How Rick Steves Avoids Wasting Money On A Bus Tour

Tour guide and author Rick Steves has spent decades traveling Europe and talking about it. He's even become the trusted name behind "Rick Steves' Europe." Plus, Steves knows a thing or two about saving big bucks on said European vacations, and avoiding bad purchases. In fact, Steves is no fool when it comes to calling out tourist traps, bland restaurants, and even certain credit card fee tricks that travelers may fall prey to on their vacations. So it could be worth a Euro or two to heed his advice. One budget recommendation in particular involves choosing the best kind of bus tours. Steves says that travelers should choose the bus tour size that's the smallest they can afford — and avoid the costly charge of extra add-on experiences offered by the bus tour company. 

"Big bus tours are sold at a nearly no-profit price. They make their money throughout the tour on commissions from your shopping and by selling you optional sightseeing," Steves says on his website, adding, "While on tour, save big money by skipping the optional sightseeing tours and relying on your guidebook for independent sightseeing. Also: Walking tours are usually cheaper and better than big bus tours." While there's nothing more adventurous than tapping into your independent spirit, and perhaps an audio guide, rather than spending big money on traveling thrills, Steves also adds, "In general, arrange tours through the tourist office and not your hotel."

Bus tours may be the best Euro bang for your buck. As Steves says on Rick Steves' Europe, "Large tour companies book thousands of rooms and meals year-round, and with their tremendous economic clout, they can get prices that no individual tourist can match." However, extremely large tours that cram a bus tight for the no-profit daily price of $150 per day aren't the ones Steves says to go for. Neither are the tours that promise to accomplish too much in a single day. "No tour can give you more than 24 hours in a day or seven days in a week," Steves says. A large bus tour might be cheap, but it may see you spending all of your daytime hours squished between other tourists as it races past drive-by attractions. Plus, "The bigger the group, the more you're cut off from Europe's charms," Steves says, "When 50 tourists drop into a 'cozy' pub, any coziness is trampled."

Steves recommends traveling with a smaller group, somewhere between 24 and 28 travelers. This will likely increase the cost of the trip from a cheaper $150 to $250 range up to between $300 to $425 per day for most midrange tours that include some meal costs. Some tours may even cost over $1,000 per day if they fully cover meals and hotels. Depending on how strong the U.S. dollar is at time of travel, a smaller bus tour with higher prices – including some extras — may ultimately provide a great deal.

Steves is a big proponent of authenticity in travel, and his advice is often to walk (or bus) the less-beaten path in order to make genuine connections. Steves says to "tour smart" when it comes to locking in the best bus tour for your budget. Understand that a good bus tour guide is a great storyteller, and you can learn and laugh a lot on a slightly more personal tour. You can also try to learn about your guide, especially on more midrange tours, to gauge whether they'll help you get the most from your time on the bus.

Before you book your bus tour, make sure your bus is taking you to sights you actually want to see. Also, check ahead to be sure any included accommodations are reasonably close to city centers, rather than a day's journey away, and ask your hotel about convenient transportation to nearby attractions. Even if you do decide to go for a cheap bus tour, Steves says to make sure the bus tour works for your desired route, so it can act as transportation from one place to another.

Some bus tours also turn extra profits by selling add-on tourist excursions or even by dropping folks off at specific restaurants and stores that provide them with kickbacks. Steves says you can save money by skipping these extras. With a splash of independent spirit you can get everything you want out of your European vacation — all while saving money.