The good news is that with a little bit of care and planning, it is possible to survive a ten or twenty hour bus ride without tearing your hair out. Here are seven simple tips for doing just that.

Photo by Party Lin

Choose Your Route

The first step towards a peaceful bus journey is to choose that journey wisely. Regardless of where you are going, there is likely to be more than one bus company that can take you there. Pay close attention to the following factors.

• Is there wi-fi on board? Wi-fi is now incredibly common on buses but there are still a few companies that don’t yet provide it.
• How many rest stops are made? If you are travelling for ten hours or more, regular stops are absolutely essential.
• Is it possible to travel by night? Nobody likes spending an entire day on a bus. If at all possible, travel by night. You can cut the journey in half by getting some sleep onboard. You can also save yourself the cost of a nights accommodation.

Arrive Early

Most bus companies don’t allow passengers to reserve specific seats. Getting on early is therefore essential. Window seats are not only easier to sleep in, they provide you with something to look at other than the seat in front of you.

Stay Hydrated

Never board a long distance bus without a bottle of water. Don’t underestimate how dehydrated bus travel can make you. And unlike planes and trains, buses don’t come with onboard snack carts.

Make Yourself Comfortable

If you want to maximise the chances of you getting some sleep onboard, ear plugs are essential. The constant sound of a buses engine is not exactly relaxing. Should you be worried about your ability to grab a window seat, a travel pillow is also well worth purchasing.

Keep Yourself Occupied

If you want to avoid maddening levels of boredom, it’s important to pack something to keep you occupied. A good book can go a long way but if you’ve managed to find a bus with onboard wi-fi, a device that will allow you to surf the net is a much better choice. Just don’t forget to charge it before you get on board.

Watch Out for Theft

Regardless of how friendly and innocent the other passengers seem, always keep an eye out for thieves and pickpockets. If you are going to be travelling with any carry on luggage, keep it locked. And if you want to keep any valuables in your pockets, choose the pockets that you’ll be sitting on.

Take Full Advantage of Stops

Finally, don’t forget to take full advantage of any rest stops that are made along the way. Regardless of whether or not you want to eat or smoke, it’s important to take full advantage of any chance you get to stretch your legs. It’s likely to be hours before you get another one.

Barbara Woodberry, the author of this article works as an editor for a website called magazinesubscriptions.com. They help to provide their customers with the subscription of their favorite magazine at a very cheap rate.

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Firstly consider the clothes that you will be travelling in. These should be lightweight, roomy and comfortable. Buses are often heated or cooled as the season demands, but a pair of tight jeans will start to become uncomfortable after a few hours of sitting still in them, no matter how great they look.

You should also think about the hotels that you will be staying in each evening and whether there are any excursions planned. This may necessitate smart clothing and a capsule wardrobe is a great idea here as it will leave you plenty of space in your luggage but allow you to look stylish each evening.

To make sure that you are as comfortable as possible during your time on the bus itself you should take a travel bag onboard with you. Buses will often have overhead compartments just like planes so you can afford to take a reasonably sized bag on with you. In this bag you should have your toiletry kit so you can freshen up when you stop at any services.

You should also include a light blanket and small pillow, although it is best to check with your travel company when you book as some bus trips provide these to passengers. Those that don’t will not object to you bringing them and you will be pleased you did when you want a nap. A change of clothes is also a good idea for your carry on bag just in case.

Consider bringing snack food and drinks with you in case the length of time between some of the stops is long. Most bus companies do not have a problem with the type of food and drink you bring onboard and some allow you to bring alcohol too, although they ask that you drink it in moderation. You will often find that there is a spirit of camaraderie on a bus trip and people can be found pooling their snacks and having a picnic.

Things to keep you occupied while on your bus trip are also a good idea to include in your travel bag, but remember you do not have to cram everything into it at once. Each evening when you stop you will be able to exchange books from your main luggage and you can also do this with music or games that you have decided to pack as well.

This article is written by Laura Donnovan. She is currently living in Denmark and working for a travel agency for 3 years. She loves to cook, meet her friends and travel all over the world. If you like her tips for bus trips (or as it is called in Denmark bus rejser) you can follow her @LauraDonnovan.

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Strandja mountain / Evgeni Dinev

In every country there are many interesting places to see and usually they are not the resorts. Because the resorts are built for tourists – and all you see there are other tourists and things build especially for them.

So better open a map and pick a random point of any EU country. You are likely to point to a town or village that’s well worth visiting. Don’t want to do a blind pick? OK, I’ll share seven ideas with you – seven places in Bulgaria that are far more interesting than lying on the beach. Here you are:

1. Strandja mountain

Even if you come here for trekking you are more likely to end up in Vitosha, Pirin or Rila. Almost no one goes to trekking in Strandja because it’s not as close to Sofia (the Capital) and it’s not as popular. Strandja is not a typical trekking destination. It’s a low mountain and climbing wouldn’t be a primary reason to go there. You should visit Strandja because of its natural beauty and because of its wildness. There are not many tourists going there, not many huts or paved roads. Its real and wild nature is rarely seen in Europe.

At the same time, reaching Strandja is not hard at all – you can approach the mountain from Malko Tarnovo which is just 76km away of Burgas. And Burgas is one of the largest cities in Bulgaria, just at the black sea. So you can land Burgas directly by an airplane or travel from Sofia by train or bus. Then there are buses going several times per day from Burgas to Malko Tarnovo and the other towns and villages at the foot of the mountain.

2. Lozenska planina

Yes, that’s another low mountain. Mountains are among the most interesting places to see in Bulgaria because they aren’t too high, and area easy to reach. At the same time the nature is well preserved. There are also many small villages around the mountains where life goes with different (slower) pace.

The greatest thing about Lozenska planina is that it’s really close to Sofia. In fact you can reach it with a regular city bus to the villages German or Lozen and it won’t take more than an hour from the city center. One of the best one-day trips you can do there is to drop at Lozen or German and walk through the mountain to the other village. It’s a really light trek, good for everyone – and it’s safe to do it at any time of the year.

3. Svoge and the villages around

Of course you don’t have to be interested in trekking or even seeing natural places. Maybe you prefer cities and towns, that’s why you came to Sofia. But the capital isn’t Bulgaria – life in the country is different. Do you want to see it? Svoge is a small town of nearly 9,000 inhabitants and is just 30 – 60 minutes train ride away of Sofia. Great for one-day trip! At the same time it’s pretty developed – there are several restaurants, two hotels, many stores and places to have a drink.

If you decide to take the train you may also want to see the villages on the way from Sofia to Svoge. Small, rural, very peaceful and so close to the big city – this is what makes them cool for a trip.

4. Pazardjik

And if you prefer bigger towns that are still calm and quiet, Pazardjik is just 1-2 hours away of Sofia. It’s a nice sunny town that will give you idea how people outside of the big cities live. At the same time it’s large enough to have the malls, stores, and services that big cities have. If you get up early in the morning you can see Pazardjik in a day and then go back to the capital (assuming you are staying there). But don’t worry – if you want to sleep in Pazardjik, there are plenty of hotels.

5. Dobruja

Bulgaria is not just mountains. If you want to see the beauty of the plane areas, Dobruja is your place. Here “place” isn’t quite correct thing to say, because Dobruja is a large area covering big part of North-East Bulgaria (and South-East Romania). It’s also the place where the country grows most of its wheat. You are going to see large areas that are just flat with lots of golden wheat growing on it (assuming you come in the summer).

Dobruja landscape / Andrea de Poda

There are several bigger towns in Dobruja – Dobrich, Shumen, Targovishte, Varna, Ruse, etc. From any of them you can easily reach villages to see rural life, and the beauty of Dobruja. Varna is perhaps the easiest to reach by plane from abroad, or by a bus or train from Sofia. From Varna you can travel to Dobrich in less than an hour. And then you’ll be at the heart of Dobruja.

6. Razboishte Monastery

Are you interested in visiting monasteries? Bulgaria is famous for many of them. The most popular is of course Rila Monastery. But if you prefer something less popular and less commercial, I recommend you to visit the Razboishte Monastery. It’s located in the most western part of Bulgaria, and is still easy to reach from Sofia. First get a bus to the town of Godech – it will take about an hour. Then Razboishte village is just 10km away which can be taken by another bus or car. Then walk 1km to the monastery.

7. Hisarya

OK, here’s a little bit more “touristic” place. But still most of visitors to Bulgaria don’t manage to go there. Why should you go then? Because there are more than twenty different mineral springs which were the primary reason for founding the town ages ago. The quality of mineral waters in Hisarya is proven and the resort is famous for them in the whole world. But that’s not all – you can see historical stuff like Roman ruins preserved for centuries.

How to reach it? First go to Plovdiv – A big city a couple of hours away of Sofia. There are planes going to Plovdiv too. And from Plovdiv, buses to Hisarya go every 30 minutes during the day. The trip takes about 1 hour. There are many places where you sleep in Hisarya. If you prefer you can sleep in Plovdiv where you’ll find many hotels and youth hostels.

So how does it sound – eager to visit Bulgaria yet?

Want more ideas and information like this? Visit https://bulgariatravelhacker.com!

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Tower Bridge Tour / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Anders Thirsgaard Rasmussen

1) Original London Tour Company

This is the hop on hop off London Bus Tour that you will see going around London town all day every day (except Christmas). The buses run the same route every day and the tour lasts approximately two hours but you can jump off whenever you want and then hop back on again later in the day. Your ticket lasts for 24 hours so you have no rush. This is an ideal way to see London on a budget and with minimal fuss.

2) Jack the Ripper Tour

Follow the path that Jack The Ripper took across Whitechapel and hear the harrowing stories of how he picked his victims and how he viciously murdered them. This is definitely a tour you will want to take before you have eaten and is not recommended for those under twelve years old.

3) Buckingham Palace Tour

Se this magnificent palace in all its glory, the current residence of the Queen of England it is located right in the heart of London and is a wonderful symbol of Britain. Of course with 2012 being the Jubilee Year we have the Queens diamonds on display – these diamonds have been used by Her Royal Highness the Queen and her ancestors for the last 200 years also. This exhibition also includes a number of The Queen’s personal jewels – and those handed down to Her Majesty or those given to her during her time as Queen of England. It really is a fantastic collection of the most stunning jewels you may ever see.

4) The London Eye

The London Eye is over 135 metres tall and this makes it one of the worlds tallest big wheels! You can see all across London on it and its truly a magnificent place to see London. A full circulation takes approx 25 minutes and we would recommend seeing it at both night and day to get the different perspectives of London. It really is something that should not be missed.

The top 4 tours was compiled by Fiona Spelling a writer for Sightseeing Tours London who offer great value London and UK Tours including full day tours to Stonehenge.

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One thing that makes Stockholm so unique is that the large city is actually comprised of 14 separate islands, connected by a network of bridges. There are currently 50 bridges keeping Stockholm’s different areas within easy reach of each other, and many of these are attractions in their own right.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Mispahn

Despite the fact it is made up of islands, Stockholm has an enviably good public transport network, comprising trains, buses and underground subway trains. You can buy day passes that allow you to get around using any combination of these, as with most major European cities.

The climate in Stockholm is surprisingly mild for a Scandinavian country, though you will find that if you visit in December the days are incredibly short, with only 6 hours of daylight on the shortest day. By contrast, there are 18 hours of daylight at the mid point of summer.

There are so many things to see and do in Stockholm’s many thriving districts that there is certainly something for every traveller. You can check out the historical sights in the old town, or shop and socialise in the trendy districts of Norrmalm and Ostermalm. The nightlife is great, but be aware that drinks are very expensive in Sweden.

Stockholm is a truly great European destination for a city break, and with plenty of transport links and hotels it is easy to find a well priced deal for a trip there.

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Vastseliina castle was founded in the 14th century by German knights. It became the border point between the territories of the Teutonic Knights and the Russian area. Until the mid-19th century the area prospered. The castle is situated right on the road to Meremäe.

When you go to the castle away from the former Norman pub, on the left in the valley you will see Vastseliina Park, where a nice 15 km long circular hiking trail starts. This lead along the river up to the north to Suumremetse. Near the ruins there is a map with walking and cycling trails.

To Vastseliina castle you can get a regular bus connection from the metropolis Võru, which goes several times a day. Some buses then continue to the town of Missa.

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Euro Space Center is devoted to space and astronautics and it is one from the few such theme parks in Europe. Visitors have the opportunity to learn and test many devices and other things associated with flights or their preparations into the space. Euro Space Center offers the opportunity to try what kind of experience real astronauts enjoy, when they are going into space. The most popular attraction is about the spacecraft simulator and to try to walk on the moon. Euro Space Center aims to force young people to learn more about the space and various technologies associated with this industry. Therefore, they regularly organizes four-day camps for children from different countries of the European Union. They test here the various situations that may happen during space flight.

Euro Space Center is open from April to mid November, daily from 10:30 am to 17 pm. Tickets cost 11 EUR for adults and 10 euros for students. Children 6 to 12 years pay 8 EUR. Groups of at least 20 people paid 9.50 euros. There is an audio guide also in French, English, German and Flemish. There is free parking for cars and buses.

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