bus

A solo female backpacker boarded a sleeper bus in Cambodia only to be greeted with an awkward surprise. She shared details about the uncomfortable situation online

An Australian backpacker was left baffled during a recent journey on a sleeper bus in Cambodia when she discovered an awkward surprise waiting for her as she boarded the bus.

Budget travellers often opt for overnight bus and train journeys as they’re typically more affordable than daytime travel whilst providing accommodation for the night at no additional cost. But one solo backpack traveller was forced to question just how far she’d go to save a few quid when she realised she’d have to share a tiny double bed with a complete stranger during her recent overnight bus trip in Cambodia.

Eden Kelly, 26, from Australia turned to Instagram to document the moment she climbed aboard a bus in the South Asian nation, only to find an unexpected bedmate already settled in the bed they were meant to share.

“10.5 hrs on a sleeper bus being paired with a total stranger in a SMALL double bed,” she penned in her post’s caption.

“Literally that’s what you share with someone,” Eden explained at the beginning of her video, displaying the cramped double beds in question. “And because I’m travelling solo, I share with a random [person]. Don’t know what gender, don’t know who they are.”

You can watch the reel here if the video post above isn’t working

The following clip showed Eden revealing a man already lying in the bed, enthusiastically waving hello to the camera.

Eden was then filmed having climbed into the narrow bed alongside the stranger, sitting upright whilst he remained lying down. Eden described the situation as ‘one of the most awkward’ she’d ever experienced, laughing nervously at her predicament.

She noticed a British couple she’d met earlier on her travels were nearby, so she quickly moved to chat with them, hoping to escape the discomfort of sharing a bed with a stranger.

Returning to her bed, she discovered that her unexpected bedfellow had requested a change of beds, leaving Eden alone and somewhat disappointed.

“I’m offended, a little bit sad, but it’s fine because now I get a whole bed to myself,” Eden shared with her viewers.

Viewers were quick to share their thoughts in the comments section, with many questioning why the man from the British couple hadn’t offered to swap beds with Eden, seeing she was clearly uncomfortable.

“Why didn’t you stay with your female friend and your male friend go with a stranger?” one viewer queried.

In response, Eden explained: “Hi all, I met them (the British couple) on a tour 12 hours before getting the bus. I might’ve ended up being a girlfriend snatcher. They did not AT ALL need to offer to swap beds as I was pretty much a stranger to them too!!! Xx”.

Another viewer chimed in: “I would’ve booked 2 spots, ain’t NO WAY I’d share an overnight bus and a bed with a stranger.”

Yet, another individual countered: “If someone came to the spot next to me constantly recording, including putting me on their video. I wouldn’t feel great about that, glad he could be more comfortable somewhere else.”

Nov. 14 (UPI) — A bus crash Friday in Stockholm left several dead after it ran into a bus facility, Swedish law enforcement officials said.

The double-decker bus crash took place around 3 p.m. in the Ostermalm area with multiple others seriously injured.

Police did not give an exact number of casualties.

Officials confirmed the only person on board was the driver, who was arrested.

Authorities cornered off Valhallavägen, the street near where the crash happened, close to the city’s Royal Institute of Technology.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

“I have received the tragic news that several people have lost their lives and been injured at a bus stop in central Stockholm,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote Friday morning on X, adding victims were “people who may have been on their way home to family, friends or a quiet evening at home.”

The bus is owned by France-based global transport company Transdev, which confirmed the deadly incident.

The bus was not supposed to be in service at the time it crashed, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported, according to EuroNews.

“We do not yet know the cause of this, but right now my thoughts are primarily with those who have been affected and their loved ones,” Kristersson stated.

Sweden’s head of government went on to say police and rescue services “now have a very difficult and important job to do.”

Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch said she was “closely following the developments and is in close contact with the relevant authorities.”

Police were investigating the crash as a possible case of aggravated or involuntary manslaughter.

“I urge everyone to show consideration and understanding for their tasks,” Kristersson said.

Swedish police say no information the Stockholm bus accident was an attack, without giving numbers of those killed.

Several people have been killed and injured when a bus hit a bus stop in central Stockholm, Swedish police said, adding that they had no information pointing to it being an attack.

There were six casualties in the incident on Friday, a spokesperson for Stockholm’s rescue services said, without giving the numbers of those killed and injured.

The spokesperson said there were no passengers on the bus at the time.

“It is being investigated as involuntary manslaughter. The bus driver has been arrested, but that is routine in such an incident,” a police spokesperson said.

Health authorities spokesperson Michelle Marcher told the AFP news agency that two seriously injured people had been transported to hospital.

Police said that several people were hit, but they were not immediately providing information on their number, gender or ages.

Ambulances, police and rescue services were working at the scene, they added.

A picture on daily Aftonbladet’s website showed emergency services at the site, surrounding a blue double-decker bus, with debris scattered around the vehicle.

The incident occurred near the Royal Institute of Technology university, police said.

‘Unreal’

A woman identified as Michelle Mac Key told the daily newspaper Expressen she stepped off another bus at the scene just after the accident happened.

“I crossed the road and saw the double-decker bus that had mowed down an entire bus stop queue,” she said. People were screaming and trying to help the injured.

She said she saw both injured and dead people lying on the ground. “There must have been more people under the bus,” she said.

A nurse by profession, she and another man who was a doctor, offered their help to police when they arrived.

“They told us to stand next to the dead bodies,” she said. “I thought it was an exercise at first. That maybe they were dolls. It was so unreal. Chaos.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his thoughts were with the victims and their families.

“I have received the tragic news that several people have died and been injured at a bus stop in central Stockholm,” he wrote on X.

“People who might have been on their way home to family, friends, or a quiet evening at home. We do not yet know the cause, but right now my thoughts are primarily with those affected and their loved ones.”

The Transoceânica bus provides a direct link between Peru’s capital Lima and Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, but despite the luxury destinations, the bus’s journey is far from glam

Taking a long bus journey while travelling the globe may not be too uncommon – a brief watch of BBC’s hit Race Across the World shows that.

But nothing comes close to attempting the longest direct route in the world. The journey spans across the width of an entire continent, with passengers travelling as many as 3,900 miles and passing through 30 different cities.

The Transoceânica bus has been described as “brutal” by those who have braved the entire five-day journey between Lima, Peru and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But while the two nations are famed for their natural beauty and amazing landscapes, the Transoceânica does little to actually show this.

According to testimonies, the journey is a long slog, as passengers battle for comfort while passing through rather dismal looking areas of both Peru and Brazil. However, to reach the final destination, many travellers say, is entirely worth it.

Passing through some of the most well known cities in Brazil, including Rio and São Paulo, the bus stops at 30 different locations where cleaners hop on board to clean the bus while people stretch their legs. There are various amenities passengers can use while on the bus, including Wi-Fi, filtered water, USB ports and toilets, according to Diario do Comercio.

Costing around 1,300 Brazilian reals (£187) one way, the company claims that the bus — known as a “semi-sleeper” — has soft and comfortable seats. But voyagers who have taken on the challenge themselves have had different things to say about their experience.

YouTuber Noel Philips said his experience was subpar, describing his time on the bus as “absolute hell”. He added that on the bus, it appears that personal space is a virtually non-existent concept.

In a video documenting the trip, Noel said: “Nobody has [headphones]; everyone just plays everything on full blast. And when they can’t hear it above everybody else’s, they just turn theirs up so in the end you just have 15 phones playing different things at 55,000 decibels.”

He added that the journey through Peru was filled with interesting landscapes and phenomenal and breathtaking views. But once they cleared border control and entered Brazil, things became rather repetitive, admitting the route does not exactly show the full breadth of either country’s natural beauty.

As well as this, poor Neil was seen complaining about the constant delays the bus faced as they journeyed through the mountains, complaining at the lack of heating on the bus. They were also beset by delays, as roadworks and slow tankers hampered their progress and risked turning a five-day journey into six.

Meanwhile, one Brazilian traveller documented his own experience on the bus as it passed through the Andes mountains and into the Amazon. He explained that with not much to do, many passengers end up chatting about deep and important topics.

While going through the southwest of Brazil, he spoke with the other passengers, after a debate was struck up about which was the best version of ceviche, one of Peru’s national dishes. Many of the passengers joked their own homemade versions of the dish were better, as the morale between those who were travelling seemed high.

But despite the hefty journey that people undertake to get from one side of South America to the other, the bus does not appear to run all year round. Operated by Brazilian bus company Trans Acreana, a timetable for the bus for the rest of the year or into 2026 seems to not exist.

The age at which you can get a free bus pass can differ greatly depending on where you are based

People across the nation could be in line for additional assistance with their travel expenses, including a bus pass offering free or discounted journeys on local bus services. No matter where you reside in the UK, there is a plethora of schemes designed to make public transport more wallet-friendly, though not everyone will qualify.

Eligibility can vary greatly depending on your location within the UK. For instance, the age at which you can receive a free bus pass can differ significantly if you are located in England, Scotland, or Wales.

Most of the complimentary bus passes nationwide are primarily reserved for the elderly, especially after the government confirmed it will abandon a proposed trial of free bus passes for anyone under 22 in England. As per a BBC report, the government stated that there were no funds available to support the scheme during the current spending review period, which runs until 2028/29.

Continue reading for a comprehensive overview of all the available assistance.

England

In England, pensioners become eligible for a free bus pass when they hit the state pension age of 66, which applies to both men and women. So, if you were born in 1959, you will be able to get your hands on the free bus pass this year.

You can apply for this scheme through your local council under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme, although the actual name of the bus pass may change depending on where you live.

When applying, you might be asked to provide a passport-style photo as well as a document proving your age and address. However, there is one city in England that has slightly different rules.

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London

Free travel on buses, tubes and other transport is available from the age of 60, but this is only within London. This can be accessed via the 60+ London Oyster photocard which also allows you to get free transport on Transport for London services anytime Monday to Friday, except between 4.30am and 9am.

Further details of free bus travel in England can be found here.

Scotland

In Scotland, once you hit 60, you can get your hands on a National Entitlement Card which gives you free bus travel all over Scotland. However, bear in mind that this Scottish concessionary travel only applies to registered local and long-distance bus services.

So, certain premium-fare services, tours, excursions and group hire services aren’t part of the deal. If you are also between the age of five and 21, you may also be eligible for a National Entitlement Card (NEC) which allows you to access the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme.

Further details on free bus travel for older people in Scotland can be found here.. Meanwhile, further details on free bus travel for younger people in Scotland can be found here.

Wales

Within Wales, you may be able to get free travel on buses if you are disabled, aged 60 or over, or an injured service personnel which you can apply for through Transport for Wales. While not free, people aged between 16 and 21 caaan apply for a MyTravelPass which allows them to get up to a third off the cost of bus travel in many circumstances.

Further details of this in Wales can be found here.