• Buses
• Trains

Buses
Australia - Oz Experience - This is a great company for backpackers. They pick you up and the drop you off at hostels along a set route around Australia.  It's a fantastic way to meet other travelers and an easy way to have the 'road trip' experience in Oz. 

Central America - Have you heard about the notorious chicken buses?  Well, welcome to their home - especially in Guatemala.  Read Marti's (CheckPointBlack founder) journal entry about the chicken buses.  There are tourist buses that run on the popular routes. They have much better seating and slightly better drivers. However, you cannot count on this being true everywhere. 

Europe - Bus-a-bout - Similar idea to Oz Experience in Australia, but for Europe. 
 
New Zealand - Kiwi Experience - They are the counterpart to Oz Experience in Australia (see above).  They work the same way and we have heard nothing but great experiences.  

Turkey & Greece - Fez Traavel Bus - Leave it to a bus company to bring these two countries together.  This is the same idea as the other companies. They have a set route and you can jump on and off. 

Spain - Movelia - (en espanole)

South America - Buses are a great way to go through South America.  However, be prepared for very long stretches - 24 hours+ sometimes. We highly recommend trying to get on a Supa Cama or Semi Cama bus especially in Chili and Argentina.  That just basically means you will have a seat that stretches back into some sort of a bed.  There are movies shown dubbed in Spanish and of course food served along the way. 

USA - Grey Hound - yes, there are a lot of crazy stories about who you will meet on a Grey Hound Bus.  However, they are still the cheapest if you are traveling accross the US.

Have you heard about the Chinatown buses?  They are quite an institution (and joke) in the Northeast.  From New York's Chinatown, you can catch a bus for as little as $15 (check current rates) to Boston's or Washington DC's Chinatown.  Greyhound has been lowering their prices to match these buses. We've heard that Lucky Star bus from New York to Boston was more reliable than the others, but we cannot vouch for them.  Beware that the New York drop-off/pick-up location is literally a hole in the wall in Chinatown, and if it is raining there is no indoor place to wait for the bus. Also, booking a reservation online may be a little risky.  If you have not heard all the stories, there are big rivalries between the bus companies which have set off notorious situations!

Trains

EUROPE
Getting around Europe by train is a great and inexpensive way to travel, but be sure to pay attention to where you are!  Many people we know have ended up in countries past their original planned destination!

Eurailpass is like a discount card.  You can get all sorts of packages for traveling by rail through Europe.  (Here’s a dodgy tip - we used to be able to change the dates we wrote on our card and get extra trips in...But we think they caught on and have changed the format!)  Eurailpasses can now be ordered online directly from the Eurail Group or we recommend looking at all the options available through RailPass.com.