Showerthought: I thought overnight buses were a terrible idea until I took one from Lisbon to Madrid.

Saved a hotel night and the $45 ticket got me right into the city center by 7 AM. Anyone know other routes where this actually works well?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_troy2mo ago

Yeah the "saved a hotel night" part is the real key. I've noticed a lot of travel is just moving money from one pocket to another, so when you can cut out a whole cost like that it changes the game. Did the same thing on a bus from Berlin to Prague once and it just felt smart, like you beat the system. Makes the slightly rough sleep totally worth it.

keith9002mo ago

Ever notice how the best life hacks are just finding the overlap between two needs? Like @the_troy said, moving money from one pocket to another. It's not just travel. It's grabbing a big lunch special so you have dinner covered. Or biking to work to skip the gym fee. That bus trick works because it solves for transport and lodging at once. Finding those two for one deals in daily life feels like a small win.

lilyp372mo ago

Totally get what you mean about beating the system, @keith900. I did something like that on a train from Paris to Venice. Saved the hotel cost and woke up almost there. It does feel rough, but that win makes up for it. You're right that finding those overlaps is the real hack. It turns a normal trip into a clever puzzle you solved.

hall.joel1mo ago

$35 for a terrible seat on a bus from Berlin to Prague where you can't even lean back because the guy behind you is asleep on your head. Then you roll into Prague at 6am with a stiff neck and nowhere to drop your bag until 3pm. So you drag a backpack through the old town square for nine hours smelling like a bus seat. The "hotel savings" just got eaten up by a coffee shop you had to sit in for four hours ordering one croissant and three teas. Its not always the win people make it out to be.