Top 5 City tours you should take by bus

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Top 5 City tours you should take by bus: "

Going around a city on foot has always been a favorite pastime of budget travelers like you and me. Walking is a great way to be intimate with a city, learn its rhythm and feel its beat. Unfortunately, walking does get the best of us sometimes, especially if we’re lugging around a big backpack or easily flustered when we open a detailed city map.

A good alternative then to get to know a city would be to sign up for a city tour by bus which will take you to the popular spots in town including a handful of well kept secrets as well. Sure, you might have to spend an entire day with a busload of strangers, but if you look on the bright side, this is also a great way of making new friends along the way. But which cities are the most ideal ones to be seen through the window of a bus and which cities should be saved for meanderings?

For the foot-weary traveler who wants to get around, here are five places that we think have some of the best bus trips in the world.

RUSSIA – MOSCOW

If you want to see how the Romanovs lived it up during their day, tourists can hop on city buses that have special routes meant to take people on a scenic and historical tour of Moscow.

The tour starts at Victory Park where triumphs during the World War II were celebrated by the Soviets. Visitors will then pass the Grand Triumphal Arch built in 1834 that marks their victory over Napoleon’s France during the war of 1812. The arch is patriotically decorated with the coat of arms representing each of the 48 Russian provinces.

After that, the bus makes its way past two structures famous for being among Stalin’s Seven Sisters—a group of buildings that were constructed in compliance with the wedding cake style as ordered by Josef Stalin when he was intent on having skyscrapers in Russia that would rival the ones found in the United States. Visitors will be able to see the magnificent spires of the Hotel Ukrania and also the University.

The Sparrow Hills is next on the itinerary, where you can get a fantastic view of Moscow before concluding your trip at the Kamenny Bridge stretching across the canal.

HUNGARY – SZENTENDRE and BUDAPEST

A charming way to acquaint your self with Hungary would be to go on a nostalgic city tour to the small village of Szentendre. This picturesque little town is home to many local artists and gives visitors a feel of what life used to be like in Hungary many years ago. To start with, getting to the village is a treat in itself, as you go past the River Danube and soak in the country’s beautiful natural scenery.

During the tour, visitors can stop at a number of interesting places like the Caprice Jewellery Manufactory and the Confectionery Museum where everything from structures down to the local population are fashioned out of marzipans! To further immerse yourself in the entire Hungarian by experience, sit yourself down for a cup of coffee accompanied by a slice of delicious Hungarian cake.

Other tours you sign up for while in Hungary are the ones that go around Budapest. You can relax in your seat as you make your way from the St. Stephen Basilica named after the very first king that ruled over Hungary. Interestingly enough, his mummified fist can be found in the reliquary inside the basilica. Next stop is Castle Hill locally referred to as Varhegy, after which you take the Chain Bridge in order to make your way across the river Danube.

The final location for the Budapest tour is the Royal Palace with its Baroque style columns and beautiful gardens. Inside, you can also visit the Hungarian National Gallery or perhaps the Museum of the Hungarian Working Class Movement. Aside from that, the Budapest History Museum is also housed inside the palace that depicts the history of the structure.

SPAIN – MADRID

The city tour of Madrid starts at Puerta de Europa also known as the Gateway of Europe, whose leaning towers took seven years to build. Plaza de Colon or the Columbus Square is the next stop on the Madrid tour. This square pays tribute to the fearless explorer, Christopher Columbus; in Spanish, his name is translated to Cristobal Colon.

Also part of the tour is the trip past Fuente de la Cibeles or Cybele’s Fountain. It is considered as one of the most significant and popular fountains that can be found in Madrid. The fountain pays homage to Cibeles who is the goddess of fertility in Greek mythology; the sculpture shows her in a carriage being pulled by a pair of some pretty regal-looking lions. The tour concludes at the city’s modern commercial center. Along the way, you can visit art galleries displaying and selling beautiful works of art; and lush gardens that are a sight for sore eyes if you happen to live in a concrete jungle.

ITALY – ROME

Elizabeth Gilbert may have had the wondrous experience of exploring Rome on foot, but for those who don’t have four months to spare in a foreign country, we suggest getting on a bus instead.

You can start your trip at the banks of the Tiber River, where you follow the colonnades as the curve their way around the ancient baths. If you think a single spout spurting water is all that it takes to construct a fountain, a trip to the Fontana di Trevi or the Trevi Fountain will show you how the Italians like to do it. It is considered to be the most beautiful fountain that you will find in Rome. If during the trip, you find yourself already planning another vacation in Rome, seal the deal by tossing a coin into the water; according to legend, each person that tosses a coin into the water is guaranteed to come back to Rome at a later time in their lives.

Also on the trip are the Capitoline Hill, the ruins of Rome’s ancient forum, the world famous Colosseum, and also Circus Maximus which used to be the biggest stadium in Rome during its ancient years. Ostiense will mark the end of your trip in Rome, where you can came some creamy authentic Italian gelato.

FRANCE – PARIS

Last on our list of fantastic city tours is Paris. Travelers will begin their journey at Porte d’Orleans and make their way to Luxembourg Gardens locally known as the Jardin du Luxembourg which is the biggest public park inside the city. The garden got its name because it is actually located within the grounds of the Luxemburg Palace.

The tour will also take tourists across the river Seine all the way to the cathedral of Notre Dame. The Centre Pompidou which serves as the home of the Bibliotheque (library), the Musee National d’Art Moderne, and the center for acoustic research is also within the route that the bus will take before finally stopping at Gare du Nord, which is a hub for trains that make their way to different parts of Europe.

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