Travel Europe Cheaply – By Bus

Buses aren’t generally the first option considered for leisure travel in South Africa where locals tend to opt for self-drive or taking a train or a flight. But with the high costs of fuel, travelling by bus becomes a highly economical option in the current economy where people are trying to save money wherever they can.  This is confirmed by the Bus Price Index, recording an average 112% increase* in bus searches in South Africa over 2022 compared to the previous year.

This increase in bus searches may be due to travellers realising the cost-savings implications of using buses as their mode of transport over car or SA’s failing railway systems. In South Africa, passengers can make their way round for less than R37 (€2) per 100km, despite an increase of 50% on some routes this year*. Bus ticket prices from Johannesburg to Cape Town start from around R600, or a ticket from Durban to Johannesburg starts from around R400. These prices compare favourably against the cost of one or two tanks of petrol and toll fees if one drives to Cape Town or Durban**.

“In 2022 growing energy costs also pushed bus prices up. Still, bus travel seems to remain by far the cheapest mode of transportation. One reason why we see online demand growing around the globe,” says Marc Hofmann, CEO, CheckMyBus.

For those looking for a budget European summer holiday, Cheapflights.co.za has partnered with CheckMyBus on the top wallet-friendly countries for bus travel. Portugal has come out on top, with the average price costing around €2.70 per 100km, followed closely by Turkey at around €3.00 per 100km*.

“Buses are a good alternative for budget-conscious travellers. While a road journey may take longer, it is a good chance to sit and relax, and to avoid the chaos of airports, especially over the high travel season. To assist travellers in finding the best money-saving deals and offer them more transportation options to choose from for getting from point A to point B, Cheapflights has added buses to its core search,” concludes Laure Bornet, GM, KAYAK EMEA, that manages Cheapflights.co.za .