 Bus (Coaches service)
There are many coaches services in Europe which is actually the cheapest way to travel around Europe, it is also the slowest and I think that the most secure way. The Buses will take you from one city to another and they will drop you in Youth Hostels, if you don't want to step down in that city, just stay on the Bus until the next stop, and when you want to leave the city, just wait for the next bus in your hostel. The fact that they leave you in your hostel gives you a lot of security, since train stations (specially at night) can be unfriendly in certain cities.
I did not travel in these services myself but I know that you must beware, since sometimes the Coaches are full, and you might have to wait until next day and hope they have available room. To solve this inconvenience Busabout has a booking service that will guarantee a seat on the desired departure day. All of their On Board Guides have with them a portable computer allowing bookings to be made on board the coach as they travel to their next destination. So if passengers know when they want to leave that destination they can book. If this is not the case, alternatively bookings can be made from anywhere in Europe by calling their London office. Also, it is possible to book a journey via their Web site.
If you are looking for an express service (point to point) go to Eurolines. They offer a service like greyhound in the U.S. You take the bus in Bus Station in your departure city and you are dropped in another Bus Station at your destination. They will not take you to or from your hostel
Now, how fast are the buses compared with the slow trains? Well, for example a trip from Barcelona to Montpellier in train takes 4 hr 33 min, and going by bus or car, it should take about 6 hr 11 min. That is 35% more time... not bad. But when you consider fast trains traveling at 300 km/h, well, there is no room for comparison.
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