Taking the bus in Europe

Flixbus is expanding into the US, starting with the LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, & Phoenix areas.

https://www.flixbus.com/

Yes, for some trips, the bus is actually more convenient and can cut trip time and is comparatively inexpensive (in areas where the trains are the slow regional/local variety like in Sicily). In Mexico, long-distance buses like ADO are top-notch and downright luxurious. It always depends on the place, but buses shouldn't be ruled out as an option. I took more buses in Croatia and Bosnia than any other mode of transport.

Buses can be a good way to get around, but as I tend to stay in smaller places, rather than large cities, nothing beats the flexibility of hiring a car.

In some parts of Europe, such as southern Croatia and parts of Portugal, train services are few or non-existent, so a bus is the only option. I prefer to get around London by bus rather than use the underground. It takes a little longer sometimes, but it’s nicer.

I used Flixbus last year for the first time. I took it from Frankfurt to Colmar and from Colmar to Karlsruhe. It was better for these routes to me than the train because it didn’t require any changes. It was also really cheap! I still prefer trains, but would definitely use the bus again in the same or similar situations.

I would only choose a bus if there were no rail service available.

Spain is another country, especially the south, where it is worth checking bus/coach services as well as rail. Even if the train connects two towns, often the regular coach service is quicker and more frequent. And the coach stations are generally near the municipal centre, whilst railways stations nominally serving the town can be well outside, sometimes many kms outside. I don't think Flixbus operates in Spain other than a few international routes for Spain/France (only a matter of time though as they expand), but the British company Alsa has a huge schedule of services and there are a number of other companies with significant routes and lots of local/provincial operators around. I'm a big fan of bus travel, although still prefer the railways if not too inconvenient by comparison.

Any place around Europe where a bus runs more frequently and/or more directly than a train, it's a perfectly modern, comfortable option. That's been my personal experience from Portugal to Turkey and all countries in between. Buses can also be cheaper than trains, but I normally would not choose them for that reason - only for convenience or wider reach.

Buses have the advantage of no long flights of stairs to negotiate as you transfer between platforms. I most definitrly take that into consideration when I decide whether trains or buses are more convenient for a particular trip.

Not Europe but there’s a bus company that offers overnight sleeper compartment for trips between San Francisco and Santa Monica.

https://www.ridecabin.com

Don't rule out buses in Europe. It's not unusual, depending on your route, for buses to get somewhere faster than trains. Buses are generally a good deal and rarely, if ever, require advance booking. The typical bus is like the tour buses, large and comfortable with a good view.

Often you can walk into a bus station and find a day bus tour to get where you are going without renting a car. I took a bus tour to see Newgrange from Dublin that I booked the evening before at the bus station. Another example might be visiting Montserrat from Barcelona. Just go to a bus station and ask.

Here in DC, there are multiple bus lines to get to New York City. They cost at most a third of what the train costs.

Used the bus to get from Santiago to Porto airport. It made 2 comfort breaks and was good value for money. The train would have taken longer, cost more and we would have had to change trains at least once.

Next month we are taking the Flixbus from Frankfurt to Trier. Round trip tickets for 2 people only cost a total of 57+€. The trip is faster than with the train, a lot cheaper, and direct. With the train, there is at least one train switch. There were also several options for times during the day/evening.

I am a train person, but also a bargain hunter when it is worth it.