Tips for traveling by bus in Nicaragua

Travel tip 1- Know before you go!! Make sure you know what bus station you are going to before you get on a bus or in a taxi. Most cities have multiple stations that service different areas of Nicaragua. They can be in completely different locations in the city and may be known as estación norte or sur. It may be hard to find the names of the bus stations online but if you say your destination, the taxi drivers will know which bus station to leave you at. For example if you are trying to go to Leon from Managua you would say, “La estación de bus a Leon.” 

Travel tip 2- It's up to you!! Use the restroom before you go to the bus station or wait until you arrive to your destination. The bus stations have hidden bathrooms that you can pay to use however because they are public restrooms you’d probably rather pay to not have to go into them. Do not drink a lot of liquids on the bus, travel with toilet paper always and if if you're worried about hygiene pack your own hand sanitizer or wipes. 

Travel tip 3- Recommended!! Show up for your bus 30 minutes early. Because most of the buses fill up fast, you’ll need to get there ahead of time to secure a seat. Otherwise you could be standing for a long time. You have to buy tickets for the expreso buses because they have assigned seating. There should be a desk at the bus station that sells the tickets. If they've sold all of the seats they will still sell tickets without a seat number, this means you will be standing in the aisle until someone gets off the bus and gives up their seat.   

Travel tip 4- This is a good one!! If you're hungry but running out of time, just get on the bus and wait for the vendors to come to you. They will walk up and down the aisles of the bus selling soda, water, breads, donuts, fruits and many other products. Most of the bags of food or drinks will cost between 10-20 cordobas. If you are getting a bag of rice, chicken and plantains or a quesillo it will be around 25 cordobas. 

Travel tip 5- Don't be overcharged! You should not have to pay extra to bring your bag on the bus. Occasionally bus attendants have been known to tell backpackers that they have to pay for their bag. Just tell them no and keep your bag with you. It is normal to charge extra for bikes or larger items they have to put on the top, usually 10-20 cordobas a piece. 

Travel tip 6- Nicaraguans are really helpful!! If you’re not sure exactly where to get off the bus or the bus doesn’t end at your location, sit close to the front or back of the bus so you can ask the bus attendant to tell you where your stop is. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, you can just say the name of where you are going and they will usually tell you when you’re close.