Seasoned backpackers will be familiar with the Oz Experience, and its New Zealand counterpart the Kiwi Experience; the hop-on, hop-off bus services that tour the backpacking hotspots for peanuts. Now Europe is getting a similar service.

The French service, called Ze Bus, is aimed at young independent travellers, with an emphasis on fun, and judging by the name, a healthy dose of humour.

The website is fun and easy to use, with colourful maps showing the different bus routings, which navigate western France, stopping at places such as La Rochelle, Biarritz, Cherbourg, Paris, San Sebastian in Spain, the Loire chateaux and the D-Day landing beaches.

The tickets types are clearly explained on the website and cost between 99 euros and 379 euros (for a tour that starts in London).

There is also information on the activities on offer along the route and details of festivals taking place in the region. There is a strong emphasis on surfing, with details on 20 surfing spots that the bus calls at, and links to surfing websites.

We love: the website answers any questions you could have about the service and also has extensive links to tourist information sites, making it a great starting point for organising a trip around western France; the colourful maps are simple to understand and navigation is user friendly; the site is bright pink

We hate: it could be even more user friendly by offering more language versions – only French and English are available

Verdict

Design: 7/10
Navigation: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Fulfilment: 8/10

Overall score: 33/40

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