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Bus Ticket Booking

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Buses are easy means of transport from one place to another. Bus tickets can be booked both online and offline. Online bus ticket booking is quick, hassle-free, safe, and convenient. There are many platforms that offer smarter ticket booking services online. You can now book from anywhere and anytime. Let us now read on to know the various aspects of 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

RTC	Major Cities Covered	Popular Bus Routes
Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC)	Hyderabad, Bangalore, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Tirupati, ongole, Rajahmundry, Anantapuram, Vizianagaram, Eluru, Machilipatnam, Chittoor,	Hyderabad to Vijayawada Hyderabad to Guntur Hyderabad to Shirdi Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam Hyderabad to Tirupati Tirupati to Chennai Bangalore to Tirupati Hyderabad to Nellore
BSRTC - Bihar State Road Transport Corporation	Gorakhpur, Patna, Lucknow, Agra, Delhi, Ranchi, Gaya, Motihari, Hazaribagh, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Jamshedpur	Agra to Muzaffarpur Delhi to Hajipur Gopalganj to Patna Patna to Agra Patna to Delhi
HRTC - Himachal Road Transport Corporation	Delhi, Shimla, Mandi, Haridwar, Manali, Kullu	Delhi to Manali Shimla to Dharamshala Dharamshala to Chandigarh Hamirpur to Delhi Shimla to Katra Manali to Chandigarh Shimla to Haridwar Manali to Haridwar Shimla to Chamba Shimla to Manali
GSRTC - Gujarat Road Transport Corporation	Baroda, Surat, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Godhra, Mehsana, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Gandhinagar	Baroda to Surat Ahmedabad to Baroda Surat to Baroda Ankleshwar to Surat Ankleshwar to Baroda Kamrej to Surat Baroda to Ankleshwar Surat to Ankleshwar
MSRTC - Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation	Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, and Thane	Mumbai to Pune Pune to Mumbai Pune to Ahmednagar Pune to Nasik Pune to Aurangabad Nasik to Pune Pune to Satara Mumbai to Wai Nagpur to Warora Thane to Nasik Nasik to Dhule Pune to Solapur Mumbai to Mandangad Mumbai to Satara Amravati to Nagpur
TNSTC - Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation	Chennai, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Bangalore, Mysore, Ooty,	Tiruchirapalli to Chennai Velankanni to Chennai Chennai to Kumbakonam Chennai to Tirunelveli Mattuthavani to Koyambedu Madurai to Chennai Koyambedu to Shanthinagar Chennai to Bangalore Chennai to Kumbakonam Chennai to Kanyakumari
TSRTC - Telangana State Road Transport Corporation	Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Basara, Srisailam, Khammam, Warangal, Jammikunta, Rajahmundry, Shirdi, Tirupathi, Yadagirigutta, Bhadrachalam, Vemulawada, Vijayawada, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Nirmal, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Nellore, Guntur, Srikakulam, Ongole, Chittoor, Anantapur, Kadapa,	Hyderabad to Karimnagar Hyderabad to Vijayawada Bus Hyderabad to Chennai Bus Hyderabad to Srisailam Hyderabad to Bhadrachalam Bangalore to Hyderabad Vijayawada to Hyderabad Chennai to Hyderabad Hyderabad to Karimnagar Hyderabad to Tirupati
SBSTC - South Bengal State Transport Corporation	Suri, Habra, Barrackpore, Futishanko, Asansol, Durgapur, Kolkata, Singur, Gobindapur, Bardhaman, Arambagh, Suri, Purulia, Digha, Medinipur, Bankura, Haldia, etc.	Kolkata to Burdwan Kolkata to Durgapur Durgapur to Kolkata Digha to Kolkata Burdwan to Kolkata
RSRTC - Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation	Bhim, Beawer, Jaipur, Delhi, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Alwar, Chittorgarh, and Hindaun City.	Jaipur to Delhi Ajmer to Jaipur Kota (Rajasthan) to Jaipur Jaipur to Sikar Udaipur to Bhilwara Jhunjhunu to Sikar Delhi to Jaipur
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (Kerala RTC)	Kollam, Trivandrum, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Calicut, Kottayam, Sulthn Bathery, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kayamkulam, Palakkad	Thrissur to Ernakulam Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram Ernakulam to Thrissur Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam Ernakulam to Alappuzha
KSRTC - Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation	Bangalore, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Shimoga, Hassan, Mysore, Hubli, Mangalore, Gulbarga	-

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

Route	Fares on Abhi Bus	Fares on Paytm	Fares on RedBus
Hyderabad to Bangalore	600 to 2999	549 to 3700	600 onwards
Hyderabad to Mumbai	770 to 7000	600 to 3000	610 onwards
Bangalore to Hyderabad	670 to 3000	549 to 5000	555 onwards
Bangalore to Chennai	549 to 2399	449 to 2299	400 onwards
Bangalore to Mumbai	1770 to 9999	2000 to 3210	950 onwards
Bangalore to Coimbatore	699 - 2940	555 to 2500	444 onwards
Bangalore to Mumbai	1770 to 9999	1700 to 3210	950 onwards
Chennai to Bangalore	450 to 2099	350 to 1200	330 onwards
Chennai to Madurai	470 to 3500	470 to 2500	240 onwards
Chennai to Coimbatore	750 to 3999	629.1. to 3000	449 onwards
Mumbai to Hyderabad	660 to 9000	550 to 3500	600 onwards
Mumbai to Pune	161 to 6050	187 to 5000	151 onwards
Mumbai to Goa	900 to 3410	799 to 5000	749 onwards
Ahmedabad to Mumbai	500 to 9000	400 to 9000	500 onwards
Ahmedabad to Jaipur	400 to 2375	284.05 to 2500	400 onwards
Ahmedabad to Surat	189 to 9000	189 to 9000	300 onwards
Delhi to Chandigarh	300 to 3425	332.5 to 3500	315 onwards
Delhi to Manali	601 to 2249	700 to 1699	469 onwards
Delhi to Jaipur	271 to 4450	285 to 4450	288 onwards

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

You can cancel bus tickets offline through the following ways:

By physically visiting the counter

Through customer support

Helpline or Customer Care Numbers for Bus Ticket Booking

Road Transport Corporation	Customer service number
Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC)	24/7 customer support number: 0866 2570005
KSRTC or Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation	080-26252625
Kerala SRTC	0471-2463799
TNSTC or Tamilnadu State Transport Corporation	044-49076316
BSRTC or Bihar State Road Transport Corporation	1860 3001 0101
HRTC or Himachal Road Transport Corporation	Outside Himachal - 1800 180 8185 Within Himachal - 1100
GSRTC or Gujarat Road Transport Corporation	1800 233 666666
MSRTC or Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation	1800 22 1250
TSRTC or Telangana State Road Transport Corporation	040-23450033
SBSTC or South Bengal State Transport Corporation	91-7699993930 Whatsapp +91-7699994000
RSRTC or Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation	040 6944 0000
Abhibus	040 6165 6789
Redbus	099456 00000
MakeMyTrip	0124 462 8747
Paytm	0120-4456-456

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:

1. Does booking a bus ticket online cost more?

No. Booking a bus ticket online does not cost me more. The price of the bus ticket is the same as you would get from the bus operator in person.

2. What is an online bus ticket booking system?

An online bus system is a mobile or web software solution designed to give customers a personalized, easy to use experience for the user to book and purchase tickets online. It stores customers’ personal data, scheduled routes, frequent trips, drop points, and other information.

3. What is the best time to book a bus ticket?

Generally, it is a good idea to book a bus ticket at least a few weeks in advance. But, some companies offer discounts for booking even prior to that. You should also take your timing and seasons into account.

4. What is the limit for luggage in a bus?

The cabin luggage limit depends on the bus operator’s policy. It may vary across operators. You can contact the customer care of the bus operator and find out about the luggage details to ensure that you adhere to the limit beforehand. Generally, Inflammable and prohibited items are not allowed as luggage. Some operators may ask for valid identity proof, so it is necessary to carry it.

5. Is partial cancellation of bus tickets permitted?

Yes, partial cancellations can be done. However in certain state transport corporations like UPSRTC, partial cancellation is not permitted. You can cancel your bus tickets online on the website of the state transport corporation, by calling customer care, or by going to the counter in person. Cancellation rules vary across state transport corporations and bus ticketing apps.