Bus Ticket Booking

How To Book Bus Tickets?

Bus booking can be done through various options both online and offline

How To Book A Bus Ticket Online?

1. Through State Road Transport Corporations

Step 1: Go to the official website of the Road Transport Corporation

Step 2: Enter the source and destination cities, departure date, and round trip date

Step 3: Check for available buses.

Step 4: After viewing the details of the buses such as dropping points and boarding points, number of seats, price of a ticket, duration of the journey, etc. select the appropriate bus

Step 5: Proceed with the rest of the instructions to book the tickets

2. Through the E-Ticketing Platform

Step 1: Go to the official website of the online bus ticket booking service. Users can visit any e-ticket booking platform, such as AbhiBus, redBus, Paytm, Make My Trip, etc.

Step 2: Enter the city you are going to leave from, destination city, departure date, and other required preferences.

Step 3: Search for the buses available

Step 4: After viewing the details of the buses available, such as departure time, arrival time, total duration of the journey, boarding points and dropping points along the route, price per ticket, number of seats left, and other relevant information, select the appropriate bus.

Step 5: Proceed with the rest of the instructions to book the tickets

3. Through the Mobile App of the E-Ticketing Platform

Step 1: Download the preferred mobile app from Google Play Store or App Store.

Step 2: Create an account by entering your mobile number

Step 3: Authenticate your account by entering the OTP sent to your mobile

Step 4: You will be redirected to the home page of the e-ticketing app

Step 5: Enter the city from which you are leaving, the destination city, the departure date, and other required preferences.

Step 6: Search for the buses available.

Step 7: You can now view the details about the buses, such as departure time, arrival time, duration of the journey, and the bus fares will be displayed.

Step 8: Select the bus and proceed with the rest of the instructions to complete the ticket booking.

How To Book A Bus Ticket Through Other Options?

• Through bus ticket counters: Visit the bus station or authorised booking counter to purchase tickets in person. This is a reliable option, especially if you prefer paying in cash.
• Authorised agents: Many travel agencies and agents offer bus ticket booking services. You can approach them to book your tickets and get information about available routes and schedules.

Benefits of Online Bus Ticket Booking

• Online bus ticket booking is convenient and hassle-free.
• It keeps you away from the long queues of offline ticket counters
• No more hassle of contacting travel agents.
• 24/7 customer support
• You can view plenty of buses and pick out an appropriate bus travelling by reviewing the amenities, boarding and dropping points, reviews, ratings, and bus images available.
• You can book both private and SRTC bus tickets online.
• You can choose the preferred bus type (Volvo Bus, AC or Non AC), timings, and also pick up and drop points
• Your tickets can be booked at an economical price with the existing bank and e-wallet discounts.
• Access to discounts from payment partners and cashback offers.

Top State RTCs for Bus Ticket Booking in India

Top Bus Ticket Booking Apps in India 2023

Bus ticket booking apps simplify the bus booking process for travellers. You can reserve seats in private or public buses using the bus booking mobile applications. Here are some of the best bus ticket booking apps in India currently.

1. AbhiBus

Features:

• More than 2,500 operators and over 1,00,000+ bus routes
• Receive Booking Confirmation via message, e-mail and even WhatsApp
• 24 x 7 customer support
• Attractive deals and offers
• The app is downloadable on Android | iOS

2. Travelyaari

Features:

• 150,000 buses and over 3,000 bus companies.
• Protection from unpredictable bus cancellation.
• Multiple payment options, including PayPal, Paytm, Ola Money, and PhonePe.
• Simple bus ticket purchasing, viewing, and cancellation.
• Seats are designated for women in chosen offices.
• The app can be downloaded from iOS or Android

3. redBus

Features:

• Over 2,300 bus operators officially registered on the app.
• Operates on more than 70,000 routes.
• You can book tickets for RTC buses.
• Strict regulations and guidelines followed.
• You can find the bus location
• Track MyBus feature helps you find the bus location before and after the journey.
• Multiple types of buses are available such as sleeper, seater, semi-sleeper, AC, non-AC, luxury, and Volvo.
• The app can be downloaded from iOS or Android

4. Paytm

Features:

• Attractive deals and rewards when booking bus tickets.
• It has a network from both government and private transport companies

5. eTravelSmart

Features:

• 80,000 well-known bus routes and over 3,000 bus companies.
• eTravelSmart Wallet to recharge for travel
• Supportive customer support team
• Broad range of payment methods
• The app can be downloaded from iOS or Android

6. Make My Trip

Features:

• User-friendly interface.
• Seamless booking
• Hassle-free revisions and effortless cancellations.
• Instant discounts on selected Bank Debit & Credit Cards
• Exclusive MakeMyTrip coupons to save upto Rs. 2500
• The app can be downloaded from iOS or Android

7. IntrCity

Features:

• Customers can book tickets on buses with features such as restrooms on the board, reading lamps, and more.
• Services are available across all of India.
• Free cancellation policy to a certain extent.
• Intelligent boarding areas.
• The app can be downloaded from iOS or Android

Fares for Popular Bus Routes in India 2023

Note: The bus fares are as per publicly available information. But, they may be subject to change.

Bus Ticket Cancellation

There will be times when you have to cancel your bus ticket if any changes in your plan occur. Cancellation can be done online and offline.

Online Bus Ticket Cancellation

• Bus tickets can be cancelled online with ease in less than 5 minutes. You don’t have to physically visit the counter.
• Most of the e-ticketing platforms also give a refund after the bus ticket is cancelled.
• No bus operator will entertain cancellation once the bus departs from the pick-up point.
• The earlier you cancel your bus tickets, the higher the amount of refund.
• A 100% refund is not possible usually and a fee is deducted.
• The refund amount is credited to the source (bank account, e-wallet, etc.) used to pay the bus ticket amount.
• You can also go to the personalised mobile app of the e-ticketing platform and cancel the bus tickets, getting a refund.
• Cancellation charges and rules vary across e-ticketing platforms and state transport corporations.

How To Cancel Bus Tickets Online? - Steps

Step 1: Login to the e-ticketing platform with your credentials.

Step 2: Find the bus ticket you want to cancel. You will see a cancellation option if the bus has not started.

Step 3: Enter the required details such as ticket number or email ID received during booking to cancel the tickets

Step 4: If you have booked more than one bus ticket under a single purchase, partial cancellation may not be allowed. Either you should cancel all the tickets or you can cancel none.

The above process is a generic overview of the online bus ticket cancellation process followed by most of the e-ticketing platforms. This process varies across different online ticket-booking platforms.

Offline Bus Ticket Cancellation

• By physically visiting the counter
You can go to the ticket booking counter in person and cancel the tickets.

• Through customer support
Some platforms also allow cancellation of bus tickets by contacting their customer support executives. Reliable e-ticketing platforms offer 24*7 customer support to their passengers or users.

Helpline or Customer Care Numbers for Bus Ticket Booking

Popular Bus Service Types Available in India

• Non-AC Buses: These are buses that are comfortable and also offer the lowest fares. The tickets are easily affordable.

• Non-AC Seater Buses:
• Non AC Seater buses provide comfortable and economical means of transport across India.
• Modern deluxe non-AC seater buses are equipped with upholstered seats that can be reclined.
• Windows have curtains to prevent the sun from entering
• Some non-AC buses also show movies or play music for the entertainment of passengers.

• AC Buses:
• AC bus services are offered by state road transport corporations, private bus operators, and bus travel companies.
• Passengers enjoy a pleasant bus ride to their desired destination, not impacted by weather conditions outside the AC bus.
• For a comfortable travel experience, AC buses are equipped with upholstered seats that can be reclined.
• Windows have curtains to prevent the sun from entering
• Some AC buses also run movies or play music for the entertainment of passengers.

• AC Sleeper Buses:
• AC Sleeper buses are buses well equipped with AC as well as sleeper berths.
• They are mostly used as overnight buses and operate across states.
• Interstate AC sleeper buses connect major cities across various regions.
• They are especially designed for a comfortable bus travel experience and like trains have berths instead of seats.
• Most sleeper buses feature bunk beds with two or three berths each and window curtains.

• Volvo AC Buses:
• Volvo AC buses are superiorly luxurious buses manufactured by the Swedish auto company Volvo.
• They are the most popular mode of public transport amongst the metropolitan travellers.
• Travellers can enjoy the luxury of spacious reclining seats with enough leg room to stretch out.
• Additional comforts like window curtains and matted screens can be used to prevent light from entering
• Overhead reading lamps, powerful air conditioning with individual controls, superior air suspension, entertainment options like dual LCD screens for better viewing, central audio system for music make them a great choice for long journeys.

• Sleeper Seater Buses:
• These are seater cum sleeper buses that give passengers the comfort of seats and berths within the same bus.
• It has two rows of seats and also a row of berths above the seats on either side of the aisle.

Offers and Discounts on Bus Tickets in India

Various bus ticket booking apps and state road transport corporations give attractive discounts and offers to make bus travel affordable and rewarding. Some of the types of offers include the following:

• Seasonal Discounts: During festive seasons and holidays, state road corporations and bus ticket booking apps offer special discounts on bus fares.
• Group Discounts: If you are travelling in a group, you may be eligible for group discounts on ticket prices.
• Online Booking Discounts: Booking your tickets online can sometimes earn you additional discounts or cashback offers.

FAQs Of Bus Ticket Booking: