Where should you sit on a bus to avoid travel sickness?

Where should you sit on a bus to avoid travel sickness?

Motion sickness on the bus turns your tummy round and round, round and round, round and round.


1. Minimise swaying

© Chris Philpot
© Chris Philpot

To avoid swaying, choose a seat close to the centre of gravity of the bus, midway between the front and back wheels. As the bus turns a corner, this point will travel in a smooth circle. That’s better than the front or back, where you travel in a narrow ellipse that lurches round the bend at the start or end of the turn.

2. Maximise the view

© Chris Philpot
© Chris Philpot

Looking straight ahead at the road is important to help your brain anticipate the movement of the bus and to keep the signals from your eyes and your inner ear synced up. The front seats on the top deck or an aisle seat on the left-hand side of the bottom deck are best for this.

3. Minimise smells

© Chris Philpot
© Chris Philpot

Your sense of smell is heightened when you are nauseous, which will make engine fumes and food smells even worse. Stay away from the back of the bus on the bottom deck and from anyone with a takeaway. Priority seats on the bottom deck are best. Second best is the top deck, three rows from the front, on the aisle seat.

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