Germany by bus
Travelling by long distance bus in Germany has only recently become popular. Up until 2013 travelling by train in Germany was number one which was regulated by law. There were almost no long distance buses within Germany and only several companies operated international routes and mostly to Eastern and Central Europe.
Today the situation has changed and there are now plenty of bus companies which offer long distance intercity and international routes. Some new companies have arised, some of them have joined together to provide bus transport service. Although it might take more time to get by bus from one point to another than by train, in many cases it is considerably cheaper (20-60 %) and sometimes also more comfortable.
Among the most popular travel destinations in Germany are Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Cologne. All these cities have big central bus stations (ZOB) from which buses depart to various German and European cities. Certain bus stations have separate parts for national and international departures.
Bus service quality in Germany
It can be said that the quality of bus service in Germany is excellent. Buses are new, comfortable, equipped with air conditioning and almost all have wi-fi. Depending on the bus company and distance, bus service may include stewardesses, electric plugs for charging devices, drinks, snacks... Bus drivers speak German and English (at least) so there should be no problems in communication.
International bus transport from and to Germany
International bus transport covers almost all European countries, from the UK across Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia...
Some popular routes from Germany which you can find here on Getbybus:
- Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt, Nueremberg, Ingolstadt, Munich to Ljubljana and Zagreb
- Frankfurt, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Stuttgart, Munich to Ljubljana, Maribor, Varazdin, Zagreb, Slavonski brod
- Frankfurt, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, Munich to Zagreb, Zadar, Split and Imotski
- Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Stuttgart, Munich to Rijeka, Porec, Rovinj and Pula
- Frankfurt, Mannheim, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Karlsrue, Pforzheim, Stuttgart, Ulm, Munich to Banja Luka, Kljuc, Jajce, Kupres, Tomislavgrad, Mostar, Medjugorje and Neum
Bus ticket prices
There are very often special offers which vary from company to company. Generally, no discounts are availabale for groups like children or pensioners. However, some companies offer considerable ticket discounts if you book a ticket online a month or more in advance. Also, there are discounts if you travel as a group.
Charging luggage also depends on the bus company. Free luggage includes a hold bag and one piece of hand bag. Extra luggage is charged up to 10 euros per piece.
If you want to carry your bicycle, this is normally possible by most companies; for this you will be charged about 10 euros. In most cases you can buy the ticket for your bike, when you are buying your own ticket.