Karachi, Pakistan: Edge of Space (flickr)

If you travel through developing regions of the globe, it’s likely you will gain a lot of experience in long distance bus and train travel. Sometimes these trips are fine–aboard comfortable buses and trains and across short distances. However, more often than not these trips can feel more like 15+ hour nightmares than an interesting journey through a strange new land.

Personally, I’ve been aboard enough cramped, sweaty, bone jarring, noisy, 15+ hour, buses and trains to know that special measures should be taken when traveling in this manner. However, it’s definitely a different kind of experience, and one that brings you closer to life as a local–a good thing.

Bus and train travel are also great ways to minimize expenses as a traveler, especially across international borders. For example, I recently took a buses from Quito, Ecuador to Lima, Peru. The trip was VERY long (around 36 hours), but cost me only $50–flying would have cost around $350-$400. Additionally I got to see tons of interesting things that I would have missed completely from the air.

Below are some common tips I use when traveling long distance by bus or train:

1. Pop a pill:

Obviously you don’t want to abuse this one, but taking a sleeping pill can transform a 15 hour nightmare into little more than a dream. I usually take one ibuprofen (which acts as a muscle relaxant) and one mild sedative (to sleep). I’m not the type of person that can sleep anywhere or under any conditions, so a pill really does wonders for me being able to sleep through the ride.

2. Choose your seat wisely:

If you buy your ticket in advance from the ticket office, it’s usually possible to choose your seat–DO THIS! Ask the person at the ticket counter to show you the seating arrangement (usually they have this if you ask), and pick a seat in a spacious area of the bus or train. If you are traveling by bus, the front seats are usually the best picks as they have more leg room and are less susceptible to poor shock absorption in the back of the bus. If traveling by train, it will depend on the train, but usually you can find an area that offers a little more room for passengers.

3. Cover your ears:

It seems there are always crying babies and loud snorers on buses and trains when I travel. In these situations, earplugs or headphones are a lifesaver. 15 hours of screaming babies will really wear on your nerves, so be prepared, and have some way of blocking out unwanted noise.

4. Travel at night:

Some people will disagree with me on this one, but I prefer traveling at night. Daytime bus and train travel does have it’s perks–pretty views and light for reading or other activities. However, in my experience, daytime is when more families tend to travel. This means lots of whining children, potty breaks, and other nuisances. Nighttime travel, on the other hand is mainly populated by single travelers, who keep quiet, go to sleep, and want to get there just as quickly as you do. Night buses also tend to make FAR fewer stops than day buses.

5. Choose your bus company wisely:

This tip is more pertinent to bus travel, as usually there is only one option for train travel. If traveling by bus, be careful when choosing the company you travel with. More than likely there are a number of different bus companies that travel to your final destination, so don’t just buy a ticket with the first one you see (or the first one that finds you). Ask other travelers or locals for recommendations, and find a reputable company, with comfortable buses, and the most direct services possible. If you don’t you could very well find yourself on a 40 year old bus, with hard metal seats, that stops every 15 minutes (often for no good reason at all). I have even found myself on buses where the driver pounded beers the whole way–so be careful and find a reputable company.

What are your opinions and tips on long distance bus and train travel?

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