Hoptripo
- 20Cities
- 365Stops
- 8Companies
- 7Guides
A great view is only half the story.
- 01
The route
What is actually within a short walk of each stop.
- 02
The real cost
The bus ticket next to a day of public transport.
- 03
Your verdict
When to ride, and when to walk.
20 cities, one verdict each
Same five checks in every city. Prices and timetables come from the operators and the transport authorities, with the date we read them.
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Worth itLondon
United Kingdom · Big Bus Tours- Bus, 24 h
- £32
- Transport, 1 day
- £8.90
-
DependsParis
France · Big Bus Tours- Bus, 24 h
- €39
- Transport, 1 day
- €12.30
-
Skip itRome
Italy · City Sightseeing Roma- Bus, 24 h
- €28.05
- Transport, 1 day
- €8.50
-
DependsBarcelona
Spain · Barcelona Bus Turístic- Bus, 24 h
- €29.70
- Transport, 1 day
- €11.25
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DependsNew York
United States · Big Bus Tours- Bus, 24 h
- US$62
- Transport, 1 day
- US$18
-
DependsMadrid
Spain · Madrid City Tour- Bus, 24 h
- €29.70
- Transport, 1 day
- €10.30
-
DependsLisbon
Portugal · Yellow Bus (Carristur)- Bus, 24 h
- €22
- Transport, 1 day
- €7.25
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DependsAmsterdam
Netherlands · City Sightseeing Amsterdam- Bus, 24 h
- €27.50
- Transport, 1 day
- €10
-
Worth itEdinburgh
United Kingdom · Big Bus Tours- Bus, 24 h
- £22
- Transport, 1 day
- £5.70
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DependsVienna
Austria · Big Bus Tours- Bus, 24 h
- €37
- Transport, 1 day
- €9.70
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DependsBudapest
Hungary · Big Bus Tours- Bus, 24 h
- €39
- Transport, 1 day
- €7.45
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DependsBerlin
Germany · City Sightseeing Berlin (Berlin City Tour GmbH)- Bus, 24 h
- €24.30
- Transport, 1 day
- €11.20
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DependsDublin
Ireland · Big Bus Tours- Bus, 24 h
- €31.50
- Transport, 1 day
- €6
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DependsAthens
Greece · Sights of Athens- Bus, 24 h
- €20 (48 h)
- Transport, 1 day
- €4.10
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DependsFlorence
Italy · City Sightseeing Firenze- Bus, 24 h
- €23.20
- Transport, 1 day
- €12
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DependsMilan
Italy · City Sightseeing Milano- Bus, 24 h
- €22.50
- Transport, 1 day
- €7.60
-
DependsPorto
Portugal · City Sightseeing Porto- Bus, 24 h
- €28
- Transport, 1 day
- €5.35
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Skip itSeville
Spain · City Sightseeing Sevilla- Bus, 24 h
- €28
- Transport, 1 day
- €5
-
Worth itMunich
Germany · Gray Line Münchener Stadtrundfahrten- Bus, 24 h
- €24.30
- Transport, 1 day
- €10.10
-
DependsBrussels
Belgium · Tootbus Brussels- Bus, 24 h
- €24.75
- Transport, 1 day
- €8.50
The verdict is a sum, not an opinion
Each city gets up to 10 points from five checks. Seven or more and the bus is worth it. Three or fewer and you are better off with a transport pass and your feet.
- Price vs public transport0–3
- Stops near the sights0–2
- Waiting time0–2
- Shape of the city0–2
- Loop time0–1
Sightseeing bus vs public transport, city by city
Adult prices in local currency. The ratio is the 24-hour bus ticket divided by one day of public transport.
| City | Operator | Bus 24 h | Transport 1 day | Ratio | Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | Big Bus Tours | £32 | £8.90 | 3.6× | 7/10 | Worth it |
| Edinburgh | Big Bus Tours | £22 | £5.70 | 3.9× | 7/10 | Worth it |
| Munich | Gray Line Münchener Stadtrundfahrten | €24.30 | €10.10 | 2.4× | 7/10 | Worth it |
| Barcelona | Barcelona Bus Turístic | €29.70 | €11.25 | 2.6× | 6/10 | Depends |
| New York | Big Bus Tours | US$62 | US$18 | 3.4× | 6/10 | Depends |
| Berlin | City Sightseeing Berlin (Berlin City Tour GmbH) | €24.30 | €11.20 | 2.2× | 6/10 | Depends |
| Athens | Sights of Athens | €20 (48 h) | €4.10 | 4.9× | 6/10 | Depends |
| Florence | City Sightseeing Firenze | €23.20 | €12 | 1.9× | 6/10 | Depends |
| Porto | City Sightseeing Porto | €28 | €5.35 | 5.2× | 6/10 | Depends |
| Paris | Big Bus Tours | €39 | €12.30 | 3.2× | 5/10 | Depends |
| Madrid | Madrid City Tour | €29.70 | €10.30 | 2.9× | 5/10 | Depends |
| Lisbon | Yellow Bus (Carristur) | €22 | €7.25 | 3× | 5/10 | Depends |
| Amsterdam | City Sightseeing Amsterdam | €27.50 | €10 | 2.8× | 5/10 | Depends |
| Budapest | Big Bus Tours | €39 | €7.45 | 5.2× | 5/10 | Depends |
| Dublin | Big Bus Tours | €31.50 | €6 | 5.3× | 5/10 | Depends |
| Milan | City Sightseeing Milano | €22.50 | €7.60 | 3× | 5/10 | Depends |
| Brussels | Tootbus Brussels | €24.75 | €8.50 | 2.9× | 5/10 | Depends |
| Vienna | Big Bus Tours | €37 | €9.70 | 3.8× | 4/10 | Depends |
| Rome | City Sightseeing Roma | €28.05 | €8.50 | 3.3× | 3/10 | Skip it |
| Seville | City Sightseeing Sevilla | €28 | €5 | 5.6× | 3/10 | Skip it |
Compare cities side by side
Prices, ticket lengths, children, wheelchair access and the public transport that does the same job, with every city in one table.
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Best cities for a hop-on hop-off bus
The same five checks in every city, sorted from the highest score to the lowest.
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Hop-on hop-off bus prices, city by city
The 24-hour adult ticket in each city next to one day of unlimited public transport, sorted from the smallest gap to the largest.
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24, 48 or 72 hours: which ticket to buy
What each ticket length costs in every city, and how much you pay for the second day.
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Hop-on hop-off bus with children
Child fares and age bands in every city, with what the same children pay on public transport.
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Wheelchair access and reduced mobility
What each company says about wheelchair access, and how the bus works for people who cannot walk far.
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The same sights by public transport
In most cities a regular bus or tram line passes the same sights for the price of a single ride. These are the lines, and what they cost.
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In the rain and in the summer heat
An open top deck is the reason to take this bus, and the weather decides whether you can use it.
Who runs the buses
A ticket is only as good as the company behind it. See who owns each brand, where it operates and how travellers rate it.
Big Bus Tours
Yes, Big Bus Tours is a real and long-established company, and the bus you paid for will be there. How good it is depends on the city: the service is frequent in Edinburgh and London and thin in New York and Dublin, and getting money back after you activate a ticket is hard.
City Sightseeing
The brand is genuine and has been around since 1999, but City Sightseeing does not run your bus. A local company does, so quality, refund rules and the place to complain change from city to city.
Barcelona Bus Turístic
Yes. Barcelona Bus Turístic is run by TMB, the public company behind the city's metro and buses, and it is the most frequent tour bus we cover in Spain. The catch is a strict rule: once you buy a ticket there is no refund.
Madrid City Tour
Yes. Madrid City Tour is the city's official tour bus, run by two of Spain's largest coach and tour companies, and its cancellation terms are better than most. Route 1 is frequent, while Routes 2 and 3 can leave you waiting 35 minutes.
Gray Line Münchener Stadtrundfahrten
Yes. Münchener Stadtrundfahrten is an old Munich company that runs the buses itself, and the same buses are sold under the Gray Line and Big Bus names. Check the cancellation terms before you book, because its published terms charge a fee that rises as the date gets closer.
Sights of Athens
Yes. Sights of Athens is a licensed Greek tour company that runs its own blue buses, and its cancellation rule is clear: free up to 24 hours before. The city loop is frequent, while the Piraeus and beach lines run only six times a day.
Questions people ask before buying
Is a hop-on hop-off bus worth it?
It depends on the city. Of the 20 cities we have checked, 3 score as worth it, 15 depend on the trip and 2 are better done by public transport. The bus earns its price where the sights are far apart or uphill, buses come every 15 minutes or less and the stops sit next to what you came to see.
How much more does the sightseeing bus cost than public transport?
In the cities we cover, a 24-hour adult ticket costs between 1.9 and 5.6 times a day of unlimited public transport. You are paying for the open top deck, the commentary and a route drawn around the sights.
Should I buy a 24-hour or a 48-hour ticket?
One full loop takes between one and two and a half hours without getting off, so 24 hours covers a loop plus three or four stops. Buy 48 hours only when the second day costs a few euros more and the city has a second route you want.
Hop-on hop-off bus or a public transport day pass?
The day pass is cheaper in every city we have checked. The bus wins on effort: no route planning, a seat with a view and stops at the door of the main sights. Each city page puts the two prices side by side.
Where do your prices and timetables come from?
Routes, stops, frequency and hours come from the operator's own website. Public transport fares come from the city transport authority. Every city page lists its sources and the date we checked them.
What happens when the bus is not worth it?
We say so. The score uses the same five checks and the same thresholds in every city, and when a city scores "skip it" the first thing we suggest is the cheaper option: a transport pass or a walking tour.