Check out the Syrian Bus story under
Glimpses of the Road, back on
Randy's Travel Page.
It sounds like the world's worst punishment -- "I sentence you to Life on the Bus, with no possibility of a toilet stop!"
Plan ahead. Keep handy anything that may be of use during the trip, especially if your rucksack is stowed away somewhere. Bring whatever clothing you may need for the weather, and a scarf or bandanna to protect you from the wind and dust. On really dusty rides your hair will be like a slab of peat within an hour unless you wear a hat. Will you need sunscreen for your arms? You may also be very happy of an extra garment that you can use as a seat cushion. Bring food and water unless you are sure they will be available, and edible. Most rides are not calm enough for reading, but long stops and breakdowns may provide wonderful opportunities for hours of reading, if you only brought a book on board. On long over-night rides, keep a little travel toothbrush in your day gear.
These are your usual choices for long distance travel, and often the choice is made for you. Except for India, China, and Japan, trains are scarce in many countries, which is why I often think of traveling as one long bus ride. There are a few isolated mountain locations which are serviced (sometimes exclusively) by some truly extraordinary old rail lines. Darjeeling (India), Alishan (Taiwan), Riobamba (Ecuador), Creel (Mexico), and most of Switzerland come to mind.
Traveling by train should be more comfortable, since you can get up and walk around, and there are toilets, not to mention the occasional dining car. In practice, however, trains can be incredibly crowded. There may be people sleeping in the toilets, as well as in the aisles, luggage racks, and dining tables. But, if you are lucky, you will be able to get up and stroll about, or stand in the doorway between the cars and watch the scenery go by. Yes, a long journey on an uncrowded train can be considerably more enjoyable than by bus.
In most places, the trains are much slower than the bus -- much, much slower. There are trains from Mexico City to Merida that still haven't arrived. Safety is another consideration. Trains do crash and occasionally fall off of cliffs, but not at anywhere near the rate of buses. I've never been in a serious bus wreck, but I have seen several. As far as security, you are generally safer from theft on a bus than on a train, where people are coming and going all day and night.
At the Station
You usually buy your ticket on the bus, but larger stations may have ticket windows. For "luxury coaches" and first-class buses, you can often buy reserved seats in advance, even from a travel agent or your crafty hotel clerk. If there is a ticket office at the station, they should sell you a ticket on the next bus leaving for your destination. If there is an office for each bus company, they will all tell you that a bus is leaving "right away", so you may have to go out and decide which one is leaving first. In this case, you might as well get your ticket on the bus. Unless it is a first class or "luxury" coach with reserved seating, possession of a seat is more important that possession of a ticket. Someone will eventually come round to collect money.
You may be swarmed as soon as you enter the bus lot. Young boys ask your destination, and as soon as they learn your target, they may fight over carrying your bag! Just hang on to it until you have definitely decided on a bus. Once your luggage gets tied on the top of a bus, you are also tied to that bus. If there are several bus companies running the same routes, avoid buying a ticket until your bus leaves the station and actually gets out on the highway. When you have ridden enough bus, you will understand why this is prudent; you can sit on that bus for an hour, while several others leave ahead of you.
In any case, never buy a ticket without getting a ticket! Certainly never before the bus leaves. The person who asks you for money may have nothing to do with the bus (i.e., he is a crook); if he does, he should give you a ticket -- see it (and hold it!) before handing over your money. Hold on to your ticket! Bus inspectors regularly board buses and check tickets.
In most countries you can just flag down a bus anywhere on the road. Do this by sticking your arm straight out to the side, fingers extended; wave them a bit when you get frantic. First-class and "luxury" buses probably won't stop, but the really interesting second-class buses will stop for anyone they can squeeze on board. Or you may get a ride on a mini-bus, taxi, horse-cart, corn truck, or air-con Mercedes Benz with tinted windows! Just stick your arm out and take whatever The Road has to offer up to you! That's travelin'!
Second Class?
Second class (or local) buses are cheaper, less comfortable, and take longer than first class buses. When a first class bus is about to fall apart, it is demoted to second class. First class buses make limited stops, and won't pick you up along the road. Second class buses stop everywhere and for anybody who even looks likes they might be cajoled into taking a ride; that's the main reason they take so long. But just because they stop every 500 meters, doesn't mean you will have rest stops. I have been on buses where the passengers had to mutiny and force the driver to pull over for a toilet stop, ("ladies to the left, gents to the right").
Believe it or not, it is quite possible to board a bus without knowing the name of your destination. Perhaps someone told you to board the number 32 bus to get there, but you don't know the local name for the "Summer Palace", or the "Heavenly Waterfall". If necessary, get someone to write the name down in the local language, to avoid hurried pencil sketches and hilarious pantomimes.
Nowdays, many countries with a growing tourist industry have put on Express, First, or Luxury Class bus routes. They can take you almost non-stop from one tourist destination to the next. It's easy to justify paying double or triple for this type of service when it is only a few dollars and you can save hours of travel time. Still, if you never ride a local bus, you are missing something of the local culture. There are some well-touristed areas where you can almost avoid rubbing elbows with the common people entirely.
In Mexico, first class costs only a bit more that second class, but the clientele is completely different! First class buses are for first class people, and they don't talk to each other very much. Second class is like a Mexican marketplace in motion, replete with Indigenous people, animals, hawkers, "snake-oil" pitchmen, and picnics in the aisle; men check their machetes and pistols with the driver.
Check out the Syrian Bus story under
Glimpses of the Road, back on
Randy's Travel Page.
Seating
The most comfortable ride on a bus is in the front. The rear definitely has a much rougher, bumpier ride, and anything behind the rear wheels will be like riding a bucking horse. After riding buses for many years, I thought this was obvious, until one day I found myself jammed in with a Swiss couple toward the back of a long-distance bus in western China. Although everyone had a seat, there was the usual shoving match when the bus had pulled in for loading. The Swiss fellow said to me, "I don't see what the big deal is; why does everyone want to sit at the front of the bus?" I just stared ahead as I pondered that this was apparently a bit of information we were not born with. If you ever get a choice, sit in the front! I usually end up near the back ("Two Years Behind the Rear Axle" crossed my mind as a good travel book title).
Figure out which side of the bus the sun will be shining into during most of the trip. If the weather is hot, sit on the opposite side; if it is cold, sit on the sunny side. This rule can sometimes backfire and you end up baking in the sun for over an hour waiting for the bus to leave.
Should you ever find yourself in the enviable position of boarding a bus that is practically empty, first assume that you are on the wrong bus, and make certain of it! If it really is the right bus, check the windows near the front and sit next to one that works properly. First check the seat to see that it is actually there, has no protruding wires, and will not come loose when bumping along the road. Many ordinary buses have bench seats for three people on one side and for two people on the other, with an aisle in between. In many cases, the three-person bench will end up seating three people uncomfortably, while the two-person bench will end up seating three people very uncomfortably.
Special Considerations
In Buddhist areas of South East Asia, monks will not sit next to a woman; their vows do not allow them to do so. If a woman sits next to them, they will quietly rise and stand in the aisle. Monks usually refrain from speaking to women in public places, as well. In many Muslim countries men are also not supposed to sit next to women they are not related to. For couples in these situations, the woman should always take the window seat.
In some Muslim countries, women are given seats at the front of the bus. Men should not sit next to them; find another seat, or stand up. Lone women travelers however, should head for the front of the bus and sit with the women; men may be displaced to give you a seat -- they are sent off to stand in the back! Enjoy this small luxury where you can. It may be very discomforting to the men if a woman sits next to them. Not every Muslim country works like this.
Check out Tales from the Back of the Bus under
Glimpses of the Road, back on
Randy's Travel Page.
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