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Top 5 Tips for South East Asia's Sleeper Buses

Updated: May 13, 2024

For anyone travelling SE Asia, especially those going to Vietnam, sleeper buses are probably going to become a fact of life. But, what is a sleeper bus?


I just thought this meant taking any overnight bus, but how wrong I was. A sleeper bus is actually a type of boat with laid down seats. They can be used for both night and day journeys, and are a great value option.


Before coming out to South East Asia I heard a lot of horror stories such as people being left stranded, not being allowed on their bus or having to lay shoulder to shoulder with a stranger. For me, at least over the last 2 months, it has been okay.


I thought I'd give you my top 5 tips to make your experience as pleasurable as it can be. If you prefer a short video to an article check out my TikTok about the same thing.


1. Check the drop off point

This is a simple but highly effective way of making your journey as easy as possible. It is easy to see a bus on 12Go Asia - the primary transport booking point for all travelers in SE Asia - which goes to the place you think you want to go. Then you get to the final drop off point and realise that you're miles away from where you wanted to be and need to pay for a Grab or Pass to your hostel. This might eliminate any saving you made buying the cheaper sleeper bus too.


For example, I saw a bus that went to Nha Trang but forgot to check the specific drop off point. I ended up being dropped at a service station well away from the city centre and having to share a Grab with some fellow travelers who had made the same mistake.


To avoid this you simply need to go on the 12GoAsia journey description and check the Google (or Apple) Maps location of the buses drop off point. Make sure it is close to where you want to go or at least has onward transport links.


Image of bus schedule on a website with highlighted drop off and pick up locations

A final note. You can't 100% trust this information. Sometimes you might end up being dropped off somewhere completely different - such is the way in some of the chaotic SE Asian countries. I took a sleeper bus to Ho Chi Minh and it just dropped me off somewhere completely different and a 20 minute Grab away from my hostel. In these situations, which are less than ideal, you sadly need to be able to adapt.


2. Bring a jumper or wear layers

You might scoff at this one but be sure to read on. Lots of the buses have the air conditioning turned on to the MAX and actually get really cold - especially in the night.


It could even be an option to bring on your own pillow and blanket. This is especially true if you like to stay clean and hygienic as I am not 100% sure if the blankets they provide will have ever been washed.





3. Wear slip on shoes

All sleeper buses have a no shoe policy and even give you a little plastic bag to put them in. Lots of the drivers take great pride in their buses and want them to stay clean. So, make sure you're wearing some shoes you can get on and off pretty quickly - otherwise you'll feel the heat of an angry driver and other passengers breathing down your neck.


Also, when you get to the service stations or toilet stops if you wanna put your own shoes back on wearing something easy to get one will make your life a whole lot easier and less stressful. Some stop offs do provide slip on shoes but some don't so it is always good to take your own shoes in case. 


A bonus tip is to keep hold of your little plastic bag as they have really come in handy for me on multiple occasions.

4. Take Noise Cancelling Headphones

This is a no brainer in my opinion as they've been an absolute life saver! You could also use some ear plugs such as Loops or the bog standard foam ones. The buses can be noisy with people chatting or snoring, the driver honking is horn or shouting, and the engine rattling.


My headphones cancelled out the world and meant I could actually get some sleep. I really recommend this pair - they're relatively affordable and are good quality too.


5. Plan your days around your travel

Taking a sleeper bus can be unreliable. They can drop you off anywhere between 2 hours early and 3 hours late in my experience. Make sure to factor this into your day.


You might book an overnight sleeper bus that says you'll get to your final destination at 7 am and think "Great, I'll save on a night's accommodation cost and just sleep on the bus" but then you actually get dropped off at 5am and find yourself asleep on a hostel sun lounger or spare bed. Not that I am salty about any of my personal experiences or anything.


Instead, you might want to see your big travel days as rest days. Arriving somewhere at 5am really knocks it out of you and the rest of that day you probably won't want to do 20,000 steps sightseeing. You'll feel a bit gross and most likely want a big old wash. Prioritise your personal hygiene, don't stress about running out of time to do the things you want and make sure you can slay the next day.



I hope you found these tips helpful and can help to make your experience of the sleeper buses a little more predictable and pleasant. You can also find more useful tips, tricks and recommendations for Vietnam and SE Asia more generally on my TikTok and Instagram!


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