Coach holidays are a one in lifetime experience where you get to travel with a group of people on a coach, cruise, or rail. If you have already made plans to book a coach holiday, you need to start preparing for it. Travel preparations can take a toll you and that is why it is important for you to learn the following travel and packing tips:
1. Pack Your Belongings in a Medium-size Suitcase
When you are taking a coach tour, you are making pit stops all over the place. Throughout your journey, you will be checking into various hotels and hauling a large suitcase back and forth from the hotel to the bus and the bus to a hotel will drain your energy.
Instead, pack light, carry a backpack, and if need be, pack your clothes in a hand-carry or a medium-size suitcase. You can keep all your important documents such as your passport and tickets in your backpack.
2. Wear Comfortable Clothes
Do not dress to impress, but dress for comfort. You can expect to be sitting in the coach for several hours. Therefore, you need to be as comfortable as possible. You can wear sweatpants and a loose shirt.
However, the weather of the country you are taking a tour of will also influence your dress code. In most cases, coaches maintain a cool temperature, as it’s better to be cold than hot. If cold temperature causes you discomfort, carry a jacket or a sweatshirt with you.
3. Do Not Miss a Chance to do Laundry
If you are taking a tour lasting ten days or less, you do not need to do laundry. If your tour is longer than ten days and you are staying in a hotel for at least two days, you can use the hotel’s laundry service. If you are staying in the hotel for one day, you can wash the laundry in your room’s bathroom.
4. Have a Bottle of Water and Snacks
Since you will be travelling a great deal, you need to keep yourself hydrated. Don’t worry, most coaches offer bathroom facilities. You should also carry some snacks with you. You can munch on them as you look out the beautiful scenery outside your window.
5. Bring a Blanket
In case you feel sleepy and require some shut-eye until the next rest stop or destination, you need to create a comfortable environment. You can carry a blanket (like the one they offer in airplanes) with you. If you want, you can bring a neck pillow as well. If you want to block all the noise and light out, you can bring an eye mask and earplugs.
6. Use Your Smart Phone to Keep Yourself Entertained
For people who are travelling alone, a smart phone could come in handy for those long, boring, and silent rides on the coach. You can download games, travel guides, and GPS navigation to keep track of where you are going next and on how long it will take you to reach your next destination.
However, you also need to courteous to other passengers on the coach. Keep your phone on silent or vibrate. When you are listening to music, keep the volume low, as in a coach, the volume can emit through your earphones.
7. Carry Loose Change
You should carry loose change with you. When you stop at rest stops for instance, you may want to purchase something from the store. In some countries, some rest stops charges people to use their toilet facilities.
8. Take a Dictionary with You
If you are travelling to a country where the native tongue is not English, you should keep a dictionary with you so you can communicate with the locals. You should learn common phrases in their language such as “thank you, “welcome,” “how are you?” and more.
9. Bring an Umbrella
If the destination you are going to is prone to rainfall, you need to take an umbrella with you. It is better to be prepared than be sorry. If you are going with your partner, you should still take your own umbrella. By sharing an umbrella, you are not going to be half-dry and half wet. If you want, you can take a raincoat with you, but an umbrella will still be a more convenient choice.
10. Bring Two Pairs of Shoes
You need to wear comfortable shoes on your journey. You do not want to sleep in your sneakers or walk around the coach in them. When you get on the coach, you can slip into slippers or another pair of comfortable shoes. You can also just wear socks if you do not want to carry extra shoes.
11. Bring Reading Material with You
People who prefer to read on long journey instead of listening to music or playing games on their smart phone should bring a book or download books on their handheld device. They can bring more than one book, depending on how long their journey and their reading speed. Do not forget your charger, as most coaches offer power points for passengers to charger their electronic devices.
12. Bring Toothpaste, Toothbrush, and Deodorant
When you wake up from your sleep, you will need to refresh yourself. Bring face wash or wet wipes, toothpaste, toothbrush, and deodorant with you. When you wake up after a few hours, you can use the coach’s bathroom facility or wait for the coach to stop at a rest stop.
If you will be staying at a hotel for a day, you can wait until you reach your room. Before you can start packing, you need to book a coach holiday, but at the right time, as different holidays affect the rates.
When is the Best Time to Book a Coach Holiday?
Only if possible, you should book a coach holiday in off-season. The prices tend to increase during the holiday season. You want to avoid booking a coach holiday during summer holidays, New Year, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.