Seats, Kids and Luggage: The Small Decisions That Make a Long Coach Ride Pleasant

A six hour coach ride is either a pleasant stretch of reading and scenery or a long afternoon of small discomforts, and the difference is mostly decided before you board. Here are the choices that matter, and how to make them when you book with us.

Where you sit

On many routes the operator assigns seats automatically and that is perfectly fine, you will have a seat and so will everyone travelling with you. On routes where the operator offers it, you can instead pick your exact seat from a plan of the coach for a small fee. The window seat towards the front if you get queasy, the pair of seats at the back if you want to stretch out, the row away from the toilet if you plan to sleep. When you book for several people the plan lets you keep everyone together, which on a full coach is the thing people care about most. If seat selection is available it appears as an option after you have chosen your departure, with the fee shown before you decide.

Travelling with children

Children generally travel at a reduced fare and babies at a much reduced one, and both are shown separately when you pick how many passengers are travelling. The exact age bands are the operator's and are stated on the route. A baby fare typically means a child on a lap rather than a seat of their own, so if you would rather your toddler had a seat, book them as a child. Bring the documents for every passenger on international routes, including the little ones, because the border does not make exceptions and neither does the driver's list.

Luggage

Every route shows its baggage allowance, the number of bags that go in the hold and the weight each can be, along with what you can carry on. Allowances differ between operators and between domestic and international coaches, so look before you pack rather than at the kerb. If you are travelling with something unusual, a bicycle, a large instrument, a pushchair that does not fold, contact the operator ahead of time. Most will find room, few will promise it on the day.

What is on board

Coaches in the region range from the basic to the genuinely comfortable, and the results tell you which is which. We list the amenities each operator declares for the route, things like wifi, a toilet on board, air conditioning, reclining seats, charging sockets and onboard entertainment, and you can filter the results to show only coaches that have what you care about. On a long daytime run a toilet and a charging socket are worth more than a euro of difference in the fare. On a night coach, reclining seats are worth almost anything.

The rest is habit

Bring water and something to eat, because stops are where the driver decides they are. Bring a layer, because air conditioning here is enthusiastic. Download what you want to watch before you leave, because wifi on a mountain road is a hopeful description. And arrive early enough to see your bag go into the hold with your own eyes, which is the oldest piece of coach advice there is and still the best.