Why Traveling by Intercity Bus is So Popular

In the past, long-distance bus trips were mostly for adventurous students who wanted to travel alone on a budget-39 Deutsche Marks got you to Paris on a rickety bus, or 199 Deutsche Marks to Lloret de Mar. Comfort? Completely overrated! Since the market for intercity buses was opened in 2013, those adventurous times are thankfully over. Only one thing has stayed the same: the low price. And it's often even cheaper now!

Especially with intercity buses, there have been many improvements in terms of comfort and safety, which is why more and more bus critics are rediscovering the mode of transport. After the initial boom of providers, many have disappeared from the market, and a 'hard core' of companies has established itself:

Aside from Flixbus, which holds a 94% market share (IGES Institute in Berlin), there are Eurolines, Regiojet, IC Bus, DeinBus, and some smaller companies. The market is fiercely competitive, which is very beneficial for users-they benefit from rock-bottom prices. Ticket offers starting at 1 Euro are not uncommon. In addition, intercity buses offer many advantages.

Current statistical surveys (March 2017) show that intercity bus travel is increasingly popular, especially with young people like students. About 40% of those surveyed stated they enjoy using it to visit family and friends.

Buses not only serve many major cities in Germany like Frankfurt, Cologne, and Stuttgart on scheduled routes but also reach a variety of smaller towns, eliminating the need for complicated transfers. 36% said they use intercity buses to reach their vacation destinations-Eurolines, for example, directly connects Germany to various destinations in Europe (a classic being Prague), but also the North and Baltic Seas are served by Flixbus and others.

40% particularly relied on bus companies for weekend trips-not surprising, as cities like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Dresden are easily accessible. Passengers are often dropped off and picked up right in the city center.

Compared to trains and flights, intercity buses are generally much cheaper. In fact, you often have to shell out almost a fifth less for tickets, making bus travel even cheaper than carpooling. Here is the rule: the earlier you book, the lower the prices. It's cheapest about 4 to 6 weeks before departure. Children, students, seniors, the severely disabled, and groups often receive special rates. Booking online can also secure particularly favorable terms.

Traveling by intercity bus scores highly in terms of customer-friendliness: the support team is usually available 24/7. If you decide shortly before departure to head to the coast instead of shopping, changing your reservation-even at the last minute-is often easy and possible up to 15 minutes before departure, depending on the provider's conditions.

Another great argument for the intercity bus is its notable flexibility. Not only can you book a ticket in just a few minutes-even if you're already standing at the bus door (also doable via smartphone)-but many providers don't even require a credit card.

Unlike trains and flights, the costs for spontaneous last-minute bookings are very reasonable. Tickets can usually be canceled without much hassle up to 24 hours before departure (in case you decide last-minute against visiting that relative...). The fees for such flexibility are usually quite low.

Traveling by bus is also perfect if you love discovering smaller towns. The network is expanding, so not only are major cities well-connected, but county seats without train access are also easily reachable.

Thankfully, those long bus rides and walks along remote country roads are a thing of the past, since bus companies are considerate of people who enjoy discovering beautiful amusement parks or factory outlets. The latter can rejoice with generous baggage allowance and small fees, should they need to carry a bit more!

Buses lead the way in environmental protection: community rides on intercity buses produce significantly less CO2 than cars and planes. If you enjoy meeting new people, intercity bus travel is also the perfect choice. Nowhere else do you get closer to fellow travelers than in these rows of seats or during the regular breaks at rest stops-not to mention how nice it is to complain with a seatmate about traffic jams...

Comfort is also noticeably improving: modern buses with air conditioning, on-board restrooms, power outlets, and reading lamps are becoming standard. Perfect if you need to quickly prepare a presentation or write a report. Often, snacks and drinks, free Wi-Fi, and media centers with films and music are available-making you willingly stay a bit longer and reluctant to disembark.