Wondering whether to or how to travel by bus in India? Traveling by train in India is the most atmospheric way to explore the country, but buses are the backbone of Indian travel.
India has a large network of buses that ply the roads from city to city, and state to state. Buses run almost everywhere at almost any time of day or night. The decision as a traveller though is which bus to take.
Here is everything you need to know about how to travel by bus in India including local buses, tourist buses and sleeper busses in India.
- Indian buses vs. trains?
- About bus travel in India
- Types of bus travel in India
– Local bus
– Sleeper bus
– Tourist bus - Tickets
- Practicalities
- Tips for travel by bus in India
- More about travel in India
Indian buses vs. trains
With more than 13,000 trains running daily on 68,103km (42,317 miles) of track and carrying a staggering 8 billion passengers per year it might seem unlikely there would even be the need to take a bus in India. But the Indian buses do hold their own as a viable option for travel too.
Buses are an inexpensive solution if trains are fully occupied or if there isn’t a railway station in the destination you are heading for.
Sometimes the train schedules to end of line destinations like Jaisalmer mean departing or arriving at ungodly hours of the night. But the buses offer a daytime alternative.
Travel in India is already an emphatic adventure.
So why not add a different mode of transport in just to jazz up that already vibrant affair?
About bus travel in India. Is it really like the pictures?
Most of India gets around via bus. Each region or state has their own bus system, and India has a huge and impressive bus network overall.
The buses can get very crowded. Taking a local bus in India can look as crowded and swelteringly hot as images depict. But the advantage to using them is that they run more often than trains and can sometimes, be quicker.
There are quite literally buses that run almost anywhere in the country at almost any time of day or night.
Types of bus travel in India
There are essentially three main types of bus travel in India:
- Local bus
- Sleeper bus
- Tourist bus
‘Ordinary’ buses or ‘local’ buses in India are run by state bus companies. These local private operators are super cheap, but they notoriously stop everywhere and admit passengers until even the aisles are full.
The next step up in price and quality of domestic bus travel in India is to ‘deluxe’ or ‘express’ buses. These are intercity buses and more commonly are referred to as ‘tourist’ buses. (Even when the tourists are domestic travellers).
The cost of bus travel in India increases with the different type of tourist buses. There are ‘express’ and ‘deluxe’ options which are fairly standard intercity buses with (hopefully) air-conditioning and (sometimes) reclining seats.
Sometimes you might even see buses advertised as ‘luxury’ or ‘2×2’ with airplane-style reclining seats and only two wide passenger seats in each row. However, the match to the term ‘luxury’ is somewhat ambiguous depending on the particular bus and company.
Local buses in India
Local buses in India operate the short and mid-distances.
Sometimes these are buses within a city or to a destination on the outskirts. Or they operate the short route between cities in destinations that are not otherwise accessible by plane or train.
On many local services, every seat and every inch of space in the aisle will be filled with passengers.
These buses are notoriously older vehicles and can look seriously battered from the outside. Just take that with a grain of salt as the new norm for local bus transport!
There is usually no air conditioning on these babies either. Rather the local buses in India travel with windows open and Bollywood tunes blasting.
What is it like taking a local bus?
We most recently took a local bus in India while in Bikaner.
The bus we took was from Bikaner city to the Shree Karni Mata Mandir (otherwise known as the Rat Temple) in Deshnoke about 30km away.
The journey was a short one (relatively). But it was a hot day in July in Rajasthan. When we boarded in the morning to get the bus to Deshnoke there were just three seats right at the back of the bus. I put Oscar (8) on my knee and Harry and Gavin squished into the back seat row of the bus.
I am not normally a fan of travelling right at the back of the bus in any country. But if I was to recommend to anyone traveling by bus in India for more than a short in-city distance, I would say to request seats at the front.
There was no air conditioning on the local bus. Which is common for the local buses in India anyway. But if you aren’t sitting right next to the window and able to get some fresh(ish) air it can be seriously hot and stuffy!
Tips for taking a local bus in India
On local buses, someone will wander up and down the aisle collecting fares. There are usually two staff on board the bus – one driver and one assistant or conductor.
Don’t panic if the conductor doesn’t bring your change right away. This may only be handed over when you disembark. Just follow the actions of locals and they will give you a nod.
- Tip: Avoid the back of the buses in India where it’s the bumpiest and most nauseating.
Overnight or sleeper buses in India
On longer routes, you can also find sleeper buses in India. Albeit there are sleeper buses in Europe and the Americas. But coming from little old New Zealand, we aren’t used to long distance bus travel.
However, Indian buses are surprisingly efficient. There is a large network of sleeper buses in India making it a viable option for travel, especially in the regions where trains don’t go all the way to the final destination.
Sleeper buses in India are those built with either 2-level or 3-level sleeping bunks, or beds.
What is it (honestly) like?
Sleeper buses in India cover mid-long distances between the cities. Sometimes these buses are used interchangeably as tourist buses and travel during the daytime as well as overnight.
The bunks are laid out in either 2-level or 3-level berths. Or in some they have an upper row of bunks above a standard 2-seat arrangement and 2-levels of bunks on the other side.
I first took an overnight sleeper bus in India from Siliguri (near Darjeeling) south to Kolkata. It isn’t the most relaxing style of travel in India (especially as a female). However at the time it was convenient.
The upper bunks are sometimes laid out with two bunks side by side. This is alright if you are travelling with a friend or partner but it isn’t ideal for solo travellers. It might involve sleeping next to a stranger unless you’re willing to pay more for a solo berth!
On the more expensive single-row bunks of sleeper buses in India, passengers can pull a curtain or screen to get a private bed onboard the bus.
Private intercity and ‘tourist’ buses in India
Intercity travel by bus in India can be attractive on short journeys as services are more frequent than trains. In Rajasthan, for example, the only trains between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur depart and arrive from Jaisalmer in the wee hours of the night. We don’t generally rate arriving anywhere in the world to a new destination during the night. But especially traveling in India with kids, this isn’t a good idea if it can be avoided.
So, we took the next best option.
The buses from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur depart hourly from Jaisalmer.
These buses are marketed as ‘tourist’ buses and with deluxe or comfort options promised. And to be fair, they aren’t bad. Albeit there is a range of companies out there and they come in varying conditions. But overall, for this length of journey (5 – 6 hours) a bus was ideal.
What are the tourist buses like?
The Indian tourist buses are those described as ‘deluxe’ or ‘luxury’ on the signage and sides of the bus themselves. But the titles are interchangeable to say the least. Ordinary buses are sometimes synonymous with the deluxe type and that may not mean they have anything to do with luxury.
We’ve taken buses in West Bengal and Rajasthan and overall, they aren’t too bad.
Certainly, the tourist buses aren’t the supped-up leather seated-luxury people movers of southeast Asia. And they don’t have the showroom look of the more official luxury liners in Europe.
But they’re ok and as can be expected.
We departed on an early morning bus from Jaisalmer and arrived just after midday in Bikaner. The bus stopped twice during the 5 – 6-hour journey. And the seats were stock-standard and as comfortable as to be expected for our 400 INR ticket.
Tips for taking a tourist bus
It is sometimes tricky travelling on a tourist bus with luggage as they don’t have overhead luggage storage and there isn’t room under the seat.
In this scenario its best to go with the flow and offer some baksheesh to the conductor or assistant. They can make sure your bag is safely stored and in eyesight for your trip. That might mean it ends up on the gearbox space beside the driver. But hey, this is bus travel in India!
Practicalities of bus travel in India
The buses in India vary tremendously in condition and comfort. For the most part, the buses don’t have toilet facilities on board. On intercity journeys they do have planned stops along the way that are scheduled to include washrooms.
But the buses usually halt at roadside Dhaba’s (restaurants) and the facilities are frequently far from sanitary.
- Tip: Check the route for a general idea of distance and make sure if you have the opportunity to get off for a break stop that you do.
Buying tickets for bus travel in India
For longer journeys and trips taking the tourist bus companies, it is straightforward to book tickets online.
- Tip: Check RedBus or12GoAsia.com for the buses in India.
For other intercity buses it is simpler to book through a ticket agent in India or through your accommodation.
This July in Jaisalmer we got the bus to Bikaner and our host at Wanderlust Guesthouse rang and booked a bus ticket the day before. We turned up and were given a paper ticket as we boarded.
Tips for travel by bus in India
Here are a few tips for smoother travel by bus in India.
- Tip: Be flexible.
If you board a bus partway through the trip you may have to stand until a seat becomes free. Some buses only depart when full. Others have a scheduled departure time.
Check with the bus station or booking agent to know what you are buying a ticket for.
- Tip: Allow for more time than recommended when planning your itinerary for traveling in India by road.
When traveling by road, don’t estimate the travel time based on distance because bumpy or windy roads often make the trip much longer than expected.
- Tip: Ask for help from locals if you need it.
It can very justly feel overwhelming trying to figure out the system of buses in India. If you arrive at the supposed departure point, bus terminal or junction and can’t work out where you need to be, just ask locals for help.
From what we’ve found, locals using the buses are friendly and willing to help. Don’t be shy if their English isn’t good and your Hindi isn’t up to par. Just the name of where you are heading should be enough. And make sure to check with a few people if you are having doubts, they might be nodding in reluctance to let you down if they don’t know.
- Tip: Check the journey route and download it on your phone.
You can use an app like Maps.me to download the offline map of your planed journey. However, I recommend getting a SIM Card for travel in India, so you are always able to connect and check anything you need to.
Final thoughts?
Buses in India are not renowned as the smoothest and most comfortable mode of transport in the country. But they are a cheap and sometimes necessary way to get around or to reach destinations not frequented or connected by rail.
Our advice is to give buses a chance. We come from New Zealand and long-distance bus travel isn’t really a thing. But taking a bus in India is all part of the adventure of travel in this vibrant subcontinent. Just give it a chance.
Choosing your itinerary for India?
Read more about the best things to do in Delhi, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur, Pushkar, Ajmer, Amritsar and Agra.
More about travel planning for India and beyond
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere in Asia through 12Go.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have travel insurance before riding those trains in India!