Intercity bus service

Long distance bus services is a form of public long-distance passenger traffic, connecting with buses in scheduled services regions over greater distances with each other. Destinations are from Germany and Central Europe in particular cities or tourist centers in eastern, southern and south-eastern European countries. The buses operate in the source and target region usually several cities - they collect and distribute passengers so in different places. Be used as possible highways and motorways. Inner German long-distance bus routes connect most major cities with each other or with airports and tourist areas.

Rolling stock

As a long-haul buses coach buses are used, which are equipped in accordance with the long travel distances in many countries. Double -decker buses can accommodate more passengers and more generous comforts (wardrobe, minibar). Distance buses the " Western world " have usually over seats with adjustable backrests, air conditioning and on-board toilets with wash basin. In some countries of South America, Asia and Africa it is almost standard that the luggage will be transported on the roof.

Long distance bus services internationally

Abroad, the long distance bus services has far more important than in Germany. Often long-distance bus is the only public switched transport in addition to the aircraft, many of them lack a railway connection or is only poorly developed, such as in Scandinavia or Turkey. Often there are factors such as low population density in some regions, geographical adversities (mountains, desert, earthquake areas, etc. ) or the financial strength of a State that affect the expansion of the rail network and thus to promote the establishment of long-distance bus. The long distance buses often run between major bus stations, which can take the dimensions of airports. In sparsely populated regions ( eg Norway, Sweden), the distances are too great for a special transport, so use long-distance bus at the same time the transport.

One of the biggest and most famous Überlandbusgesellschaften is the American Greyhound Corp.. (Greyhound Lines ).

Germany

In Germany had long distance buses in the decades after the Second World War a great importance. At that time operated the German Federal Railways and the German Federal Postal numerous bus routes that cities and metropolitan centers linked together. The buses on many routes were an affordable alternative to the railroad, which was faster and more comfortable, but also more expensive. With increasing prosperity of society and the increasing spread of the automobile, the demand dropped significantly after this transport; most of these lines were set in the 1970s and 1980s.

New long-distance bus could be established only after valid until December 31, 2012 Passenger Transport Act ( Passenger Transport Act ) if they did not constitute competition with the railroad or to existing bus routes. Since Germany - in contrast to many other European countries - has a well- developed railway network linking all major towns and cities are connected, the domestic traffic with long-distance bus in Germany had a much less significant than in many other countries. The reigning since 2009 the Federal Government was, however, present in their coalition agreement to allow the Busfernlinienverkehr and to modify § 13 Passenger Transport Act. In April 2010, the Federal Administrative Court ( Federal Administrative Court ) Az (see press release of the Federal Administrative Court No. 56 /2010) by judgment of 26 April 2010, 3 C 14:09, to § 13 Section 2 PbefG that - contrary to decades of practice - " only " a clear advantage of pricing for a bus compared to existing rail connections a " may represent substantial improvement " within the meaning of § 13 para 2 Passenger Transport Act. The federal cabinet decided on August 3, 2011 to amend the Passenger Transport Act and thus enable a substantial share of long-distance bus. On September 14, 2012, the parliamentary factions of the CDU / CSU, the SPD, FDP and Alliance 90/The Greens agreed to introduce a joint amendment to the government's draft to parliament and to advise Finally in the fall of 2012; The Federal Council has changed the draft law on November 2, 2012 approved, so that the law came into force on 1 January 2013. Since 1 January 2013, long-distance bus are generally allowed that again in Germany, even if there are parallel long-distance train. Only in the area of transport, the primacy of rail transport will continue to exist as long distances through the SPNV be served within an hour or between stops that are to be operated by the remote bus, not more than 50 km are. In such cases, continue to operate the way bans are imposed as part of the approval line. Since the amendment of the Passenger Transport Act, the offer according to the Federal Ministry of Transport within a year more than tripled and newly established Fernbusunternehmen as DeinBus, FlixBus and cooperation from the corporations ADAC and post offer daily scheduled services to the agrenzende abroad.

An exception was before the amendment of Berlin traffic. Currently, the division of Germany was - because of the small number of trains - long-distance bus network which connected Berlin with Hamburg and several other German cities. It remained after reunification by Exemption allowed up to a general statutory federal regulations.

France

Since 2012, offers iDBUS, a branch of the French state railway SNCF, remote bus services in Europe, with starting point or destination in France. Currently, Amsterdam, Brussels, Lille, London, Lyon, Milan, Paris, the Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Turin are served. National traffic is permitted between Paris and Lille, between Paris and Lyon, as well as between the airport Paris -Charles de Gaulle and Lyon. Similar to Germany, national long distance bus services in France were prohibited until recently. Other international services to and from France are also offered by Euro Lines.

Greece

Almost all long-distance bus in Greece operated by the KTEL Association.

Ireland

Since the railway network in Ireland connects only the largest cities like a fan with Dublin, the dense and affordable bus network is often the better choice. The most important operator in the country, the State Bus Éireann and Citylink. The bus service between Dublin and Belfast is operated with an Irish from the Bus Éireann and Ulsterbus, Northern Ireland, ensuring round-the- clock hourly bus route.

Israel

Due to the weakly -developed railway network and the size of the country and the resulting low domestic air traffic, the long-distance bus cooperative Egged are the most important public transport in the country. Due to the extensive network Egged is one of the largest bus companies in the world, not least because of the long-distance bus.

Norway

Norway is a classic long-distance bus Country: sparsely populated areas, many mountains affected the construction of a comprehensive rail network: Except in the Greater Oslo has Norway therefore have only a fairly wide-meshed rail network, which ends above the Arctic Circle to the stations in Fauske and Bodø - further north is Narvik connected to the Swedish railway network. Many of the routes are spur track routes. In addition to the web provide local public - and long-distance transport is why many domestic Norwegian Airlines of several companies, ship lines (including the coastal steamer ) and bus lines, including many long-distance bus. In the north of the country ( especially in the Fylke Finnmarken ) passes thereby partially a special type of bus - the so-called Kombinationsbus - used, which has both a passenger compartment, as well as a cargo area in the rear, to take account of the fact that many remote villages are connected only via these buses with the outside world and thus a large amount of freight reached the place by bus.

Since the setting of the " Express 2000 ", which sailed from Oslo across Swedish and Finnish territory to Hammerfest, Norway 's longest bus route is the " Nord-Norge - buses - tail "

• Fauske - Narvik - Nordkjosbotn - Sørkjosen - Alta - Lakselv - Karasjok - Kirkenes with two to three overnight stops on the total distance

Other important compounds are:

• Kristiansand - Hovden
• Arendal - Hovden
• Geilo - Rødberg - (formerly rail connection Kongsberg )
• ( Gol - ) Geilo - Aurland - Flåm
• Bø (Telemark ) - Haukeligrend - Seljestad - Haugesund
• Bergen - Ulvik
• Fagernes - Laerdal - Revsnes
• Gol - Laerdal - Sogndal - Forde
• Balestrand - Forde - Sandane - Loen - Stryn
• Olden - Stryn - Ålesund
• Otta - Sognefjellsvegen - Sogndal
• Otta - Fagernes - Gol
• Otta - Stryn - Måløy
• Otta - Geiranger
• Oppdal - Sunndalsøra - Kristiansund
• Trondheim - Molde - Ålesund
• Trondheim - Surnadal - Kristiansund
• Fauske - Bognes - Harstad
• Narvik - Bardufoss - Tromsø

Austria

• FlixBus in cooperation with WESTbus and western railway: Vienna - Salzburg - Munich
• ÖBB Intercity bus: Graz - Wolfsberg - Klagenfurt
• ÖBB Intercity bus: Klagenfurt - Villach - Udine - Venice
• Dr. Richard - bus: Graz - Vienna
• Dr. Richard Buses: Vienna - Burgenland
• WESTbus Line Buses: Vienna - Graz
• WESTbus transit buses: Vienna - Klagenfurt
• WESTbus transit buses: Vienna - Budapest
• WESTbus transit buses: Vienna - Prague
• WESTbus transit buses: Vienna - Bratislava
• WESTbus transit buses: Vienna - Zagreb
• WESTbus Line Buses: Vienna - Berlin
• WESTbus transit buses: Linz - Graz
• WESTbus transit buses: Linz - Prague
• WESTbus Line Buses: Klagenfurt - Linz

Poland

Intercity Bus: Warsaw - Bialystok - Kaunas - Vilnius

Portugal

After the Carnation Revolution in 1974, the largest private bus companies were nationalized and Rodoviária Nacional ( RN ) summarized. In the course of privatization after EU accession in 1986 the RN was again broken up and fully privatized since 1991. A large part of the privatized RN- company parts was merged again by their new owners in 1995 to Fernbusunternehmen speech Expressos whose network covers the whole of mainland Portugal since then. Speech Expressos is now in the domestic market as a leader and as the main competitor of the standing also before privatization state railway Comboios de Portugal ( CP). Due to the increasing track closures and reductions in cycle CP, the compounds of the speech Expressos have gained market share.

In addition to the speech Expressos offer a number of other bus companies in the country through regional and international long distance bus services to all, including the Joalto group from Guarda, which was acquired in 2010 by the Transdev. Of particular importance is the community of the Inter Busgenossenschaften places Inter Centro and Intersul, which is particularly active in the international long-distance bus service is. She is also shareholder of Deutsche Touring GmbH, which is known for its European long-distance bus network, formerly under the name Euro Lines.

Switzerland

Switzerland has an extremely dense network of inter-related train, bus and boat routes; , including several long-distance bus. Even though Switzerland is one of the mountainous countries, its rail network alone is meshed than the German. This means that Switzerland is an exception to the rule that Fernbusstrecken be established, especially in countries with inadequate railway network, or in areas of low population density. Some of the train and long-distance bus routes on Italian territory, and also serve the route shortening of intra Swiss public transport.

Long-distance bus (selection):

• Saas -Fee - Brig - Simplon Pass - Domodossola ( " Napoleon Route " a rail connection to Locarno )
• Lugano - Menaggio - Tirano railway connection to St. Moritz and Chur
• St. Moritz - Chiavenna - Menaggio - Lugano ( Palm Express)
• Chur - Thusis - Spliigen - San Bernardino - Bellinzona
• Davos - Zernez - Mals / Malles
• Disentis / Muster - Bellinzona
• ( Flüelen - ) Andermatt - Airolo - Bellinzona
• Altdorf - Flüelen - Lucerne ( Tellbus )
• Zurich - Munich - Berlin ( meinfernbus.de )
• Zurich - Hamburg ( meinfernbus.de )
• Munich - Salzburg ( FlixBus ) ( a rail connection to Vienna)

World Record

The longest bus in the world runs from Caracas in Venezuela about 9660 km to Buenos Aires in Argentina, through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Operator is the company " Expreso Internacional Ormeño " from Lima ( Peru).

Swell

• Long distance bus