By going on a hop-on hop-off bus tour you can spend the time taking in stunning scenery, jump off at stops you wouldn’t have thought to visit, stay longer in places you love, and make a bunch of new mates every time you hop back on board.
Hop-on hop-off tours are flexible and, due to their popularity with travellers, there are a whole host to choose from.
The latest addition is Loka, which offers themed journeys down the East Coast, so check out their website loka.travel if you fancy a surfing trip, an outback tour, indigenous experiences and more. We’re yet to check these guys out though, so for now here are the top hop-on hop-offs we recommend.
Stray Travel
Despite being a hell of a lot smaller than Australia, and also arguably more picturesque, New Zealand with all its breath taking mountain ranges can be quite tricky place to get around. This is just one of the reasons a hop-on hop-off adventure bus is a really great way to experience NZ in its entirety.
What we love in particular about Stray is that it goes out of its way (quite literally) to ensure its travellers are offered truly unique NZ experiences, like spending time on a high country station, staying in a traditional Maori marae (meeting house), or overnighting in National Parks. Rather than just going from A to B, Stray makes a point of enjoying the journey, perhaps stopping at a secret waterfall or finding a bush walk along the way. Plus the bus drivers double up as tour guides, and will sort your accommodation and activities for you on request, often at a discount. With travel passes valid for 12 months, you can venture from Cape Reinga in the far north to Stewart Island in the deep south. And if you’re looking for something a little more tropical, Stray also operates across five countries in Southeast Asia. Bonus!
Kiwi Experience
Kiwi Experience is New Zealand’s original hop-on hop-off adventure bus and is a big hit with TNT readers.
They are a brilliant bunch of people and you get a proper holiday experience, not just a mode of transport. They offer tours that span both North and South Islands, with boat transport (rather than the bus attempting to fly or float), so they’re agreat option if you want to do it all in one hit.
Autopia
Autopia is another firm that has proven a big hit with TNT readers over the years, offering a number of smaller, good value tours that enable you to explore Victoria and places like the Mornington Peninsular and the Yarra Valley.
They have more than 20 years experience and are a name you can trust, picking you up from more than 30 locations throughout greater Melbourne and the St Kilda area.
Greyhound Australia
Less of a tour company and more of a coach network, Greyhound offers an extensive selection of routes as well as many day or short trips to the must see points across Oz.
If you want to cover a whole bunch of stuff you’ll need the Kilometre Pass – several distances are available, ranging in price from $189 (1,000km) to $2,675 (25,000km) – where you can hop-on and off and travel anywhere at your leisure.
Integrity
If it is Western Australia you want to explore, you’ll need to know one name: Integrity.
Established in 1998, their knowledge of this part of the country is incredibly hard to beat. Why WA? The state is full of must see spots and breathtaking scenery, and with Integrity you can experience the best it has to offer – popular spots such as Cervantes, Geraldton and Coral Bay – from as little as $245.
