provence, guzzle down on Spain’s passion-filled nights and cool off in the Swiss Alps. Our West Loop is a wanderlust-quenching journey through some of Europe’s strongest flavours. After you’ve tasted it, home will feel a whole lot more bland.
WHY
GO?
14 DESTINATIONS 8 COUNTRIES You’ll surprise yourself. That adventurous part of you will end up kayaking along a fast-flowing river-rapid. The geek inside you will salivate over Budapest’s architecture. And the party-spirit will burst out on the Croatian coast. You’ll come back home knowing a little more about yourself and a lot more about Europe’s off-the-beaten-track destinations.
Get the most out of your time in Europe, and link up with our Adventures, Festivals and Sailing trips.
SEE P12-13 FOR DETAILS
lake BLEDlake BLED
(FOR ZRCE BEACH)
lake BLEDlake BLED
We’re all different. Some like their Bran Flakes in the morning; and others prefer left-over meat-feast-pizzas. Some need the ‘snooze button’, and some jump directly into a baltic shower. Whatever your way of doing things, it’s fine with us. These One-Way passes should satisfy all sorts. Everything is the same as our other Loop Passes; the only difference is that you end somewhere completely different from where you started.
SAVE10%SEE BACK COVER PASSESPASSES
GO ROMAN 15 DESTINATIONS, 7 COUNTRIES START: PARIS | FINISH: ROME $1,109 | STUDENTS $1,079
GO WEST 15 DESTINATIONS, 3 COUNTRIES START:…
MUSIC FESTIVALS
SAILING TRIPS
LA BATALLA DEL VINO JUNE • HARO, SPAIN, P43
KING’S DAY APRIL • AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, P39
IBERIAN ADVENTURE P51
CROATIA SAILING P58
SAN FERMIN JULY • PAMPLONA, SPAIN, P40
UP HELLY AA JANUARY • LERWICK, SHETLAND, P83
ST. PATRICK’S DAY MARCH • DUBLIN, IRELAND, P92
CHRISTMAS AND HOGMANAY EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, P100
GREEK ISLANDS P56
BUILD YOUR OWN
EUROPEAN
ADVENTURE BUSABOUT HOP-ON HOP-OFF NEW FOR 2016 6 HOP-ON HOP-OFF EXPLAINED 8 TIMETABLE 14 OUR PASSES 16 COACHES, BEDS & EXCURSIONS 22
BUSABOUT FESTIVALS MUSIC FESTIVALS 30 ST PATRICK’S DAY, TRANSYLVANIA & KINGS DAY 38 SAN FERMIN 40 LA TOMATINA & LA BATALLA DEL VINO 42 OKTOBERFEST 44
BUSABOUT ADVENTURES ITALY 48 SCANDI-BALTIC 49 IBIZA 50 SPAIN & PORTUGAL 51 MOROCCO 52 GREECE 54 CROATIA 58 EASTERN EUROPEAN TREKS 64 TURKEY 68
HAGGIS ADVENTURES (SCO)
ABOUT US 72 COMPASS BUSTER 76 COAST TO COAST & HEBRIDEAN HOPPER 78 HIGHLAND FLING & SKYE HIGH 80 GET ACTIVE & UP HELLY AA 82
SHAMROCKER ADVENTURES (IRL)
ABOUT US 84 ALL IRELAND ROCKER 86 CELTIC ROCKER 88 GIANT’S ROCKER 89 SOUTHERN & WESTERN ROCKER 90 ST PATRICK’S DAY 92
WINTER ADVENTURES THE EUROPEAN WINTER 94 WINTER TRACKS 96 FESTIVE TREKS 98 CHRISTMAS & HOGMANAY 100 ASIA ADVENTURES 104
CONTENTS
LA BATALLA DEL VINO JUNE • HARO, SPAIN, P43
KING’S DAY APRIL • AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, P39
IBERIAN ADVENTURE P51
CROATIA SAILING P58
SAN FERMIN JULY • PAMPLONA, SPAIN, P40
UP HELLY AA JANUARY • LERWICK, SHETLAND, P83
ST. PATRICK’S DAY MARCH • DUBLIN, IRELAND, P92
CHRISTMAS AND HOGMANAY EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, P100
GREEK ISLANDS P56
BOOK & GO!—GUARANTEE—
We have never cancelled a trip and don’t operate a minimum numbers policy. When you book any of our trips you are absolutely guaranteed to go.
Award-winning trips of Scotland, with the best local Guides
Let the Irish show you the real Ireland. Fan-feckin-tastic!
The flexible Hop-on Hop-off travel network plus island hopping, Eastern European Treks and the top European festivals
GET ON AND OFF THE ADVENTURE AS YOU WANT.
IT TAKES US TIME TO PLAN OUR TRIPS. DISCUSSIONS AND DECISIONS ABOUT WHICH PLACE IS MORE BEAUTIFUL AND WHAT PARTY IS MORE RAUCOUS. AND IT’S WORTH IT BECAUSE IT MEANS YOU GET TO SEE ALL THE SPECTACULAR SIGHTS AND MEET ALL THE AWESOME PEOPLE. BUT THERE’S ONE THING WE DON’T PLAN. AND THAT’S HOW AND WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO PIECE IT TOGETHER. WE DON’T PLAN THIS BECAUSE IT’S YOUR JOURNEY AND WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO THE UNIQUE THINGS YOU LOVE. WE GIVE YOU CHOICES, WE GIVE YOU FLEXIBILITY, WE GIVE YOU SERVICE.
WE CREATE THE JOURNEY.WE CREATE THE JOURNEY.
GET ON AND OFF THE ADVENTURE AS YOU WANT.
SPLIT A gobsmacking travel hub for the hedonistic. Split is crammed with culture and links up with our Croatia sailing trips and music festivals. (p58-63)
VIENNA Enrich your eyes by visiting the city that’s too splendorous. Then continue the visual indulgence and head into the Alps on our North Loop. (p18-19)
VENICE A watery labyrinth of marble churches and romantic vistas. Wonder how it was built and wander over to our South Loop. (p18-19)
BLED Instagram the living daylights out of Lake Bled, then burst out into the wilderness for gorgeous rafting and kayaking adventures.
PA GE
6
EUROPE'S TOPTOMORROWLAND,BELGIUM Dance is a vertical articulation of the horizontal passion. It’s the language of the soul. But it’s even better at the world’s largest electronic music festival.
ULTRA, SPLIT A day without dancing is a day lost. So do a lifetime’s worth on our Ultra Festival Hop-on Hop-off add on.
SONAR, BARCELONA Barcelona’s unrivalled arts festival. A creative mash-up in the day and a dance marathon through the night.
SZIGET, BUDAPEST Celebrate the kaleidoscope of musical genres in beautiful Budapest. Rock-out, chill-out, trance-out, freak-out and burn-out.
BBK, BILBAO Big names descend upon the big arts town of Bilbao. Expect alternative music, Basque culture and heaps of ‘free-spirited’ dancing.
PASS
KRAKOW Its sights are mythical and its nights are legendary. Krakow is the fairy tale town of Poland that packs a beery punch.
BUDAPEST The Ancient Romans came here to bathe and party in the hot springs. Follow in their footsteps and explore the beautiful city of Budapest.
MUSIC FESTIVALS
HOP-ON HOP-OFF
GET THE: SUPPORT,
SOCIAL ASPECT & CONVENIENCE
OF A TRADITIONAL
TRAVEL
BOTH WORLDS
WITH A MIX OF INDEPENDENCE AND SUPPORT we let you experience
Europe your way!
?
You can’t categorise Hop-on Hop-off. It’s not quite a traditional tour neither is it totally independent. It’s a mix of the two, a flexible travel
network that gives you unlimited options to build your own adventure. You get the convenience of door to door service, the support of an expert
Busabout Guide and driver, as well as the chance to meet like-minded travellers. You get the freedom to choose how long you travel for and
how much you spend.
PAGE 9
• SPEND AS LONG AS YOU LIKE IN EVERY DESTINATION • PRE PLAN COACH DAYS OR BOOK THEM AS YOU GO • CHANGE YOUR COACH DAYS AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE, FREE OF CHARGE • DISCOVER SOME OF EUROPE’S OFF THE BEATEN TRACK HIDDEN GEMS
4646 DESTINATIONS
FLEXIBILITY & FREEDOMFLEXIBILITY & FREEDOM
WHY IS
AWESOME? It’s awesome because it provides you with the tools to build your own
European adventure. Just imagine it. You hop on a coach from the doorstep of your hostel with a Guide and a bunch of fun travellers. On the journey the Guide tells you about the history and recommends all the best things to see and do. And when you arrive you do what you want. Stay there for weeks, stick with
your new buddies, or head out on the Busabout coach to the next destination. What’s more, you can link up with our Adventures and Festivals and then
reconnect with the Hop-on Hop-off network at a later date.
PA GE
1 0
• TRAVEL DOOR TO DOOR WITH OUR HOSTEL PICK-UPS AND DROP-OFFS
• COACHES LEAVE EVERY DESTINATION, EVERY SECOND DAY BETWEEN MAY AND OCTOBER
• OUR AIR-CONDITIONED COACHES HAVE ALL THE MOD CONS INCLUDING POWER POINTS TO CHARGE UP YOUR ELECTRONIC BITS AND BOBS
• OUR EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDES AND DRIVERS ARE ON HAND TO SHARE THEIR TIPS AND ADVICE
• BOOK COACH DAYS, ACCOMMODATION AND EXCURSIONS USING BUSABOUT’S ONLINE PLANNING TOOL – ‘MYTRIP’
• YOU’LL RECEIVE A FREE PASSENGER HANDBOOK PACKED FULL OF INFO ON WHAT TO SEE AND DO AT EACH DESTINATION
• CHOOSE YOUR START AND FINISH POINT FROM ANYWHERE ON THE NETWORK
• CHOOSE HOW AND WHERE TO SPEND YOUR MONEY
• CHOOSE FROM OUR OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED DAY TRIPS, EXCURSIONS AND ACCOMMODATION
• CHOOSE TO LINK-UP WITH OUR FESTIVALS, ADVENTURES AND SAILING TRIPS
• USE ‘MYTRIP’, BUSABOUT’S ONLINE PLANNING TOOL TO CONNECT WITH FELLOW TRAVELLERS EVEN BEFORE YOU START YOUR TRIP
• MEET LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE AND SHARE YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES AND STORIES
• GET CONNECTED. STAY CONNECTED.
PAGE 11
AND FESTIVALS LINK UP
WHERE DOES
(FOR ZRCE BEACH)
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Let’s go!
AVIGNON The town itself is stuffed full of UNESCO sites. The people are spoilt by wondrous food and a relaxed pace of life. The surrounding area is the scenic region of Provence. It’s France at its very best.
ZADAR Zadar is the gateway to the infamous island of Pag; there’s cheese, lamb, secluded bays and Zrce beach, home to some of Croatia’s best dance festivals; Fresh Island, Hideout, and Croatia Rocks to name a few.
Ever found a place difficult to leave? Well that’s what these places are. Heart-achingly beautiful locations that look straight out of a Disney movie. You’ll hear our Guides rave about them, and hear them being called the ‘absolute highlight’ of a trip. So make sure you set aside some time for these little surprises when planning your travels!
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Max out your adventure and save. Break up your Hop-on Hop-off pass and experience our Adventures, Sailing trips, Treks or Festivals and re-join the network at any stop, any time. See p46-47. Look out for the ‘Link up & Save’ boxes for more details.
Buy any Hop-on Hop-off pass together with any of our qualifying trips and you save 10% off the total price. Here are the savings you could make if you purchase one of our bestsellers with a Hop-on Hop-off pass:
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This gem is a traditional little village surrounded by awesome Alpine scenery. Take a swim in the crystal clear lakes or just stare at the beautiful views.
ORVIETO Situated on top of an impressive volcanic rock with vertical cliff faces. However the real surprise is the labyrinth of caves and tunnels that lie beneath the surface.
SAVE10%SEE BACK COVER
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Madrid – link to 7 Day Iberian Adventure (p51) SAVE up to $334 Rome – link to 3 Day Italian Adventure (p48) SAVE up to $267 Prague – link to 9 Day Classic Rhapsody Trek (p64) SAVE up to $348 Split – link to 8 Day Croatia Sailing (p60–61) Croatia Music Festivals (p62–63) 7 Day Bohemian Trek (p65) SAVE up to $318 9 Day Ottoman Trek (p65) SAVE up to $338 Ancona – link to* Greek Island Flexi-Hopper (p56–57) SAVE up to $286 8 Day Croatia Sailing (p60–61)
Valencia or Barcelona – link to* 8 Day Ibiza Island Hopper (p50) 4 Day Ibiza Blast (p50)
* Connect by local ferry.
See www.busabout.com for details.
(FOR ZRCE BEACH)
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It’s simple. From May to October we have a bunch of coaches travelling the loops in the direction of the arrows. They pass through each
destination every second day and you can hop-off at any stop for as long as you like. You have to stay at least one night at the white stops because our Driver and Guide need to rest there. And you can skip the
black dots altogether or stay there for a minimum of 2 nights.
Use the timetable and the calendar to work out when the coach departs.
The coach leaves white departure cities on white calendar days.
The coach leaves orange departure cities on orange days.
White dots on the map and timetable represent compulsory overnight stops. (This is as far as the coach will travel in one day.)
The black dots are optional overnight stops. Hop-off here for a minimum of 2 nights or continue on to the next compulsory overnight stop.
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FROM TO DEPARTS ARRIVES FROM UNTIL
NORTH LOOP (1 MAY–27 OCTOBER) Paris Bruges 8:00 13:00 1 May 16 Oct Bruges Amsterdam 13:00 18:00 1 May 16 Oct Amsterdam Berlin 8:00 18:00 2 May 17 Oct Berlin Dresden 8:00 11:30 3 May 18 Oct Dresden Prague 11:30 16:00 3 May 18 Oct Prague Cesky Krumlov 8:00 11:45 4 May 19 Oct Cesky Krumlov Vienna 11:45 16:30 4 May 19 Oct Vienna Gruenau 8:00 12:00 5 May 20 Oct Gruenau Salzburg 12:00 14:15 5 May 20 Oct Salzburg Munich 14:15 17:00 5 May 20 Oct Munich Stuttgart 8:00 11:15 6 May 27 Oct Stuttgart Paris 11:15 21:30 6 May 27 Oct
EAST LOOP (20 JUNE–11 SEPTEMBER) Vienna Vienna Bratislava 08:00 09:30 20 Jun 06 Sep Bratislava Olomouc 09:30 13:00 20 Jun 06 Sep Olomouc Krakow 13:00 17:00 20 Jun 06 Sep Krakow Zakopane 08:00 11:00 21 Jun 07 Sep Zakopane Budapest 11:00 18:00 21 Jun 07 Sep Budapest Zagreb 08:00 15:00 22 Jun 08 Sep Zagreb Split 15:00 21:30 22 Jun 08 Sep Split Zadar 08:00 10:30 23 Jun 09 Sep Zadar Venice 10:30 18:30 23 Jun 09 Sep Venice Trieste 08:00 10:30 24 Jun 10 Sep Trieste Ljubljana 10:30 13:30 24 Jun 10 Sep Ljubljana Lake Bled 13:30 15:00 24 Jun 10 Sep Lake Bled Graz 08:00 11:30 25 Jun 11 Sep Graz Vienna 11:30 15:00 25 Jun 11 Sep
SOUTH LOOP (12 MAY–26 OCTOBER) Munich Innsbruck 8:00 10:45 12 May 21 Oct Innsbruck Venice 10:45 17:00 12 May 21 Oct Venice Ancona 8:00 13:00 13 May 22 Oct Ancona Rome 13:00 18:30 13 May 22 Oct Rome Orvieto 8:00 10:00 14 May 23 Oct Orvieto Siena 10:00 12:15 14 May 23 Oct Siena Florence 12:15 15:00 14 May 23 Oct Florence La Spezia 8:00 10:30 15 May 24 Oct La Spezia Nice 10:30 16:00 15 May 24 Oct Nice Lake Como 8:00 13:45 16 May 25 Oct Lake Como Swiss Alps 13:45 18:30 16 May 25 Oct Swiss Alps Lucerne 8:00 9:45 17 May 26 Oct Lucerne Munich 9:45 17:00 17 May 26 Oct
WEST LOOP (22 MAY–6 OCTOBER) Paris Bern 8:00 17:15 22 May 1 Oct Bern Swiss Alps 17:15 18:30 22 May 1 Oct Swiss Alps Milan 8:00 13:30 23 May 2 Oct Milan Nice 13:30 18:30 23 May 2 Oct Nice Avignon 8:00 12:15 24 May 3 Oct Avignon Barcelona 12:15 18:30 24 May 3 Oct Barcelona Valencia 8:00 13:00 25 May 4 Oct Valencia Madrid 13:00 18:30 25 May 4 Oct Madrid Pamplona 8:00 15:00 26 May 5 Oct Pamplona San Sebastian 15:00 17:00 26 May 5 Oct San Sebastian Bordeaux 8:00 11:30 27 May 6 Oct Bordeaux Tours 11:30 16:45 27 May 6 Oct Tours Paris 16:45 21:30 27 May 6 Oct
compulsory overnight stopoptional stop
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M T W T F S S AUGUST 2016
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M T W T F S S OCTOBER 2016
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PASSESPASSES
PASSESPASSES
P A S S E SP A S S E S
We’ve created three pass options. Flexibility, choice and independence are standard, and you can choose to spend as long as you like at each destination.
We’ve broken up the Hop-on Hop-off network into 4 easy-to-use ‘loops’: North, East, South and West. Each loop concentrates on different parts of Europe.
Build your own pass around the number of cities you want to stop at, anywhere on the network.
Some of our popular routes that take in a variety of destinations across Europe.
TIMETABLE CALENDAR
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• Minimum travel time of 3 weeks.
• Choose a 4 loop pass and travel all 46 destinations on the network.
• Re-visit any destination free of charge on your loop pass.
• Minimum travel time of 4 weeks.
• Perfect if you are unsure of what to see and need some inspiration.
• Best value for the most popular routes.
• Minimum travel time of 2 weeks.
• Add on extra destinations as you travel.
• Good value if you have limited time.
P A S S E SP A S S E S
WHICH TRAVEL PASS IS BEST
FOR ME?
FOR ME?
WE’VE MADE CHOOSING EASY BY LISTING THE DIFFERENCES OF EACH TRAVEL PASS.
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COACH DATE FROM TO LOOP NIGHTS
DAYS COACH DATE FROM TO LOOP NIGHTS
DAYS
PASS OPTIONS PASS OPTIONS
LOOPS LOOPS8 31
8 COACH DAY FLEXITRIP PASS
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HOW TO PLAN
We understand everyone is different when it comes to how they plan their travels. Some like to plan every detail and some like to go with the flow. No matter what, you can change your travel plans as often as you
like free of charge, both before and during your travels.
21 JUNE PRAGUE CESKY N 2
23 JUNE CESKY VIENNA N 3
26 JUNE VIENNA KRAKOW E 3
29 JUNE KRAKOW BUDAPEST E 5
4 JULY BUDAPEST ZAGREB E 2
6 JULY ZAGREB SPLIT E 9
15 JULY SPLIT VENICE E 3
18 JULY VENICE ROME S 4
EXAMPLE PLAN YOUR OWN
FOLLOW THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO PLAN YOUR TRIP.
1 Grab a pen and circle all the destinations you want to visit
2 Think about how long you’d like to spend in each destination
(remember you can change this as you go, free of charge)
3 Count up the number of coach days
4 Count up the number of loops
5 Decide which pass will offer you the best value. See pages 18-21 for prices.
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Europe can be travelled in about a million and one different ways and
that’s what we love about it. So, on our Loop Passes, you start where
you want, and go-round them as much as you like between May and
October. Do one Loop, combine two, three or even four.
P A S S E SP A S S E S
OPTIONAL STOP (MIN 2 NIGHTS) COMPULSORY (OVERNIGHT STOP)
4 LOOP PASS $2,129 STUDENTS $2,065 RACING IT: 55 days – 10 weeks PACING IT: 10 weeks – 6 months
3 LOOP PASS $1,889 STUDENTS $1,835 RACING IT: 45 days – 8 weeks PACING IT: 8 weeks – 6 months
2 LOOP PASS $1,609 STUDENTS $1,565 RACING IT: 30 days – 6 weeks PACING IT: 6 weeks – 6 months
1 LOOP PASS $949 STUDENTS $925 RACING IT: 15 days – 3 weeks PACING IT: 3 weeks – 6 months
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12 DESTINATIONS 6 COUNTRIES The Parisians have more fashionable clothes than you. In Berlin the parties go on longer than you can handle. And Vienna has prettier buildings than your hometown. But whatever; just suck it up and appreciate how unique these places are. The North Loop is a humbling journey through Europe’s heavyweights.
(MAY-OCT)
(JUN-SEP)
(MAY-OCT)
(MAY-OCT)
13 DESTINATIONS 5 COUNTRIES Our South Loop poses questions. How does Italy keep such a sexy figure when the food is so tasty? What makes the Alps so incredibly idyllic? And why in Munich do they swig beer from such massive glasses? Find the answer to these questions yourself by exploring the beautiful and tasty South Loop.
13 DESTINATIONS 4 COUNTRIES Sip on the sophistication of Paris, nibble on the charm of Provence, guzzle down on Spain’s passion-filled nights and cool off in the Swiss Alps. Our West Loop is a wanderlust-quenching journey through some of Europe’s strongest flavours. After you’ve tasted it, home will feel a whole lot more bland.
WHY
GO?
14 DESTINATIONS 8 COUNTRIES You’ll surprise yourself. That adventurous part of you will end up kayaking along a fast-flowing river-rapid. The geek inside you will salivate over Budapest’s architecture. And the party-spirit will burst out on the Croatian coast. You’ll come back home knowing a little more about yourself and a lot more about Europe’s off-the-beaten-track destinations.
Get the most out of your time in Europe, and link up with our Adventures, Festivals and Sailing trips.
SEE P12-13 FOR DETAILS
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(FOR ZRCE BEACH)
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We’re all different. Some like their Bran Flakes in the morning; and others prefer left-over meat-feast-pizzas. Some need the ‘snooze button’, and some jump directly into a baltic shower. Whatever your way of doing things, it’s fine with us. These One-Way passes should satisfy all sorts. Everything is the same as our other Loop Passes; the only difference is that you end somewhere completely different from where you started.
SAVE10%SEE BACK COVER PASSESPASSES
GO ROMAN 15 DESTINATIONS, 7 COUNTRIES START: PARIS | FINISH: ROME $1,109 | STUDENTS $1,079
GO WEST 15 DESTINATIONS, 3 COUNTRIES START:…