Travel safely by bus this holiday

If you're a little concerned about traveling by car to your domestic destinations during the upcoming holidays, try taking a bus operated by the Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO). All domestic bus services are operated by SAPTCO.
The company is professionally run and has a good safety record with well-maintained buses, usually replaced every two to three years. The buses are comfortable, air-conditioned and clean.
Standing passengers are not allowed. It is also prohibited to talk to the driver and smoke. All buses have on-board toilets, and make rest stops every few hours.
For general information, fare prices and timetables, dial 800 124 9999, toll-free. There are recorded messages in Arabic and English.
Unaccompanied foreign women can travel on domestic and international buses with their iqamas (residence permits).
If you're an expat tourist, use your passport with its tourism visa.
The front seats are generally unofficially reserved for families including single women, and the back half for men.
Check in half an hour before domestic departures and one hour before international departures.
Passengers with hand luggage can arrive 10 minutes before departure. If the bus is full, you can join the waiting list and board the bus five minutes before departure if there are no-shows.
Note that during the Haj, services are reduced across the country as buses are seconded for pilgrims.
There are no classes, except on one service: the SAPTCO VIP Express service that runs between Riyadh and Alkhobar, which costs SR 90 and takes five hours.
Bus fares cost approximately half of the equivalent airfare.
Return tickets are 25 percent cheaper than two one-way fares. Note that at the time of writing, only cash was being accepted for payment.
International bus companies operate services to Saudi Arabia from Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Syria, Turkey, Egypt and the UAE.