11 Tips for Safety, Survival and Sleep

When traveling, it is usually a good choice to travel by bus at night. In addition to making progress without wasting time, it is also possible to protect your account by cutting down on flight or hotel expenses.

The journey itself can be a struggle, especially the first time.

Based on the experiences of countless night trips by bus over the years, I have created a list of some ideas that will make it easier for you to spend your journey sleeping.

SECURITY

1. Make sure your route is safe.

Check with the concierge to make sure you choose a route where theft or accidents are not common during the night. If you receive any warning about this, you can choose to travel during the day.

You can benefit from these tools that can protect your valuables while you sleep.

Learn more about travel safety: travel safer with personal safety products.

2. Spend your money on a first class bus.

When traveling on a night trip, be careful when buying the cheapest or cheaper tickets. Does it appear safe and adequately protected (for example, the durability of the tyres)? Can you imagine sitting in one of those chairs all night? Will there be a single driver all night or will two drivers alternate driving the bus? If you have any doubts or are worried, it would be better to pay a little more and have a safer journey.

3. Choose your seat carefully.

There are some things you should pay attention to when choosing your seat:

• Window or corridor? Some people think that they can sleep better by the window, the window seat is the side where you can create a better temporary pillow. Others (like me) may prefer the aisle, which gives more room to stretch.
• The man's side or the woman's side? You should sit as you are most comfortable. I prefer to sit next to a young person or a woman. I've sat next to a man a few times (whether the seats were pre-reserved or not) and encountered some unusual situations. If you are a male traveler, your job may be a little easier. My advice is to choose a seat according to your priority, if it is possible to determine the seats in advance.
• Front, back or middle? The further back you sit, the more bumpy (and even awkward) the ride will be. If you sit too close to the front, you can see things you don't want to see, like the road in front of you, the driver's terrible turns, etc. Of course, if you like roller coasters in amusement parks, you can choose the front.

According to security experts, the middle part is the safest part. Since most accidents occur in the form of a blow from the front or a hit from behind, the middle is said to be the safest place. Because of this thesis, I prefer to sit in the middle.

4. Keep money or other valuables in different places.

It's not very convenient to keep all your money or credit cards in one place. In case of theft, the thief will have access to all of them at once. Consider dividing your valuables. You can also use tear-resistant waist bags (which also have trick locks) and hide your money in your shoes or socks.

SURVIVAL

Beyond simple safety, there are ways to survive that make the journey both more enjoyable and bearable.

5. Prepare your bag as if you were going to board a plane.

You'll probably need to tuck your larger bag under the seat (unless there's room for a bag at the top). Therefore, be sure to fill your daily bag with what you need (such as medicine) as if you were boarding a plane.

6. Take an energy drink with you (to minimize your need to go to the toilet).

Buy a Gatorade or another energy drink that replenishes electrolytes. Or throw powdered energy drinks into the bag. It quenches your thirst quicker but keeps your toilet empty, so you'll need to use public toilets less often. This is very useful because there may or may not be a toilet on the bus (it wouldn't be nice if it did), and the ones in the rest facilities may present you with a disastrous situation.

7. Bring your own cookies.

The bus will usually stop at one or two restaurants along the way, sometimes the food is good but there are no guarantees. I once ate at a low-quality place in Indonesia and got sick the next day. If I had a snack, I would skip that meal. You should always carry peanuts, fruits or energy bars with you in case of possible situations.

8. Entertain yourself by using noise-reducing headphones.

Night buses can take between 6 and 12 hours. During this time, you will encounter many unpleasant situations: a loud television, static music, someone snoring, or someone chatting. Choose a good pair of headphones to listen to your own music and block out outside sounds (noise reducing ones would be best). If you want to read, it would be beneficial to get a reading light because there is a possibility that the light on the top may not work.

SLEEP

9. Use earplugs and an eye mask.

When it's time to sleep, you'll want to turn off the noise. I recommend earplugs, which you can buy at electronics stores (see suggestion #6). The eye patch is also an important item. It also blocks the light inside the bus during the night and the sunlight that will make you feel like a vampire in the morning.

10. Use a neck pillow.

If you are traveling with luggage, you should consider using a neck pillow. If you are a backpacker, carrying an additional pillow may be too much for you, so you can buy an inflatable neck pillow. It will make you more comfortable while reading or relaxing.

11. Take medication if you need it (but not too strong).

It may not always be easy to sleep on such buses, sometimes you may need help. Taking medication (consulting your doctor) may be the solution. I use a mixture of antihistamine and Xanax. This is a very effective method if you want to sleep but want to be able to wake up easily when necessary.