Our style is to let you do the discovering. If you want to know about Monet - ask the Guide, better still visit the 3rd floor of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris (our Guide will point you in the right direction). You’ll get personal treatment from our crew so you can tailor-make your adventure.
A wealth of insider information is just a question away. They’ll have the latest deals on excellent walking, cycling and sight-seeing tours. If you’re travelling on your own they’ll recommend a bar or cafe in the evening so you can hook up with your fellow travellers, leaving your days to do what you want to do.
Our guides are all seasoned independent travellers, they know what you want and need to know. It’s not just all the cultural and historical places, they have local insider knowledge on great little family run restaurants, cool bars and trendy nightclubs, music and theatre - they know it all.
As you travel on the coaches our team of Guides are there to help you plan your trip and book your travel, all on their handheld computers. Before you get to each exciting destination they will give you the run down on what you really need to know. When you jump off the coach, you are then ready to discover and explore on your own.
Rest assured, your safety and comfort is our main concern with Busabout. Our approachable, fun loving, like minded Drivers are there to take the stress out of your travels. So while you're fast asleep in your chair or watching a DVD, they will be happy as Larry burning down the high way to your next destination.
Our Busabout Drivers have not only passed the hardest licence to obtain on the road in the UK but they have also undertaken 4 weeks of intense on road training to make them the best in the business.
We are sure you'll agree...
Here are a couple of our old-timers who make Busabout what it is - keep looking back as we will update our profiles as we find out about their winter exploits.
The Lugg
One thing many will notice about Busabout is that roadcrew (guides and drivers) aren't always referred to by their given names: the 2007 roadcrew included Gadget, Sparrow, Frodo, Timberlake and Princess. There was also Colesy, Renz, Wee Man... you get the drift. But there's only ever been one Lugg.
Richie J Lugg has worked for Busabout for four years now and in that time has pretty much done it all: Spanish and Italian adventure guide; loops guide; driver for his first two years on the road... and the man that seemingly has more songs written about him than any other individual in the world.Say what? Think of another four-letter word starting with "L" and you'll begin to see - that, or read about this one time in Nice... "I got stuck in an elevator with workmates in Nice once - Lugg In An Elevator - and saved the day by wrenching the doors apart - The Power Of Lugg," he said. But while it's easy to try and take this to the next level (something done with much merriment in 2006), there's more to Richie than an easily-adaptable last name. For Richie, the chance to help people on their holidays is what he most enjoys about working for Busabout. "Being social, knowing every day is different - and you just never know what situation will arise, then tackling that situation," he added.
Situations that may include having a wallet stolen or go missing - and even that doesn't have to be the end of the world. "Always have £20 or $20 tucked away somewhere in case of emergency."
"Relax - life's an adventure so just go with the flow sometimes."
Like most of the Busabout roadcrew Richie's a pretty easy-going character. But there'll only ever be one Lugg.
Renee Kelly
IT ALL started a bit quick really.
In 2004 Renee Kelly answered an ad in TNT Magazine asking for foolhardy souls who'd like the chance to become Busabout Greek Island guides. So she applied and went for an interview.
The interview went well: so well in fact that one week later Renee wasn't just learning about Greek gods, partying in Paros and swimming in Santorini; but about beers in Brugge, swimming in St Johann and bars in Berlin.
Renee did eventually make it to the Greek Islands - a place she says is "heaven on Earth".
Back on Busabout in 2007 after taking a year off (rumours this was to let her liver recover were met with blank stares), Renee's seen it all: and probably done it all too. "Probably the funniest thing I've seen was a passenger getting arrested in France for chasing a tennis ball across five lanes of highway," she said. "My most embarassing moments would probably be sitting on a jellyfish in Mykonos and getting a very nasty sting on my butt - that and saying 'shaggis' on the mike instead of 'haggis'. "A committed traveller like many other roadcrew - perhaps inspired by her "day job" as a travel agent - Renee has some good advice for the first-time traveller.
"Pack light and never be afraid to go out of your comfort zone," she said.
Heading out of the comfort zone was something "Renz" did in 2004 - and you get the feeling she hasn't looked back. Even if it did all happen a bit quick.
Owen Jones
Owen Jones is a pretty quiet sort of a fella.
Not for him the bright lights and techno music of any of Europe's vast array of nightclubs; nor will you find him at the epicentre at a mass breakout of Spontaneous Karaoke Syndrome after a Berlin pub crawl.
Don't let this put you off though - sit near the front of a Busabout coach and you're every chance of hearing those dulcet Welsh tones joining the guide in belting out a few old favourites.
You'd be tempted to join in too: a ride on the coach with this former truck driver is one of the most relaxing ways of getting around Europe. A long-time traveller himself, Owen enjoys tackling all kinds of driving styles.
"I love the challenge of driving all over Europe and seeing how drivers in different countries really do live up to their national stereotypes," he said. "I also enjoy working with like-minded people who enjoying the travelling as much as I do." That travelling includes the Tuscan capital of Florence.
"It's got a great atmosphere and there's so much to see, but no matter how busy it is you can walk round a corner and find yourself in a narrow back street - it's easy to imagine being there in the time of the Renaissance."
After travelling around so much Owen also has a few tips for those heading out on their big adventure.
"Get everything you think you need together, then throw half of it away," he said.
"This will leave plenty of room in your bag for lazy packing when you're hungover, and all the stuff you buy when you're away." "Also, be nice to the bus driver." This last bit isn't too hard when the driver is - as quoted by a friend - a really nice guy. Bit quiet sometimes, but nice.