Travel with Emily

It may be a bit of a controversial opinion, but I love day long bus journeys. 8 hours, 10 hours, the more the merrier (in fact I’m writing this now on one!). 

In the last year I’ve taken over 30 Flix-bus journeys across Europe, from 40 minutes to 30 hours long (that’s a story for another time!). So I’ve sat on a lot of buses and would still get back on one! 

Now, I have to clarify this doesn’t apply to overnight busses, they’re a whole different story. But in amongst busy budget travel, these whole-day journeys give me the mental rest that I need, and here’s why: 

1. Decision fatigue

When you’re travelling (especially solo) for long periods of time all the small decisions begin to add up. Where am I going to eat lunch? What do I want to see today? What time should I leave the hostel so that I get to the bus stop in time? Where will I go next? 

While obviously a very privileged situation, your brain has no down-time to rest. A lot of your processing power is used up on these smaller decisions that are normally pre-determined by your daily routine back home, making the bigger decisions seem even more daunting. 

However, on a bus, all these decisions are taken out of your hands; you get on, sit there, and hop off. Your brain can finally have a break. All you have to worry about is what book or tv show you want to catch up on.  

2. Guilt surrounding relaxing

I get a lot of guilt while travelling about slowing down and not doing anything ‘productive’ with my day. When you’re given such an incredible opportunity to see the world, you feel bad if you’re not squeezing every last drop of time out of it. Which can work for a 3-day weekend, but is almost impossible to keep up with over a month, or even a week. 

Some days your body needs to just rot in your bed all day and do nothing. This can be hard to do, to fully relax and not have that little voice in the back of your head talking about being productive. So, if you’re like me and can’t do that so well, a long bus travel day might just do the trick; you’re stuck on transport, and it’s a travel day, so already a bit of a productive-write-off. 

3. They don’t break the bank

Buses are typically going to be cheaper than the other options. They’re longer and not as comfy, but if you’re backpacking around and have more time but less money, they’ll help you stick to your budget and keep you travelling for longer. I often go with FlixBus or Blabla Car, two companies who connect an impressive amount of Europe. They’re quite reputable companies too, and can save you the headache of trying to navigate a new country’s public transport system (and the bright green buses are hard to miss!).

Another positive is they drop you right in the center of the city, which is probably close to your hostel for the night, so there’s no need to mess around with transport from the airport, which can be far away and cost quite a bit. 

4. Sightseeing

It’s quite peaceful to look out the window and see the world fly by. On the ground you’ll get to see a lot more of a country close-up than you would from the sky. Put some of your favourite music on and just zone out, taking in the scenery changes of the world outside. This often doubles as good self reflection time, and with diminishing phone battery or service, I often find myself reflecting a lot more about who I am, and just touching base with myself. It’s crazy how little time we spend thinking about who we really are, and not just daydreaming about what we want in the future. Giving yourself the opportunity to slow down physically and just sit in a bus often means that you end up doing a lot more thinking. So next time you’re on a bus, take the time to check in with yourself. 

Other options :

Maybe by now you’re a little bit more convinced to book a bus journey, or maybe you’re thinking ‘but aren’t there other options though?’ Yes, there are!

If you’re looking for a bit more comfort and style maybe a train is for you. They offer a lot of the same relaxation benefits with the option for a bit more class, but for me incite a bit more stress. In buses I know that I’ll wake up at each stop when the driver’s voice crackles over the speaker announcing the destination. In addition, as each passenger must scan their ticket to board, I’m less worried about my bags being stolen if I have a bit of a nap.  

*disclaimer* Some key factors that may affect your experience are age, how much time (and money!) you have and if you’re up for sitting for long periods of time.

So there you have it, a little insight into how I travel and why I love long and sometimes tedious bus rides. I’d say don’t knock it till you try it, but I also know this isn’t for everyone. So what I will say is keep it in mind, and if you do end up on a bus, make the most of it!

Happy travelling!