Top 10 Reasons Why Travel by Bus
It’s true, these days traveling by plane is much faster, especially when you are a part of fast living society where each minute counts. Despite this, some people still prefer traditional way of traveling – by bus. There are many reasons why buses won’t go out of service for a long, long time and let’s see why!
Table of Contents
Cheap bus tickets
Even though nowadays you can find plane tickets at ridiculously low prices, the fact is that bus tickets are more often on sale and there are more departures to choose from. You can usually find tickets on 50% discount and there are also regular discounts for children, students and seniors. And when you think how much money you have saved up with bus travel instead of let’s say, traveling by car (gas costs, toll costs, etc.), then it is pretty much obvious why buses are the most economic option.
Power outlets and Wi-Fi
A lot of bus carriers have finally realized what is that the passengers need the most when traveling long distance – power socket and free Internet! If you think about it, there’s really no form of transportation which provides this benefit besides buses. You don’t need to worry whether your battery is going to die or not and if it’s hard for you to sleep on bus, just connect to Wi-Fi and “kill time” by watching movies. And once you finally arrive to your destination, your phone will be fully charged and ready for snapping photos. Amazing, right?
Occasional stops and breaks
Travelling long distance can be a hassle if you are travelling by train or plane, especially if you are a person who can’t sit for too long. True, you still can make a short trip to bathroom in plane or train, but that’s pretty much it. When travelling by bus, bus drivers make few shorter and one longer break (cca 25 minutes) so you can stretch your legs, grab a cup of coffee e and have a quick meal. Also, it is much easier to use restrooms on a gas station which are regularly cleaned by cleaning ladies than trying to squeeze yourself in those tiny toilets in planes.
No worry about missing luggage
There’s no person who hasn’t at least once thought of possible loss of baggage before the flight. And once you land, you always wait impatiently for your suitcase to appear on the carousel and believe me, it can be stressful. But that’s not the case with buses! You hand your luggage to the bus driver, he places it in the compartment and that’s it – you’re ready for your trip. And the most important – you can bring as many kilos of luggage as you want. No need to think whether you are going to cross the limit or pay additional fee for extra weight. Just bring anything you need, completely carefree!
No planning in advance
When booking a plane ticket, it is usually months in advance. People do it to get a good deal on tickets as they become up to 10 times more expensive when the travel date is getting closer. On the other hand, bus tickets are more or less always the same price whether you want to buy it half year in advance or a day before the trip. If you don’t have that kind of luxury to plan a vacation that far ahead, then opting for a bus ticket is definitely a thing to do. Also, in case you want to change your departure date, with bus tickets is no problem at all. Just contact customer support via e-mail with your ticket number stating that you need to change departure date and that’s it. Easy peasy!
Location is everything
How many times has happened to you that you finally land in your destination but city centre is waaay far from the airport? Shuttle buses can be expensive and if your flight is late in the evening, you will probably spend more cash on taxi than planned. Good thing with bus stations on the other hand, is that they are almost always located near the city centre and it is much easier to continue your trip from a bus station. It is more likely that you will find a nearby local bus stop or a metro station near bus station than finding one at the airport (unless we are talking about bigger international airports).
Seats are more comfy
In general, no long distance travel is comfortable but bus seats have a bit of advantage in regard to plane or train seats. Firstly, there’s more space for legs. It can get really frustrating when you constantly bump your knees in the seat in front of you and the fact that you can’t adjust your seat is a nightmare if the flight is more than few hours long. In buses you won’t have that kind of problem since you can adjust your seat as much as you want, just make sure that the person behind you is okay with that.
Air conditioning
Have you ever been in a plane, you take off and then all of a sudden it becomes a lot colder in the cabin? And you really didn’t prepare for this temperature shock? The air conditioning in buses is always adjusted so that you don’t have to sit in your winter jacket all the time if it’s freezing outside or sweat entire journey during summer season. It’s all about being comfortable and relaxed during your trip. And if it gets too hot/cold for you, there’s a button above your seat with which you can regulate air conditioning for yourself. Sounds pretty good to us!
The cancellation policy
The majority of bus carriers allows cancelling tickets with a full refund or with minimal cancellation fee and you don’t even have to have a valid reason. It just usually needs to be cancelled at least 48 hours before the departure, but that still depends from carrier to carrier. In any case, you will get the most of your money back. However, when you buy a plane ticket, it is non refundable in 99% percent of cases, so if something comes up and you can’t go on your trip, it is most likely that your money will go down the drain. That’s why choosing a bus would definitely be a better option!
m-Tickets – tickets of future!
Nowadays everything is done via Internet – shopping, communication and the best of all, you can easily buy your bus ticket without having to go to the bus station. Also, the fact that we have become a society of technology, the number of bus carriers who have turned to m-tickets is significantly rising. What’s an m-ticket? It is far more simple than you think. Basically, you buy a ticket via smartphone or tablet and there’s no need to print it out. You just show the QR code on your device upon entering the bus and that’s it. Great, right?
Tendentious article full of lies. How can you compare plane and bus? Will you travel by bus 24 hours instead of 3 hour by plane? You should compare bus, trains and car sharing, but then most of your advantages will be gone or even worse for bus.
I’m not saying buses are bad, I use them often, same as trains and planes, but writing article like this is pure commercial bullsh*t
Hi Martin,
Thank you for your comment and thank you for reading the article published on our blog. This concrete topic has not been chosen to insult anyone or to make a commercial of any sort for a certain type of transport. Nevertheless, as it results pretty much obvious – our company and our blog carry the name of GetByBus, so it seems quite legit to write articles precisely on this topic. It was not written with the intention of the author to say that any other kind of transportation is better or worse than the bus transport, but it remains published here for the mere informative and fun purpose and for our readers and clients to see what can be seen as a positive element of a bus ride. Of course, it is not a topic that can be discussed rigorously since it is a subjective opinion and it can hardly be said that it is a “lie”. In the end, everyone will choose their way of traveling and the article published here won’t have much to do with their decision. 🙂 We wish you a safe and comfortable journey with whichever form of transport you decide to take!
Best regards,
Kristina
Martin this is a bus website you silly sausage! I love to travel by bus since I am completely terrified of planes (I call them flying death tubes). So why not stop swearing, and book a lovely bus trip?
I really appreciate your tip on how you can take a lot of luggage with you when you take a bus. My wife and I have been thinking of going on a trip to the coast, and we don’t know if we should get a rental car or use a shuttle. I will be sure to tell my wife that if we have a lot of luggage, we should use the shuttle!
I liked what you said about how traveling by bus can give a person plenty of breaks during the trip since the drivers will make several. My husband and I want to make a trip next summer and I’m thinking that taking the bus might be more fun and give us a chance to see a lot of small places on those stops. Thank you for the information about how these stops will also mean we can get bathroom breaks, coffee, or a quick meal.
Thank you for reminding me that we have more advantages when it comes to bus seats compared to other modes of transportation. Our family is thinking of not using our car and just choosing to rent charter bus services instead since we’re planning to explore new itineraries this year. I hope we’ll get to enjoy all the benefits you mentioned and make this experience worthwhile for our family.
Traveling away using buses,allows you to develop your sense of responsibility and independence, especially as you journey unfamiliar places and come across things uncommon to you.
Thanks for Top Ten article. Straight to the point narration. This kind of article is rare. Thanks.
It’s great that you mentioned that one of the benefits of traveling by bus is you wouldn’t have to worry about your luggage missing since it would always be in the compartment. The whole extended family plans on going on a vacation at a lake four towns away. I’ll suggest we just rent a bus so everyone would travel in one vehicle to ensure no human or baggage will get lost. Thanks.
Wonderful & informative article. I think these tips and advice are much helpful for those who move more places. I really like this one… Great Sharing
Well explained and I enjoy reading your article. For me, traveling is tied in with looking for new experiences. Furthermore, these experiences become considerably more fun when you can share them with an old buddy. Thanks for sharing.
My aunt has been thinking about going traveling in order to be a lot better. He would really like to get some help from a professional by traveling by bus. I liked what you said about how location is everything, and they should plan in advance.
Super helpful… we were looking for Udaipur travel itinerary and fond this blog really helpful. Well done guys!
My aunt has been thinking about travelling by bus because she would really like to have a better time. She would really like to get some help from a professional in order to have a better birthday party. I liked what you said about how their seats can be a lot comfier, and they should have the right temperature in order to be cooler.
I personally believe that all travelers must pick inspiring travel quotes in their mind. It helps to enjoy the trip. I always do the same for me. By the way, I wish you all a good holidays/travels for this 2021, if pandemics let us for sure!
It’s cool that you mention that hiring a bus is a comfortable way to travel. I want to go on a road trip soon with some of my friends, so I’m considering hiring a bus. I’m going to look for a reliable bus hire service in the area to use.
Hello,
I need guest post on this site https://getbybus.com/
Waiting for your reply?
Thanks
Hi Julia,
thanks for your comment, unfortunately, we don’t do guest posts at the moment.
Best,
GBB Team