Long Distance Travel: How to Cope with Long Travel Days

When planning a new trip, we’re often if not always mesmerized by the pictures of the places we want to go to.

I don’t know about you, but when I see a picture of a deserted beach, some mysterious ruins in the jungle or even someone drinking shots of tequila in some seedy bar in Colombia, I’m already halfway to booking it.

However when the day comes, the reality of getting there kicks in!

Below we’ll look at how to cope with long distance travel, how to prepare, and whether it’s better to do a trip in one go or to break it up over separate legs.

Long Distance Travel Tips

Everyone’s different when it comes to travelling long distances.

Some are better at hacking mammoth trips, whereas others get agitated after only a few hours on the road.

Distances in Latin America can be huge. I mean we’re talking dozens of hours on a bus, especially in countries like Brazil and Chile.

Whilst buses are often the cheapest, every now and then you’ll find flights that are a similar price, and get you there in just a fraction of the time!

Then there’s also getting to your first destination from home, which can be a lot longer if coming from another continent.

My last trip took me about 26 hours to reach my destination (San Luis Potosí in Mexico from the UK meant a 9+ hour flight followed by an overnight bus).

Coping with Long Distances

I do think coping comes with experience, and after a while you simply start accepting and getting used to the fact that if you wanna get on the ride, then you first have to pay the ticket.

Personally, I’d call a long day of travel anything from 7+ hours long.

On these days, I try to get everything prepared in good time before I’ve left (whether leaving from home or traveling from one place to the next).

In some instances it’ll be spontaneous and you can’t, however even then a small amount of planning is better than nothing, which is key to avoid creating unnecessary stress.

There’s definitely ways to help pass the time, and keeping yourself calm and rested along the way.

Some ideas before traveling include getting your phones charged and stacking up on music and other things to distract yourself. It’s a good idea to bring a long-lasting Power Bank on the longer rides.

I made a habit of writing, although you can do pretty much (almost) anything to pass the time, such as talking to other people on the bus or plane.

Long Distance Travel Strategies

Strategy A

Breaking Up a Long Distance Trip Into Several Legs

Breaking up long travel into several legs is quite a smart way of doing it.

For those who aren’t strapped for time, you can easily stay in small towns along the way.

In Latin America, often these are gems in their own right to visit!

Aside from seeing other cool places, you’ll avoid getting too tired and stressed, among other things.

If flying internationally over many time zones, then you may even avoid jet lag to some degree if you’re able to stop in several legs along the way.

Of course this depends on the time you have. Another advantage is that you may be able to save money, especially if opting for flights that have many connections rather than the direct ones.

Strategy B

Tackling a Long Distance Trip in One-Go

On the flip side, you may prefer to get all the travel out the way as quickly as possible.

The benefits of this include not wasting time, especially if you don’t have much time traveling or need to be somewhere.

It’s also usually cheaper, as you won’t be spending on accommodation for multiple nights in different places.

Although, sometimes there are the flights with crazy long stopovers which are pretty cheap, however you’ll need to work-out for yourself which seems better for the wallet.

Personally, I like to go hard and do it all in one.

This is mostly because I don’t like idle time when I can already be where I actually want to be.

It also depends on my mood, and if I wanna see some off the beaten path gems along the way. Or if I’m just feeling pretty stubborn too (which is quite a lot of the time to be honest haha).

Another thing to keep in mind is the time of day. For example, if you have an 8-hour bus then it’s smarter to make the trip during the night as to avoid paying for a room, as well as saving daylight.

Also, you can sleep uninterrupted without hassle. I don’t know about you, but I’m not that keen on getting off a bus at 3am to change in some random bus station…

As always, be sure to bring a secure padlock (we recommend this one) to keep your bags secure when you’re sleeping on public transportation.

Long Distance Travel: Final Words

Long distances are part of the backpacking groove, and Latin America is no stranger to time on the road.

Whether heading for a month or traveling for a few years, you’ll need to accept these long distances, and even try to embrace them if possible (unless you want to fly, but this will get expensive quickly).

In this article I’ve given my own tips on how to handle long distances. This includes preparing properly, getting your distractions ready and also considering whether or not to break a long trip up into several smaller legs.

Feel free to read our backpacking South America guide for tips on how to manage your long travel days and how to navigate public transport.

If you have any questions or tips, leave a comment below!

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