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Back in 2001 or 2002 I was travelling by coach in Sweden because it was cheaper than the train.

There was a break for lunch and I believe it was 15 minutes. I didn't have a watch and didn't spot a clock in the rest stop which was so enormous that the other passengers dispersed and I couldn't track them. Anyway when I finished my sandwich I looked around the building and my bus was gone with my luggage on it!

Is this normal for Sweden? Or did I just have a particularly hardline bus company or a particularly grumpy driver?

I've taken long distance buses in a dozen or more countries, rich and poor, and never came across drivers leaving after a break without some kind of minimal check that the passengers were on board.

hippietrail
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2 Answers2

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It is still quite common, yes. In Sweden, long-distance buses are only staffed by the driver, and they only check for tickets on stops where people get on or off. On stops for bathroom break or when a longer stop is necessary for some reason, the bus driver will announce on the intercom how long the bus will be at the station, and when it will leave. As announcements are usually made in Swedish, you should either ask somebody native sitting nearby, or better yet, the driver him/herself. The majority of the drivers will understand some English, especially if you are on an "airport transfer" bus.

Be aware that Swedes are very time-oriented and strict, so if the leave time is announced for 15:30, then the bus will leave at 15:30 sharp, regardless of whether you are on it or not. The driver would not bother counting the passengers most of the time, but might possibly wait a minute or two if you talked with him and are obviously a tourist. But I wouldn't count on it.

hippietrail
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mindcorrosive
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Yes, it is very common. The drivers don't care to count the number of passengers, and the practice is not just limited to Sweden, it is true for the drivers in Norway and Denmark, as I can tell from my personal experience. The drivers typically assume the passengers to be particularly responsible and knowledgeable about such norms. But yeah, if someone points out the driver of any missing passenger, then drivers could wait if that is not delaying much.

Naveed Ahmed
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