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Dublin: 11 °C Friday 15 November, 2024

8 unique experiences you'll only have taking the bus down home

Need to travel to an obscure boreen somewhere in the west of Ireland? Jump on board.

BUS EIREANN, JJ Kavanagh’s, Matthew’s, to name but a few – the humble regional bus service is integral to keeping Ireland ticking over nicely.

Certain unique elements make a regional bus journey like no other travel experience on earth. Here are just a few of those things.

A particular feeling of dread when someone wants to sit beside you

busseats AllAboutBuses AllAboutBuses

It’s different on a regional bus, with hours and hours stretching out before you with no escape and no personal space. PLEASE DON’T SIT THERE.

Stand clear, luggage doors OPERATIN’

A highlight of travelling with Bus Éireann is the man who jauntily announces that the luggage doors are opening. Who is this man? What does he look like?

Rob Carlile / YouTube

Well? Does he?

Getting a ten minute break on long journeys

reststopbus Flickr / Ambernectar 13 Flickr / Ambernectar 13 / Ambernectar 13

Just enough time to get in a toilet break, a sup of tay and a bag of crisps before you begin the next two/three hours of torture.

Constantly battling with the air con

windygif Flipkey.com Flipkey.com

One minute you’re freezing. The next minute you’re pressing your face against the cold glass of the window, praying for water, a fan, another rest stop…anything.

WiFi? You’re joking

buseireannbus Flickr / Canadian Pacific Flickr / Canadian Pacific / Canadian Pacific

Advocates of ‘looking up’ will be pleased to know that WiFi on a bus is entirely dependent on a few factors – location of bus, location of passenger on bus, gravitational pull of the moon, etc…

Attempting to solve the timetable riddle

So the 5.45pm bus to Killarney goes every day except Fridays and Sundays?

britney-confused-gif Thegloss Thegloss

And the 8.30am service to Letterkenny runs only on the second Thursday of every month with access granted only to those who enter a secret code into the ticket machine?

christianbale TheHollywoodSigh TheHollywoodSigh

…Got it.

Having to go through every small town and village

Charlestown Wikimedia Wikimedia

There’s no guarantees, but someone just might want to get on there. So we’ll go there.

At least you get to see the country! Right?!

And realising that the bus is dominated by one of two groups of people

Students.

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Senior citizens.

tumblr_mh8yxcIFIJ1rmlt4jo1_500_large BlogSpot BlogSpot

Everyone else is in the minority, and you better accept that.

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Author
Valerie Loftus
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