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'Hop on, Hop off' bus passes are cheap and flexible and so are an ideal way of travelling in certain countries. These are different from the coach passes as they cater specifically for the backpacker market and take you off the beaten track rather than steaming down the highways. How do they work? These passes are generally 'open-dated' which means they are flexible. Once you have bought them you have between 6-12 months to start using them - you tell them when you want to travel. There are many different routes available with stops within a days travel of each other. This means that you can choose how long you stay in each place. The companies usually tell you the quickest possible way to do the route (one night in each place) and also the longest time you can take. Unlike other coach passes these will drop you off at the hostel door, take you to places of interest en-route and depart at hangover-friendly times (usually!)
Most of the country is covered by hop-on, hop-off buses. The most popular routes are the East Coast (Sydney - Cairns or v.v.) and the Red Centre (Darwin via Ayers Rock - South Coast). The main companies are as follows and come highly recommended:
Each company has it's own "style". The Oz Experience is considered to be more 'lively' than Mccafferty's and may have a younger average age but both will do extremely similar routes with both buses generally stay at the same hostels. The Wayward bus does not have such an extensive network and is not technically a hop-on, hop-off bus. They tend to stay in the bush and are more adventurous but nevertheless offer an exciting alternative. New Zealand has the same head-to-head competition with the following:
Again, The Kiwi Experience is known as being more of a party bus but both will do the same routes and are a similar price. SA has introduced it's own hop-on, hop-off bus called the Baz Bus. This has a very similar style to the Oz or Kiwi experience and is constantly extending its network. You can now travel from Cape Town all the way up to Vic Falls. There is a bus pass that will cover most of the States - and no it is NOT Greyhound! (see Coach Passes). It is called The Us Bus and operates with similar conditions to the passes down under. This bus caters just for backpackers whereas Greyhound is renowned for it's weird and wonderful passengers. There is also another pass available but only on the West Coast. It is called the ANT (Adventure Network Transport) and is similar to the Wayward bus in Oz. These operate short, small trips around the San Francisco, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas area and is gaining in popularity amongst travellers. Costs All of these passes offer exceptional value for budget travellers. Even though the coach passes may be cheaper they do not offer such an exciting alternative to travelling overland in these countries. You travel with other travellers and visit places that the people on the faster, cheaper coaches will only ever see through the coach window. As the prices are based on exchange rates it can be very cost effective to buy them in advance from the UK. Most travel agencies will be able to book them for you. The bottom line though is they are fun!
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