It’s an unavoidable sight: across Europe, almost all major cities have a competing network of open-top buses vying for visitors’ attention, with agents pushing leaflets into the hands of bewildered tourists. The rival companies, all with similar names and color schemes, charge outrageously high prices. And it’s hard to argue that they encourage exploration, instead lulling customers into passive involvement: here, the Eiffel Tower, there, the Louvre.
Of course, we know that public transport should be an option, and that it should also visit the sights. But how do you find the routes? In places like Barcelona that search is becoming increasingly difficult. As part of its efforts to curb overtourism, the city has removed certain bus routes from Google and Apple Maps because tourists no longer leave room for residents.
Fortunately, there are some truly spectacular public bus routes across the continent that cost a fraction of the tourist bus. Many have fixed prices, which charge based on time rather than number of rides, meaning you can use these to aid exploration rather than just a sit-down. Here are some of Europe’s best public bus routes for sightseeing.
Nice – the 5
The best way to explore Nice’s beautiful coast is on foot, especially as it allows for an impromptu beach session. However, when the summer heat becomes stifling, you can escape via the air-conditioned tram network, from breezy boulevards to the Old Town.
However, it is the number 5 bus that really allows you to leave the oppressive city center and head into the more rugged mountainside. Get on at the Jean Médecin stop, where the bus leaves almost immediately north: past the busy shopping streets and up the hill. You can hop off at any time to take photos of the Riviera views, or you can hop off at Musée Chagall or Musée Matisse, for a glimpse of how France’s modernist sons viewed the city.
Price: Pick up La Carte from an official retailer and charge the amount needed for your trip. One-way tickets start at €1.70 (£1.46)
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Paris – the 69
Bus 69 in Paris is extremely useful for getting around the city, and while its potential for sightseeing should not be underestimated, its usefulness (and length) means that the holidaymaker will use it for purely practical reasons.
If it’s attractions you’re interested in, board at the grand Esplanade des Invalides, walk over the Pont du Carrousel, past the Louvre, up to the Pont Neuf. From here you can see the Île de la Cité and the half-restored Notre Dame. Hop off for a coffee and croissant, or continue all the way to Père Lachaise, almost at the end of the line, for a tour of Paris’s most legendary cemetery.
If you’re in town to explore the galleries, head west from Bastille-Rue Saint Antoine for a particularly museum-filled route, passing the Center Pompidou, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and Musée Rodin, ending at the Hôtel des Invalides. The Eiffel Tower looms at several points along the route, so have your camera ready for a quick photo opportunity.
Price: €2.50 (£2.14) for a single journey “SMS ticket on board”; €2.15 (£1.84) for a single journey t+ ticket, sold from vending machines at transport stops.
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Rome – the 64
Bus 64, which runs from the central train station to the Vatican, is a remarkably effective way to get around the city. Buses run every six to ten minutes, so you won’t have to wait long. But be warned: they can be very busy during peak hours, making them a favorite for pickpockets. Travelers should pay close attention (and read our guide to avoiding thieves before every trip). Still, the journey passes through the city center, giving passengers the chance to tour numerous ornate churches (the Chiesa di Santa Caterina da Siena is a favorite), past the grand Palazzo delle Esposizioni and on to San Pietro station.
From here it is a short walk to Vatican City. Book in advance to see the stunning Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums, or head out for a private tour. Stop for an espresso, explore the basilica, then return to central Rome on the same bus.
Price: Contactless tap&go tickets – to be paid with a contactless bank card upon boarding – cost €1.50 per 100 minutes.
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Numerous buses pass through central London: the 11 glides along Fleet Street, the 9 past the Ritz. But visitors are mainly advised to board the 24 at Victoria Station (by tapping an Oyster or bank card on the readers below) and move to the front seats on the upper deck. Here, as the new Routemaster winds through the streets of London, you’ll see a beautiful Westminster Abbey, past Whitehall, past Downing Street, around Trafalgar Square, into busy Soho, and then out of the city, north to the leafy, mansion-lined streets of Hampstead.
Following the route in its entirety will take some time, but that makes it all the more special. Cruise past the crowded, low-quality tourist buses and supplement the pointless commentary with a DIY guide instead. And since a regular rate is charged per hour rather than per trip, you can even hop on and off as if it were a more commercial offering.
Price: £1.75 per hour, payable by Oyster or bank card when boarding the bus.
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You will find pieces of history on every corner of Berlin. To navigate it, take the 100 bus from Alexanderplatz – once a military training ground, and now the city’s largest square. Take photos under the television tower and then hop on the bus. The journey takes you past Berlin Cathedral, with its grand Baroque domes, along the river, where Museum Island should make for stunning photos, and on to the Brandenburg Gate.
Continue to the Bundestag (once the Reichstag), the Kaiser Wilhelm Church and the zoo, which opened in 1844 and has one of the largest collections of animals in the world. Hop off here for a creature-filled day out, or follow the route back to Alexanderplatz and take the 200 to Potsdamer Platz and Checkpoint Charlie.
Price: Single ticket fares, valid for up to two hours, cost between €2.40 (£2.06) and €3.50 (£3) depending on the number of stops. Buy from a bus driver or in advance from vending machines.
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Does a water bus count as a bus? The vaporetto is a great equivalent in Venice, where water travel is a necessity. Line 1 winds through the Grand Canal, stopping about twenty times between the winding old streets, including the Rialto Bridge and San Marco. In fact, its usefulness is so great that visitors arriving at Venice Central Station are likely to use it without realizing it.
While the rest of the city is buckling under the pressure of excessive visitors, so is the vaporetto. Try to board in high season and you’ll be waiting in line for a while – or at least something close to that. At quieter times, board the vaporetto for a sunset sightseeing tour, ticking off the top sights before heading to one of the city’s best restaurants for dinner.
Price: A one-hour ticket costs €7.50 (£6.43), available at the Hellovenezia ticket counters.
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