Travelling abroad by bus: what to check in advance

Documents — check ahead of time

Requirements depend on your destination, any transit countries and your citizenship: an international passport, a visa or visa-free entry, permits for children. Don’t rely on what friends tell you — check the current requirements with official sources and confirm the details with the carrier: they see every day which documents get passengers through.

Check your passport’s expiry date separately: many countries require it to be valid for several months beyond your return date.

The border: allow extra time

Crossing the border by bus can take anywhere from half an hour to several hours — it depends on the queue, not on the carrier. Don’t plan connections or meetings too close to the scheduled arrival time.

At the border, listen to the driver: they’ll tell you when to get off with your documents and when to get back on the bus.

Money and connectivity

• Check that your card works abroad, and carry a little cash in the local currency of your destination.
• Turn on roaming or set up an eSIM in advance — you’ll want a connection at the border.
• Save an offline map of your arrival city and the address you’re heading to.

Luggage on international routes

Allowances are set by the carrier — check them on the carrier’s page before you travel. And don’t take food or items across the border that are banned from import into your destination country: it’s worth looking those lists up in advance too.