Bus and Coach Sickness
While long distance coaches offer a reasonable experience for most people, local buses can be another story. Anyone prone to motion sickness has to contend with a combination of cramped seats, stuffy atmosphere, engine fumes, jerky vibrations and constant starting and stopping.Personally, I have a problem with the swaying movement as the bus lurches around bends, and the engine fumes (which is worst towards the back of the bus).
You'll feel better sitting right at the front, as close to the driver as possible. Face forwards and try to look out through the front windshield. Follow the route with your eyes, anticipating any bends in the road, bus stops etc. Try to open a nearby window if possible. Listening to music with headphones may help, but trying to read will only make things worse.
Coaches typically stop less frequently, use main roads and have a higher passenger area with more comfortable seats. Nevertheless, if you are prone to sickness, it's not wise to try to read. Sit back in your seat, relax and try to focus your attention onto something not travel-related. Many coaches have a air vent over each seat. Turn this to direct the air onto your face.
Carry a bottle of water with you and take regular sips from it. You may also find it helpful to suck on peppermints of other candies. Avoid anything greasy such as potato chips.
With both buses and coaches, if you think you're going to be actively ill tell the driver! The embarrassment of having the bus stop for you pales into insignificance compared with the misery of vomiting on board.
See also:
- See Preventing Motion Sickness: Overview of the Options for more helpful suggestions on how to alleviate sea sickness, including remedies, treatments and medications.
- Traveling by car? For specific advice, see Car Sickness
In my experience, the nausea is less while travelling in a sleeper than on a seat.
And, could there be a psychosomatic aspect to this - Are claustrophobic people more likely to vomit than others?
However, we have 2 coach companies. I don't know why I always get sick on one of them and very rarely on my favourite one. So, I was told one time that the seat height from the ground can contribute to these sicknesses, I'm not sure although this might explain why I'm getting sick on one coach and not on the other.
I'm on the bus now and I usually select any seat in the middle. Never in the front or I easily get sick. I try to avoid back seats as a lot of young ppl (sometimes drunk or smelly) select those seats. I usually go on 2:30 h-long journeys, and overall, I'm fine as long as there's no bad smells.
Motion Sickness - While travelling in trains, buses and mainly A.C. coaches, I feel like vomiting. Opening the window beside me and enjoying the scenery with the air coming in helps me, or talking to someone, having candy also helps. Trying to read anything - even a message in my phone surely makes me fall sick. Sitting at the middle is best.
Odour Sickness - I did not have this sickness since childhood. But this slowly increased with my age. I feel ill in any kind of artificial smells such as perfumes, incense sticks, etc. But NOT natural ones such smell of flowers, delicious meals, etc. Have not yet found any prevention to this. It just makes me fall sick.
When I was a kid, I never had problems on the bus or in the car. Only once I got violently sick on the boat and hated it so much! But ever since I became a driver, I somehow lost the ability to be a passenger. So the idea of looking on the road, as if I was driving, kinda makes sense. Also, at some health food stores I saw these inhaler sticks. Apparently certain smells can ease the motion sickness. I guess I will give it a try also.
I decided to take a bus to work 40 minutes each way since yesterday, and I need to find a working solution, otherwise I will have to go back to driving and wasting time and money in traffic! Good luck to everyone who struggles with motion sickness.
1. NO heavy meals prior to the trip.
2. NO texting or even fb on phone during a bus ride.
3. DO NOT turn around much, unless it's absolutely necessary. Look straight or slightly upwards with your head relaxed on the head rest.
4. DO NOT sleep during the day if it's a night trip. Please do not waste the precious sleep-time. Use it during your travel.
5. Take long breaths.
6. Carry a ginger candy. Chew on it immediately after you board the bus.
7. Keep sipping water while on board.
8. DO NOT sit in the back seat.
9. Choose a bus that has minimum number of stops.
10. Listen to music or talk to a friend over phone.
11. Make stretching a habit. Exercise regularly.