Tips for Taking Overnight Buses in Peru

Prior to traveling, the thought of taking overnight buses was often met with fear & anxiety. Everyone’s heard the horror stories of buses falling off cliffs, nasty things happening with not so awesome drivers and the like. After comparing the cost of overnight buses to flying however, penny pinching won out in the end and Mac & I have been overnight bus aficionados ever since! Our first overnight bus was in Colombia from Bogota to Cali. Since then we’ve taken a total of 3 overnight buses together with Mac taking an extra one while he was traveling in the north of Peru while I was at home. We’ve picked up some tips & tricks along the way and I thought they might help anyone else who is curious about taking overnight buses in Peru (or elsewhere).

Layers are Key

It may be 30C in the city you’re leaving, but the bus is guaranteed to be 50C colder. At least. Dress in layers, and even consider bringing a blanket (towels can also be used in this situation). You’ll think it’s weird, but we’ve been on the wrong side of the temperature battle one too many times. Even the locals bring extra blankets!

Another awesome piece of clothing I use religiously on bus rides is my Buff (the pink thing around my neck in the picture above). It’s essentially a long tube of fabric, but it rolls/folds up wonderfully to be used as an eye mask. It’s perfect for blocking out all the light from the bus & passing cars. Scarves could also be used. Mac also swears by using ear plugs. I find them uncomfortable, and they usually end up falling out, but they might be perfect for you if you need peace & quiet to sleep!

Seat Types

Prior to buying your tickets (see below), you’ll be presented with a few different options for seating on the bus. They’ll often be presented in terms of degrees. I.e., a 180 degree seat is one that quite literally reclines to a full horizontal position. aka. Bus Cama (bus bed). These are the most expensive option.

From there, you’ll hear Semi-Cama (usually 130-145 degrees). After that, you’re essentially just getting an upright seat, and no one wants to attempt to sleep in one of those!!

Buying the Tickets

We usually opt to go to the bus station the morning of the night we plan to take the overnight bus. This way you’re able to ensure that you can get seats together before the bus potentially fills up. Don’t be afraid to barter either! We’ve managed to knock off up to $20 on the price of our ticket just by saying a lower price & bargaining with the sales rep. They’ll often give you a price that’s higher than what’s listed on their website, so be sure to ask to see their webpage (if they have a computer available) and they’ll quickly lower the price to the correct one (or often, even lower than that). If you’re traveling with more than one person, it gives you better bargaining power too.

Invest in a Good Company

Walking into a bus station in a big city is nothing short of intimidating. There are SO MANY bus companies that it can be insanely overwhelming to try and decide who to pick. Through our travels, we’ve gathered names of popular AND reliable companies that operate in Peru. They are (in no particular order): MovilTours, Civa, Tepsa, Cruz del Sur, & Julsa.

These companies liberally check your tickets prior to boarding the bus, and are usually accompanied by a security guard with a video camera and a metal detector.

Some companies even serve snacks & meals. They’re nothing fancy (similar to low budget airplane meals), but it’s often a nice perk.

Be sure to ask prior to getting on the bus if pillows and/or blankets are provided. Mac got caught in this scenario once where there was a miscommunication & he thought there was going to be blankets, but there weren’t. He was a tad cold all night.

Securing Your Belongings

Aside from a teeny bit of room at your feet, there’s really not a whole lot of space for your belongings. What Mac and I do is pack our small day packs with our valuable items and carry them onto the bus with us. Our backpacks get locked up by us and placed in the cargo hold under the bus with everyone else’s belongings. If you go with a reputable company, you’ll be given a ticket that you’ll need to present when you get your bags back (the other half of the ticket will be stapled to your pack).

We have never had a problem with our luggage yet (knock on wood). We keep the day bags away from the aisle and close to the window while we’re sleeping.

Using the Bathroom

Yes. I’m going there. First things first. The toilets on buses are only meant to handle pee, so try to avoid eating a huge meal before the bus ride, & use the bathrooms in the bus station while you can! Immodium is also quite useful in these situations.

Secondly, there are good times and bad times to use the bathroom. Bad time? When the bus is pulling out of the station and/or not yet on the highway. In these situations, the buses stop and go (and stop and go) quite frequently. This means a lot of rocking back and forth and back and forth. Not really the best situation to be cramped in a small bathroom with one to few handles and a mirror that does not absorb blows from the head well. My advice? Wait until the bus is on the highway to go pee. You’ll be able to have a smoother experience (and one that doesn’t involve grasping at the air while you simultaneously try to do up your belt and hold on to a handle at the same time).

Also, there is often no water/soap on the buses, so having hand sanitizer available is key.

Be Prepared for Potential Stops

We’ve never run into this situation in Peru thankfully, but our overnight bus from Lago Agrio to Banos in Ecuador was not an enjoyable one. Whenever we crossed provincial lines, the bus would pull over, a policeman would come aboard and tell everyone that we needed to get off the bus. We then had to show some rather heavily armed men our passports before we were allowed to get back on the bus. The first stop happened only 1 hour into our journey, so no one was really asleep yet. But the second one happened at 1am! No one got a good sleep that night.

Another reminder: ALWAYS carry your passport with you.

In addition to border stops, some buses will often stop at other cities before their final destination. In this situation, the conductor will (sometimes) announce that you’ve arrived in x city and any passengers with this city as their final destination should depart now. We’ve never bought a ticket to anywhere less than the final destination, but if you do, try setting an alarm for the expected arrival time and let the conductor know your plans to get off early.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Plan to get to the bus station at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time. This will allow you to check your baggage, use the washroom (see above), and pay the exit tax (usually less than $1).

Also, plan to be on the bus for at least an hour longer than the scheduled bus duration. A 9 hour bus ride is usually 10 hours. Though we have had some buses arrive early, it’s been the odd minority.

Something else to consider is what time you’ll be arriving in your final destination city. If the bus ride is only going to be 8 hours, try getting a bus that leaves closer to 11pm or midnight to avoid arriving at 5:00am – it’s never fun to step off a bus in the pitch dark in a new city.

Any Questions?

Did I miss anything? Is there anything else you’d like to know about taking overnight buses in Peru (or elsewhere)? Let me know in the comments below or send me an email!