Do Not Eat Bicol Express, Ride It!

For a 10-hour ride, would you rather take the bus or the train? I have taken the bus so many times, from short 30-minute trips to butt-numbing 12-hour ones, it's about time I get some sleep in a horizontal state while traveling.

The PNR Station at Naga City, Camarines Sur

We only had a day in Camarines Sur, and before our wakeboarding spree at CWC, we got away from the complex to buy our Bicol Express tickets for the train ride that night. Oh poor mustache, the sleeper coach was fully booked! The ticket lady had to check her reservation sheet for available seats and make some calls. (Their reservation system? A paper chart marked by hand and she had to make calls to make sure that that seat wasn't reserved in other stations. I wish they had it all online where the reservations can be updated realtime.) Green light. There were 3 reclining seats available in the same car though on different rows. So sleeping in a horizontal state on this 10-hour ride through the night wasn't meant to be. I was still stuck on a bus type seat but just on tracks instead of pavement.

All aboard!

Boarding time was at 6PM and by 630PM the train was off chugging away to Manila. It was a freezer on tracks! We had to ask the train conductor to turn down the AC. The ride itself was alright for me (or maybe I slept thru all the unusual stuff if there were any).

Inside the freezer on tracks

There are toilets/washrooms in each car

This was wayyy better than being on an ordinary bus. For one, it has toilets. And for another, wide leg room! But it would have been excellent if I had been on the sleeper coach. Next time. Oh yes, I shall take the Bicol Express again...and this time I will make my reservations for the sleeper coach!

As of February 2012:

• The dining car wasn't attached yet
• Bicol Express goes up to Naga City only

Map below shows the Bicol Express goes up to Legaspi City in Albay. As of this writing they have a separate line for Manila-Legaspi (doesn't stop by Naga).

Photo from PNR facebook page.

Philippine National Railways

(02) 319 0041


How this train ride chugged its way thru Mustachio's pocket:
Bicol Express reclining seat Php 548


Camarines Series:
Camarines Norte: Tinaga Island's Mahabang Buhangin
Camarines Norte: Surfin' CamNorte
Camarines Sur: Wakeboardin' CamSur
Camarines Sur: Bicolano Grub at Geewan
Camarines Sur: Do Not Eat Bicol Express, Ride It! (you're here!)