The US is one of the largest countries in the world, and as you can imagine, certain bus trips can take up to a day or two. Gear up for your adventure and read our tips and how you can make your bus ride as comfortable as possible!
Even during a long bus ride, there are tons of fun activities to do to stay entertained, and most importantly, sane! Half the fun is the journey, not just the destination right? Here are a couple of ideas.
With a bit of creativity and mindfulness, a long bus ride can become an opportunity for personal growth, relaxation, and enjoyable experiences.
Take the overnight bus
If you don’t mind not seeing the landscapes and just want to get from point A to point B, we recommend you take the overnight bus. This helps you save time and you’ll wake up directly at your destination – which definitely gives new meaning to rise and shine!
Pack light
You’ll may need to transfer bus on a long trip, so pack light in order to not have to lift heavy baggage. Also, make sure that you know the baggage policy of bus companies like Greyhound and Megabus
Pack a blanket and neck pillow
A blanket and neck pillow can help you get cozy and help you sleep during your bus ride. Also, the blanket is a life safer, as it can get quite cold in the bus thanks to the air conditioning. Much like in an airplane, we recommend you bring additional layers of clothes to stay warm.
Use earplugs and an eye mask
Earplugs and an eye mask will help you stay undisturbed during your trip. Other passengers might get noisy or turn on and off their light. Also, you may wake up from passengers simply getting on or off the bus (or going to the washroom).
Bring tissues
Let’s admit it: Washrooms are gross no matter if on the airplane, on the train, or on the bus. Just wipe your hands with your disinfectant tissues and you’re fine for the rest of the trip.
Pack some snacks and drinks
Whereas buses usually make a few stops to refuel and let people buy something to eat, those eateries tend to be expensive. Pack some snacks and drinks – not only is this permitted on buses, but it’s also much cheaper.
Choose your seat carefully
The ride feels bumpier in the back, so choose a seat in the middle or front. Also, if you choose an aisle seat, the window seat beside you may be free and you’ll be lucky to have them both for yourself!
Take off your shoes
There are some really simple actions you can take to relax during long bus rides. One of them is taking off your shoes. Just try it out – it works wonders!
Take advantage of the Wi-Fi
The entertainment you can get using Wi-Fi makes time fly. So take advantage!
Bring a book with you
If you’re less of a techie, bring a book with you and read during your trip.
Stretch every now and then
Even if you brought your own snacks and drinks with you, take advantage of these breaks to get off the bus and stretch. This will help you feel less worn out once you arrive to your destination.
Drink Gatorade or other energy drinks instead of water
Having to use the washroom can often be an issue on any trip. You can prevent this by drinking Gatorade or other energy drinks to keep you hydrated.
Do you have any other tips on how to make long bus rides a breeze? Let us know in the comments section below!
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Cool tips
good article
My co-workers and I are going to a business conference in a few weeks and we will be taking a charter bus to the conference so that we can all travel as a group. I have never been on a long bus ride before, so I appreciate your tips to bring a neck pillow and earplugs. This way I can make it as comfortable as possible when I want to sleep during the ride. Also, it makes a lot of sense that I should remember to periodically move around the bus and stretch after my nap so that I can be alert and not as tired when we arrive at the conference.
This is some really good information about charter bus trips. My family has been considering using a charter bus when we go on vacation. It is good to know that it would be smart to have a neck pillow for the trip.
I have to sit on a bus with screaming ten year olds. Article is very helpful (also I’ll be in the bus 5-6 hours s o)
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I have been thinking about going on a cross country tourist bus hire and have never gone on a long bus trip before. Overnight trips would be time effective. I would love to just wake up and start exploring the new town.
That's a good idea to take the overnight bus. That way you don't have to just sit there while you travel. It would be much nicer to be able to just sleep through the entire road trip. I would assume that it would have more open seats than the daytime bus as well.
Thanks for pointing out that we must bring an eye mask and earplugs so that we will be able to have an undisturbed sleep during the trip. I would badly need this since we will have this trip on weekdays which means that I will be joining it after my shift. I might be too tired after work that is why I will be sleeping on the road. Now, we just need to find a charter bus that we can rent and trust.
I like your tip about making sure to bring a blanket in the bus to protect from the A/C. I am planning on taking a cross-country trip by bus this summer, and I am looking into the different preparation that will need to go into that. Necessary equipment like snacks and clothes will also probably be needed since it will definitely be a multiple-day trip.