Life on the road is a wonderful thing. Being chauffeured around, visiting new places, meeting new people – you can’t beat it. Whether you’re aboard a luxury tour bus or a in the back of the van, in LA or London, the touring experience is one we would recommend to anyone. Don’t be fooled by the glamour though, because like everything in the world, it has its ups and downs.

If you’re on a luxury tour bus (congratulations!) then you don’t have much to worry about when it comes to home comforts. The bunks aren’t that bad, the bathrooms may not be up to much but at least there is one and on the bigger buses you’ll find fridges, microwaves, TVs, DVD players and Playstations. As long as you remember to pack the things you need (we’ll come to that later), it’s a pretty comfortable way of life. The bathroom seems to be the only major downside, but there are ways of dealing with this. First of all, the water supply isn’t very nice. It’s fine for washing your hands, but it’s not very pleasant to wash your face with and under no circumstances should you drink it because it’s dirty. If there isn’t any bottled water on the bus it is well worth bringing some with you. Secondly there is the matter of showering. Showering on a tour bus is a fine art. It’s not something we can teach you, it’s something you have to work out for yourself. At worst, you’ll find yourself standing there with a shower head in one hand, gazing at a drain in the bathroom floor. With a shower that basic (yes we’re actually saying this) sometimes it’s better to go without for a bit longer. Most decent venues have showers in the dressing rooms, if that is an option then go for it. Last, but certainly not least – the toilet. We don’t want to stereotype, but boys will be boys and if you’re on a bus with a big group of them you can guarantee at least one of them will have a problem with their aim. Don’t be shocked, even some of the big rockstars are severely lacking in the hygiene department. If this is the case then you enter the bathroom at your own risk.

Smaller buses aren’t such an easy ride. Any home comforts on the bus are DIY, usually at the hands of the bands themselves – and remember, they’re musicians not carpenters. Imagine a normal bus with everything inside ripped out apart from a few seats and replaced with lots of wood. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the material, it is absolutely horrible to sleep on so avoid the bunks if you are offered a spare one. If you’re lucky there won’t be a spare bunk and you’ll be sleeping on the seats. Still pretty horrible, but at least they are padded. If possible bring as many pillows as you can manage and a big, thick quilt. Not only are these buses uncomfy, but on a night they are absolutely freezing. These buses rarely have electricity in the back, so no laptops or phone chargers. Always top up your phone battery at the venue. And worst of all, there is no bathroom or toilet of any description. Boys are fine, they have no problem nipping off the bus in the middle of the night and urinating behind a tree, but as real ladies (even if you did have the appropriate body parts to urinate standing up) there should be a voice in your head telling you that you would rather die than squat down and go to the toilet in the street. All you can do to combat this is drink less (but not only is that no fun, you absolutely have to keep hydrated) and use every public toilet available while you can.

While no method of transport is truly safe, it is important to stay alert to danger. The smaller buses are usually much older and more prone to accidents and the doors are not as secure and believe us, strangers (be it crazed fans or random weirdos) will try and get on if the door is unlocked or unsecure.

There are some problems that don’t discriminate against the size of your bus and they are the problems associated with living in any confined space with the same group of people. If you have an argument, that person is going to be right there in front of you for the rest of the tour. That person is technically your roommate, and you’re going to have to find a way to live with them. The same applies to getting a bit too close to people – you don’t want to make things awkward so be absolutely sure you know what you’re doing.

Speaking of awkward, getting changed can be a bit of a nightmare. Nothing feels stranger than trying to get changed on a bus full of boys, especially when you are the only girl. If they have any manners they’ll leave, if they don’t then cast your mind back to that thing you did in the school changing rooms before PE, when you put on the second top before taking the first one off. It looks weird, but it works.

Be sure to pack enough clothes, because it’s very easy to forget that you don’t have your wardrobe with you, and you’d be surprised at how dirty your clothes get on tour. Of course you do technically have an almost endless supply of clothes with you – band merchandise. In an emergency the t-shirts and hoodies will save your life, but if you prefer to blend into the background this may not be such a good idea. It’s the small step from quiet and interesting-looking friend of the band to seeming to be the band’s number one fan, following them around everywhere they go.

Last, but probably most importantly, is peer pressure. Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing something you don’t want to just because they’re “cool” or famous. Know your own mind and when it comes to things like sex and drugs do what you think is right. When you were younger did anyone every say to you “if that person jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?”? Well remember that phrase. Be strong enough to say no, even if you are the only person saying it.

Have fun and enjoy the experience. You’ll meet some wonderful people on the road, and you’ll make some great friends. If you’re safe and you’re happy then an awkward night’s sleep or a smelly bathroom isn’t going to get in your way.