The Greyhound Experience

Greyhound is one of the most successful and recognized luxury bus service companies in the world. Greyhound South Africa offers routes that range between provinces, cities and even countries. The biggest international routes offered by Greyhound include South Africa to Zimbabwe, South Africa to Mozambique and South Africa to Namibia, as well as frequent trips between Johannesburg and various other cities in SA.

Going on a long journey is something most of us have experienced, and it is something that can be filled with stress even if you’re travelling in a car. Bus travel, however, is a whole different ball game. One of the most important differences between travelling in a car and travelling in a bus, especially during a long trip, is that you will be surrounded by strangers.

Being on a bus with strangers means that there are certain things that you would want to do, etiquette-wise so that the ride remains pleasant for everyone involved.
Firstly, know your boundaries. Being in a cramped space means that you will not have much freedom in terms of where you can store (or scatter, if you wish) your stuff. Keep to your own section as much as possible, and be accommodating if there are little things that need to be shared over between you and your neighbor.

Secondly, remember: you are going to be spending the next few hour sitting next to someone, so the least you can do is show some common courtesy. Be friendly and exchange a few words with the person sitting next to you. Make sure you both understand what you are going to be doing. For example, if they have a music player that is a little bit too loud, ask them nicely to turn it down. There is usually no need to cause a commotion, and most people are usually willing to share space quite easily if they are treated fairly.

Included in your personal space are your behavioral patterns. As you may know, certain habits don’t translate well in the public sphere, so just remember that you are in fact in public, so showing some common decency is recommended.

Then, to make things easier and more comfortable for yourself during the trip, here are a few simple tips, courtesy of Helium.com:

• Firstly, if you are travel-sick or allergic to anything then make sure you have your medication, because you never know if there will be any delays making the journey longer and therefore you should be prepared for lasting the extra hour or so. Another reason, is if before you set off, you have completely forgotten to take them, you will have them with you.

• Secondly, take entertainment. Portable games and mp3's can come in extremely useful, but most importantly make sure you have headphones as the person you are sat next to may be trying to read or just trying to enjoy the peace. Be careful when choosing which to take however, as some games grow tedious very quickly and so perhaps a book would be more useful to you. After all, you do not want to end up having to take an enormous bag full of useless things.

• Next, make sure you have a drink or maybe even snacks. If the journey is very long, you are bound to get hungry or thirsty, although, water would be most useful as other drinks can leave you feeling more thirsty and sandwiches that have vegetables (like lettuce) so that you can stay healthy. Also, taking simpler foods means less rubbish/packaging to carry around afterwards.

• Another idea would be to try and keep everything in one bag, that way you are less likely to forget things. It, also, makes it easier to carry around. Your bag should be readily packed night/day before your journey so that you can feel less rushed before you leave. Additionally, this can give you time to think about how you want to organize your bag making it easier to find things during your trip. 

• For your clothing, make sure it is comfortable as you will be sat in the same outfit for a long time. Make it suitable for warm and cold temperatures, for example, if you wear a jumper and it gets warmer, you can take it off and be in your t-shirt but equally, if it gets colder, have a scarf/hat ready in your bag to put on. Your footwear also needs to be comfortable so that if there are any bus changes in your journey, walking from one to the other won't be as difficult. This means that new shoes are definitely a bad idea.

• Finally, take anything that you have specifically decided you want to use, for example, if you plan on sleeping for most of the journey, then an eye-mask and earplugs may be extremely useful or if you want to read a book, obviously, don't forget your book, but taking a bookmark or travel light would also be handy. 

And remember, don't panic, you're going on a lovely trip, try and enjoy yourself!





For more information on Greyhound South Africa and the routes available from your city, visit the Greyhound South Africa website and find your area.