Traveling by Nightbus is a special experience. Special… yes that most definitly the correct word haha. The nice part about it in Turkey is that you have a hostess, like an airline a host/hostess walks the aisles bringing Chai tea, Cola, Water, or Coffee on request. In addition they provide access to Twinkies. Making them an essential part of enjoying 12 hours cramped in a small plastic and metal tube with crying children, masked women, and smoking men.
Have I mentioned that to be Turkish there is a prerequisite that you smoke? all joking aside if you’re easily offended by cigarette smoke, make sure you’re prepared for a rough time traveling in Greece and Turkey. There are very few places (mosques, historical building etcs) where it is prohibited, that list excludes buses.
The Night buses stop twice on their journeys… that is once they’ve left their cities. Out of the four nightbus trips two have been 12 hours, one 13, and another merely 7. A twelve hour trip made three 30 minute stops about once every four hours. Not too shabby!
The buses themselves are comfortable to an extent, but unless you’re able to sleep sitting up your in for a rough ride if your on the isle. as a larger person I don’t fit properly in the seats, when I sit up straight (IE comfortable) the head rest hits squarely on my shoulder blades. thus said the trips for me are hunched over stuffed against the window as a pillow. slouching for 12 hours can do some serious work on your back and as such stretching and sprawling has become an art form.
A 12 hour ride – Istanbul to Efes for example is around 50 lira or 25 dollars. That said its cheaper than a hotel. so making the trips at night saves in two ways, one you’re not trapped in a bus on a valuable day, and two you save the cost of your hotel for the night. now if they could install showers it would be perfect.
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