Traveling across a country via a bus can be a lot of fun, and can also be very painful.
You can make or break a 12-hour bus ride by choosing the best seat.
Everyone has their preferences, but I will break down several factors to consider when boarding your next long-distance bus ride.
These insider tips on how to choose the best seat on a bus are geared towards bus rides over three hours in length in Mexico, but can easily be applied to other countries.
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Things to consider before selecting a seat
- Do the windows open and close?
- Are there blinds?
- Do the seats recline?
- Is there a bathroom onboard?
- Are there movie screens, and where are they located?
- Are there assigned seats?
- Is there air conditioning?
See also: 7 Safety Tips for Riding Buses in Ecuador
How to choose your seat on the bus
Aisle or Window Seat
Some people love the view, gazing out the window on a scenic mountain drive.
Unfortunately, if someone sits down in the aisle seat next to you, every time you need to get up, you will need to have them move.
Your legroom is also limited in the window seat. In the aisle seat, you get the space but not the view.
Access to the bathroom is easy, but you also get bumped by every person walking by.
If you are a person who can stay seated for extended periods and don't mind limited space, the window seat is for you.
For me, it's the aisle.
View of Movie Screen
If you know there are TVs onboard, be sure to pick a seat that has a direct view.
Killing time has never been easier than watching three movies straight in a different language.
Distance to Restroom
You never want to be directly next to the restroom because of the foul smell, but being somewhat close can be helpful.
If you know you will need to use it a few times during the ride, a front-row seat isn't great because you are bumping into people every time you need to run to the toilet.
About 5-6 rows from the back will work fine, reducing the smell but keeping you within a moment's reach.
Electronic Seat Selection
If you can choose your seat ahead of time, selecting the aisle seat on a vacant row is the best bet.
No one wants to have to squeeze past a stranger to get to the window seat, leaving you with a good chance of having two places to yourself.
If it's a full bus, your aisle seat may come in handy anyways if the person next to you is oversized.
Time of Day
After making this mistake a couple of times, I finally learned.
Figure out where the sun is during your passage!
If you are hot already, the sun beating down on you will make the trip miserable.
If you are heading north in the morning, sit on the left side of the bus.
If you are heading south, sit on the right side.
Remember, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Last-Minute Adjustments
Is the bus looking like it will fill up? If not, jump over to a vacant row before someone else takes advantage of it.
The worst that can happen is the person whose seat you stole jumps on board last minute, and you head back to your place.
If I were boarding an 8-10 hour bus in the morning heading south that had TVs, AC, seat selection, and a bathroom, I would sit 5-6 rows from the back in a right-hand side aisle seat… praying no one sits next to me.
When the crying baby and Mom or sumo wrestler plops down next to you, at least you have the movies to stare at, right?
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I had been sitting in front but then heard of a head on collision, actually a few of them in Colombia and realized I needed to move to the middle.
I have to admit, I haven’t been moving around the country a lot by bus, but now that you mention this, I’ll be in the middle too!
Knowing the time of day and where the sun is in the sky is CRITICAL when traveling by bus! I learned that the hard way in Morocco.
Good comments. I agree with the aisle seat thing. Getting up mid-night to go to the bathroom and crawling over someone is no damn fun. And being able to stretch into the aisle is handy.
Another thing to consider is front or back of the bus. The back of the bus is more bumpy (closer to the back axle). The front of the bus provides a better ride…. but also means you are closer to the possible impact of a head on collision. And frankly, if you’ve seen how crazy bus drivers are around the world — this is something you should be more worried about than you think — good friend of mine was in a bus that hit someone head-on in the middle of the night — driver and 3 people up front died. He was in the back and was banged up, but OK.
I’ve taken my share of overnight buses, but don’t recall ever having to use the toilet while everyone else was asleep. Gotta plan your bathroom breaks and fluid intake properly!
Oh man, I hadn’t even thought of that.
Yeah I will sacrifice sitting above the back axle in exchange for my safety.
@Dave I think it is a last minute decision. If you planned accordingly, then you should be fine. But if you happen to be dealing with some stomach sickness, access to the bathroom is vital. And I drink a ton of water, so at least one trip during the night is almost guaranteed.
Hi. I’ve traveled through Mexico, a good portion of Central America and some countries in South America. The two things that I factor in when choosing a seat are:
–how scary the ride’s going to be (if very scary, I recommend sitting in the middle; the worst thing to do is sit up front and see how the driver is actually driving)
–who’s sitting where (if you can choose as you’re boarding). As a woman, it’s important to choose carefully and best to sit near other women (no offense, guys, but a solo female has to be careful, especially overnight)
Great blog, btw!
Thanks Lisa! Those are great tips. As a guy, I haven’t really taken the second into much consideration other than the fact I would much rather sit next to a hundred pound female than a 250/300 pound male. I’ve only had a couple scary rides, and not only is the middle good but the aisle seats so you don’t have to see straight down the cliff at 60 mph.
I hear you re: the larger-sized males–not fun to sit next to them! If you’re a woman, it seems those men begin to think you’re their gf or something and lean into you a bit.
The aisle is better–I totally agree. As for the those cliffs, I medicate and try not to look!
When I think the bus will have a few extra seats and not get entirely full, I like to get on early, and look as sketchy/unwelcoming as possible while the rest of the bus loads. Looking like the kind of person YOU would not want to sit beside for a long trip, means that I have a higher chance of having two seats to myself. Reading a full-sized newspaper, (vs. a magazine), chatting away on my cell phone (with lots of “omg!!!” and “oh… what-ever!” or “oh baby, I’m missing you so much already. no, you’re the cutest, no, you are, no, you are…”), or putting my large purse on the seat next to me and riffling through it while looking entirely annoyed that I can’t find the imaginary thing that I’ve lost in it’s depths… are a few of the “I’m a bad seat-buddy” vibes I like to send out when I really need the quiet time of a solo ride… Waiting in line, I never chat with solo travelers, only couples. Another solo traveler is much more likely to take the line-chatter as a sign of a newly made friendship, and want to continue the conversation during the bus ride…. Of course, the opposite applies for shorter trips, when chatting with a row-mate is much more interesting than flipping through the same magazine 4 times…
That would scare me away for sure
In the US, on wi-fi buses, I’ll take out my full size laptop to try and keep seatmates away.
“Another solo traveler is much more likely to take the line-chatter as a sign of a newly made friendship, and want to continue the conversation during the bus ride….” — as an often solo traveler, this is so true.
I like the window seat…the aisle makes me feel uncomfortable when people starts gathering around my seat.
Hey, here’s a bit food for thought
You should consider having a small webinar on the same topic. I’m sure that there would be quite many interested people :)
All you need is a computer, a webcam and a platform via which to stream your webinar. Websites like ustream, livestream or http://www.tvmad.com offer these services.
If you decide to do it then let me know, I’ll be 100% there to see your show :)
Cheers,
Martin
Good list of things to think about. The one about figure out where the sun will be is choice! You never think about this until you’re dying of heat and getting a sunburn on only half of your body. My left arm has been substantially darker than the right for months now…can’t seem to even it out.
Hi Kim, I routinely make the mistake of leaving my right arm out in the sun, which leads to exactly the kind of off-balance tan you mentioned!
don’t recall ever having to use the toilet while everyone else was asleep
Read more: https://gobackpacking.com/2010/08/30/how-to-choose-best-seat-on-a-bus/#ixzz173m5Qf8c
Hey, that’s a great list of things to have in mind, I would like to think of myself as a “backpacker in progress” and your blog is giving me a lot of information and travel tips that have been really useful so far. I’m planning a trip to Spain on July and I’m looking for accommodation advice. I’ll be staying in Madrid and studying Spanish for as long as it takes :) I’m traveling on a budget so I’m looking for cheap apartments in Madrid, any advice on that matter? I’ve found tons of options at http://www.clickbed.com/general-information/cheap-apartments-in-madrid-1058lp.html but maybe you have better options for me. Thanks a lot!
Thanx, helpful
I have travelled extensively throughout India, in day and in Night, In Air Conditioned & Non Air-conditioned Buses. I just love the Window Seat because of the scenic view it gives of the country side, and for the cool night breeze (Non Air-conditioned Bus) which can calm down any disturbed soul.
This article is super helpful. I am a young woman and I am taking my first bus trip ever in a couple of weeks and I am going alone AND it will be 24hr ride. I am soo nervous! I also have an anxiety disorder too, so it makes me even more nervous to be alone for so long. This article and all of these comments have been very helpful. Do you have any other tips for a first time rider? Thanks
I always choose a seat in the middle and yeah I am not a fan of the window side so getting a seat in that area is quite easy.