Bus Travel with Children and Elderly Parents: A Practical Family Guide

A family trip by bus can be one of the best parts of a holiday, or the most tiring. The difference is usually planning. When you are travelling with small children, elderly parents or both, a few choices made before you book make the whole journey easier. This guide covers bus travel with children and elderly relatives: seats, timing, breaks, food, motion sickness, accessibility and the documents to carry.

For general advice on long journeys, see our long-distance bus travel tips. This article focuses on what changes when you travel as a family.

Planning the trip

Choose a realistic destination

Long journeys are hardest on the very young and the very old. For a first family trip, a destination a few hours away is often wiser than the longest route in the country. Within easy reach of Dhaka are Panam City and the shade of Bhawal National Park. From Chattogram, an afternoon at Foy’s Lake is an easy outing. For a longer holiday, the open beach at Cox’s Bazar, the Dulahazara Safari Park on the way, or the tea gardens of Sreemangal all suit families.

Pick the season

Heat is hard on children and older people alike. The cool months from November to February are the most comfortable for most trips; our guide to the best time to visit Bangladesh covers the rest of the year. If you travel in summer, choose an AC bus; see AC vs non-AC.

Avoid the busiest days

Terminals before Eid and long holidays are crowded and stressful, especially with a wheelchair, a pram or a tired child. If you can, travel a day or two away from the peak, or mid-week.

Booking the right seats

Book early and sit together

Book as soon as your dates are fixed, so you can choose seats side by side. When you search buses, check the seat plan and pick a block of seats together rather than scattered singles.

Where to sit

• Middle of the bus usually gives the smoothest ride, which matters for anyone prone to travel sickness.
• Avoid the back row, where bumps are felt most.
• Aisle seats suit elderly travellers who need to stand up or stretch their legs; a window seat suits a child who likes to look out, or anyone who wants to lean and sleep.
• Near the front, close to the door, is easier for someone who finds walking down a moving bus difficult.

Children’s tickets

Rules for children differ between bus companies: whether a small child needs a ticket, and whether a child on a parent’s lap is allowed. Check the fare rules for your bus before you pay, and if in doubt, book a seat. A child with their own seat sleeps better, and so do you.

Day bus or night bus?

Day buses are usually better for elderly travellers who sleep poorly in a seat, need medicines at fixed times or want daylight at the stops. They also let children see the countryside, which keeps them busy.

Night buses can work well for children who sleep easily, because much of the journey passes while they are asleep. Arriving early in the morning is tiring for older people, though, so make sure you have somewhere to rest when you arrive.

On the road

Breaks

Long-distance buses stop for breaks on the way. Use every stop: walk, stretch and use the toilet, even if no one feels the need. Do not count on a toilet on board. Keep an eye on the time and on where the bus is parked, and keep children close in crowded stop areas.

Food and water

• Carry plenty of water and food you know your family eats: dry snacks, fruit, biscuits.
• Eat light before and during the journey; heavy, oily food makes travel sickness worse.
• Bring any special food for infants, and a flask if you need warm water.

Motion sickness

• Sit in the middle or towards the front and look out of the window, not at a screen.
• Keep some fresh air if you can, and avoid strong smells.
• Carry sick bags, tissues, wet wipes and a change of clothes for children.
• If a doctor has advised medicine for travel sickness, give it before the bus leaves.

Keeping warm and comfortable

AC buses get cold, especially at night. Carry a shawl or light blanket for older passengers and an extra layer for children. A neck pillow helps everyone sleep.

Accessibility and older travellers

Intercity coaches often have steep steps, and the aisle is narrow. If someone in your group has limited mobility:

• Arrive early at the boarding point, so there is time to board without a rush.
• Ask the bus staff for help with the steps and with luggage.
• Choose seats near the door.
• Keep a walking stick within reach rather than in the hold.
• Fold a wheelchair or pram and check with the bus company in advance that it can go in the luggage hold.

Documents and essentials

• Your ticket, saved on your phone and opened before you leave home.
• Identity documents for adults, and your child’s birth certificate or other ID if you think you may need it, for example at a hotel.
• Medicines in your hand luggage, with prescriptions for regular medicine and a few extra days’ supply.
• A list of contacts and any medical information for older relatives.
• A power bank, so your phone and ticket never run out of charge.

Before you go

Share the bus details and expected arrival time with someone at home, and treat the arrival time as an estimate. When everything is ready, search buses for your family’s route and book your seats together.