Are Hop On Hop Off Tour Buses Worth It

New travellers, older travellers and everyone in between have wondered if signing up with an Hop On Hop Off tour is really worth it.

There is unfortunately no short answer for this question as it largely depends on how long you have to visit, where you are, your budget and most importantly your travel tastes. There are also Hop On Hop Off transit busses that don’t provide a tour element, but we won’t be discussing that here. If your curious about what that could look like check out our blog on nearly free travel here. (Link To Nearly Free Travel) We’ll have a look at the two very different types of Hop On Hop Off tours and what tastes they work for and which ones they don’t.

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These tours typically take you on a set route with a tour guide who talks about the various highlights of the city as you pass them. It will stop at the major sightseeing spots and you will be able to hop on the next bus that arrives to continue on the route. You can typically hop off and on as often as you like until you reach the end of the alloted time or reach the starting destination. Most buses will have big windows and some will have open roofs making it possible to capture brief camera and video shots as you drive if the bus isn’t too crowded. Some of these tours are free, typically paid for by the city’s business association, hotels or tourism office, others will charge a fee for the service and others will be a combination of the two.

Recommended if:

• You only have time to see the major landmarks
• You want to meet other tourists
• You’re travelling alone and feel vulnerable
• You get lost easily or dislike city transit systems
• You have a very tight budget and it’s a free tour
• You want to reduce the stress of decision making

Not Recommended if:

• Photography is a serious hobby or profession of yours
• If you’re an introvert who hates the idea of being stuck in a bus with chatty tourists
• If you are good at navigating public transit in your own city
• If you have a very large travel budget and could afford a driver
• If you like making decisions for yourself or going back to places you enjoyed
• If you like exploring and getting off the beaten path
• If you want to experience local culture

Hop On Hop Off Regional/Cross Country Tours:

Just like city tours these tours will typically take you on a set route with a tour guide who talks about the various highlights of the area as you pass them. It will stop at the major sightseeing cities and towns, sometimes stopping at multiple sites in an area where you will be able to hop on the next bus that arrives to continue on the route. You can hop off and on as often as you like until you reach the end of the alloted time, which can sometimes be as long as a year or until you get back to the starting destination.

Most buses will have big windows but no open roofs making it nearly impossible to capture decent camera and video shots as you drive. These tours are never free and some can cost quite a bit more money then traveling on your own. It is also VERY IMPORTANT to determine the crowd the tour company is catering to. If you’re a retiree and want to get a good night’s sleep be sure not to book with the twenty something tour bus that will be stopping at every pub and picking up hungover college grads at the hostel every morning. Likewise, if you’re a twenty something who likes to go out clubbing make sure you’re not signing up for the retiree tour that will be making frequent washroom breaks and stopping at four star hotels offering a complimentary 6am wake up call.  

Recommended if:

• You want to meet other tourists with similar interests (Party Bus, Casino Bus, Etc…)
• You’re travelling alone and feel vulnerable
• You dislike driving in foreign countries or don’t have a license
• You have a very big budget and lot’s of time to vacation
• You want to reduce travel hassles

Not Recommended if:

• If you’re the kind of photographer who wants the freedom to stop whenever the shot presents itself
• If you’re an introvert who cringes at the idea of being thrust into the lives of twenty to forty people and the drama that can create
• You want to hit only the major sites in a wide area in a short amount of time
• If you enjoy driving or are travelling with someone else who does
• If you have a very large travel budget and could afford a personal local driver
• If you enjoy having the freedom to stop, turn around and make your own destiny
• If you like getting into nature and getting well of the beaten path’
• If you like getting into the local culture and making friends in the country you’re visiting

So is the Hop On Hop Off Bus worth it? Well I guess that’s up to you. You can hear more about our experience with a Crossing New Zealand with Hop-On Hop-Off Service (Stray Review)