Traveling safely by bus or train – Tips for a safe bus/train trip when travelling alone

What should you think about when talking about traveling safely by bus or train? I have some examples for you to think about when you start solo backpacking. After all, if you’re traveling alone for the first time, you need to figure out what’s handy for all your stuff.

Traveling safely by bus or train

How to Travel safe by Bus & Train. Have you thought about that before traveling? Did you come up with a system on how to pack your things and why? Read my tips and get smarter with it!

How to pack your backpack

Be aware of where you put something away so you don’t always have to dig deep every time you need something. At some point, you’ll totally have a routine in there. This is a classic example of how to travel more safely and thus think less about everything.

And thus have time left over for all the fun things that safe travel entails!

So that’s the reason I think it’s important to always put my stuff in the same place. So I have fixed places for all my stuff. For that reason, I never have to search like crazy for certain items. I know where I have them and so I can quickly find them again. This works very pleasant and calming. Especially when I see some travellers diving into a bag for the second time to look for something 🙂

Doomsday scenario… but still. But how about people looking at you differently and seeing where you leave your various goodies in your bag to come back to you later to try and roll you over?

Tips for a safe bus/train trip when travelling alone

Luggage on Travel Days

How do you do that with your checked Luggage

The bags I carry with me on a travel day I can’t always keep with me, of course. Therefore, I carry several sizes of bags with me. My big backpack goes in the luggage compartment. I only see those again at the destination. You also always have to rely on someone else not taking it if it gets out earlier. Generally, no ticket is issued for your bag and when you arrive at your destination, you say pointing at your bag: ‘that’s mine’. And then you get your bag pressed into your hands.

I don’t know of situations of people that lost their bag like this. There probably are.. I also haven’t suspected anyone of taken anyone else’s bag either.

I do know the story of my friend Babette who lost her big suitcase in a hotellobby. She did see the one carrying it out thinking that it couldn’t be hers…but it was!! Another guest just took it from the saferoom where you leave your luggage sometimes on checkout days. I haven’t had that once, luckily!!

Train in Thailand, you see the luggage lying everywhere.

How to Travel Safe by Bus or Train

How do you do that with a small backpack?

All the luggage that matters I don’t lose it I have in the small backpack or shoulder bag. I will never give this one away and always keep it with me. Even if we have a short break or I am away from my seat for a while I take it with me. Firstly, it contains my passport, which I will keep close to me at all times. Then there are my wallet, phone and tablet/laptop in there. If I were to lose those items, I am fairly lost and will have to buy that new.

• Locks

There are, of course, locks you can use to close your bag. I have those with me just in case it is good to use them. But I have to be honoust, I hardly use them.

On most trips, I find them where I put them when I left home.

This might also be because I don’t have any essential items in my backpack. If you do use them then on the other hand that could indicate that there are valuables in the bag. You don’t get it right easily though if a malicious person is looking.

Traveling Safely by Bus & Train

Sleeping in bus or train

What if I want to sleep on a bus during the day? I always make sure I have the backpack on my lap. So I will always stay in contact with my backpack. Make sure that when you sleep you can’t unconsciously lose contact. If you have the bag on your lap and have to hold on to it, you can’t do that. If you let it go then you wake up.

When I take a night bus I make sure I use the bag as a pillow. If you use it as a pillow and it gets moved then you wake up.

On a sleeperbus, I love those!

(Train in India) Handluggage underneath my pillow

Who is sitting next to you?

If there is a neighbour, make sure to talk to him/her. Make eye contact and most of the time you will get some response. Most of the time it will happen naturally but if it doesn’t, it might be good to force it. If you get to know each other a bit, you get a little bit of a sense of responsibility for each other. And maybe if something happens, that person might help you. What if you forget something, that person might bring it after you and / or help you remember. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Traveling Safely by Bus or Train

Traveling Safely by Bus or Train? I  traveled a lot in the busses or trains of Asia. The busses have problems, yes. They stop sometimes because the bus doesn’t work anymore. But they’ll fix it! Everybody stays calm and they help fix the problem. If something like this happen in the Western world, it would be drama, everybody missing deadlines and the world is about to perish! In Asia this just happen… It is great to experience and see!

Just go and share your cookies with the local kids on the street and you’ll have a great break 🙂

So take a local bus and not just the luxurious tourist busses. For the long haul, it’s good and nice to have your space, but a local bus where you see everything being shipped in the bus...and which will stop because the lady wants to get her vegetables at that particular shop! How great is that! And I can assure you that the stops you will get to eat are a lot better then the touristic stops at restaurants for the tourists… If you want a good meal? The locals knows best!

Read my blog about traveling by local bus in Myanmar

I hope you can use my tips for the better! We need to Travel the World and Keep Safe. Feeling safe is as important as being safe. Most of the time the feeling is more prominent then the actual not being safe… That is how our community works… Be aware of that!

Be Confident and be Alert!

Would you read some more of my tips?

Safe Travel – Anti-Theft Tips for you Day Bag

How to Increase your Safety during Dark Hours – Delhi

What to do When you Get Robbed?

Safe Cycling in Sweden – Kattegattleden

Almost a Victim of a Changing Scam