Premier Bus in Australia: Does it offer cheaper bus services than Greyhound?

Yes. Premier Bus offers cheaper Australian bus services than Greyhound – including hop-on, hop-off passes. But Greyhound has a bigger route network and better on-board facilities.

When it comes to covering Australia’s vast distances, most visitors prefer to either take a domestic flight or turning the long driving times into road trips. However, there is a third way – long distance buses. Car hire is not essential for an Australian holiday.

As bus journeys go, Australia’s long distance buses are relatively comfortable. They’re air-conditioned, with reclining seats and on-board toilets. But anyone pretending that sitting on one of these buses for several hours is the best way to travel is lying.

Greyhound coaches vs Premier Bus

The company most associated with long distance buses is Greyhound. Greyhound coaches don’t cover the whole country, but they travel from Melbourne to Cairns on the east coast. They also go up the Stuart Highway from Adelaide to Darwin.

Greyhound’s main rival on the east coast is Premier Bus. The official name is Premier Motor Services, but pretty much everyone calls it Premier Bus anyway.

Byron Bay lighthouse — Byron Bay is one of the destinations serves by both Premier Bus and Greyhound. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

There are a few significant differences between Greyhound and Premier Bus. For a start, Greyhound offers on-board WiFi and in-seat USB charging points. Premier Bus doesn’t. There are also a few differences in where the buses stop. Greyhound goes to Yamba in New South Wales, but not Lennox Head, for example. The Premier Motor Services route does the opposite.

Premier Bus ticket prices

But which Australian bus service is cheapest? Well, this is where Premier Bus becomes a lot more interesting.

Looking a month in advance for a one-way Sydney to Brisbane fare, Premier Bus charged $98 and Greyhound charged $109. Frankly, at those prices, you might as well get a flight, however. Where the buses come in handy is smaller destinations not served by airports.

So let’s look at Rockhampton to Rainbow Beach in Queensland. That’s $70 with Premier Bus, and $170 with Greyhound. Premier Motor Services is clearly cheaper here.

Both Australian bus companies offer hop-on, hop-off passes too. These allow passengers to travel in one direction between a pair of destinations, stopping wherever they like along the way.

Therefore, you can stop in – for example – Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Mooloolaba, Maryborough and Mackay for a few days, should you so desire. Just book another leg on the journey when you’re ready to move on.

A three month Greyhound pass from Sydney to Cairns (or vice versa) costs $469. A similar pass with Premier Motor Services costs $330.

A general rule of thumb, therefore, is that Greyhound has better facilities, but Premier Bus is cheaper.