There was a time when people had to wait in line for hours to purchase bus tickets or make reservations. If someone needed to leave immediately, they would also have had trouble finding a seat or being aware of the schedule. But with the introduction of technology, everything has gotten considerably easier, especially when booking bus or train tickets.
However, the bus travel sector in India is undergoing significant change. You can reserve seats using the bus booking mobile applications, whether these are private bus services or public buses.
In India, 20,000 buses are operated by roughly 2,000 private bus operating companies. Although India has one of the largest rail networks in the world, there are still numerous locations where buses remain the only mode of transportation.
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Best Bus Ticket Booking Apps In India
Here are some of the best Bus Ticket Booking Apps that can simplify the bus booking process for travellers.
1. AbhiBus
AbhiBus, which Sudhakar Chirra founded and launched in 2008, faced several obstacles in the beginning because there was no organized bus travel industry in India. But, thanks to its end-to-end software solutions and other value-added services, the company has grown into a multi-crore enterprise. AbhiBus is undoubtedly one of the most popular options for online bus ticket booking platforms, offering ticket inventory from more than 2500 operators and 100,000 routes.
The service just introduced an innovative feature called Abhimovies last year, allowing customers to watch movies on any device while riding in a bus. AbhiBus was in discussions with a few venture capital companies as of October 2018 about raising $15 million by selling about 25% of its stock, valuing the company at about Rs 450 crore.
Features:
- More than 2,500 operators and 1,00,000+ bus routes
- Get Booking Confirmation via message, e-mail and even WhatsApp
- 24 x 7 customer support
- Exciting deals and offers
Download AbhiBus: Android | iOS
2. Amazon Pay
I am sure most people won’t be aware of this but you can book bus tickets directly from Amazon mobile app. The Bus ticket booking option is not visible on the homepage but the hack to look for the option is to search “Bus Ticket Booking” on Amazon search and you can see the book ticket booking option. The Bus booking portal is powered by Redbus and you can use the Amazon app to book bus tickets using the Amazon app.
3. Travelyaari
This Bangalore-based bus booking business, which was established in April 2008 by Prateek Nigam, Aurvind Lama, and Parthasarathi Sinha, is today regarded as one of the biggest online bus booking portals in India. It has serviced more than 150 million bus passengers with a network of over 3,500 bus operators and 150,000 bus alternatives daily on more than 70,000 routes. Also, you may instantly book bus tickets through its online bus booking app and receive notifications about special deals and seasonal discounts. The company has been investing the $7 million it raised in capital in product development, brand building, marketing initiatives, and staff building ever since it did so in 2016.
Features:
- 150,000 buses and more than 3,000 bus companies.
- Protection from unforeseen bus cancellation
- Various payment options, including PayPal, Paytm, Ola Money, and PhonePe.
- Select buses have designated women’s seats.
- Simple bus ticket purchasing, viewing, and cancellation.
Download Travelyaari: Android | iOS
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4. Bus & Volvo Booking – redBus
redBus is the most popular app for booking bus tickets. You may use this app to search through various Indian cities and purchase bus tickets for either sleeper or Volvo buses. All you need to do is input your search criteria, including the route, time, and number of reservations, to find buses that are travelling that way. Also, this app gives you a wide range of filtering options so you may tailor your trip experience to your preferences. App worth trying!
Features:
- It has more than 2,300 bus operators officially registered on the app
- Operates on more than 70,000 routes
- RTC bus tickets booking
- Follow strict regulations and guidelines
- TrackMyBus feature helps you find the bus location before and after the journey.
- Sleeper, Seater, Semi-Sleeper, AC, Non-AC, Luxury and Volvo Buses
Download redBus: Android | iOS
5. Paytm Bus Booking
Most people are not aware of this but Paytm apart from being a digital payments app also has a feature to book bus tickets. You can simply add the destination and search for bus tickets. The best part about the app is that you can even avail multiple offers and cashback while booking bus tickets.
Features:
- Exciting deals and rewards when purchasing bus tickets.
- Network of both government and private transport companies
- Add frequent travellers to easily book tickets for frequent co-travellers
6. eTravelSmart
With what is regarded as India’s largest bus inventory, eTravelSmart gives its customers the option to reserve seats for just 20% of the entire ticket price. While making a reservation through the phone, mobile app, or online, the business provides excellent deals and discounts. Bhav Singh and other partners co-founded the business in 2013, and it now spans more than 3000 operators and 80,000 routes across India.
The app has excellent UI and it provides a really nice bus ticket booking experience. The selection of bus operators for their journey can be filtered using a variety of options by the passengers. With special features and the greatest services, eTravelSmart has reinvented purchasing bus tickets. You can get interesting discounts and incentives when you book a bus ticket using the app, and there are no additional fees.
Features:
- 80,000 well-known bus routes and more than 3,000 bus companies.
- eTravelSmart Wallet to recharge for travel
- Helpful customer support team
- Wide variety of payment methods
Download eTravelSmart: Android | iOS
7. VIA
The previous name of this bus reservation app was FlightRaja.com. It is an online travel booking app where you can reserve very cheap tickets for buses, flights, hotels, and vacation packages. To pay later, there are reasonable EMI options available as well. You may look up and compare bus ticket pricing, book bus tickets and get affordable prices.
The platform has a website section for suppliers and affiliates where corporates, travel agents and hoteliers can list their businesses and products. In 2016, VIA partnered with Ola to integrate a cab booking interface for users. This interface gives the customers access to availability, booking, estimation and tracking across categories, directly on the Via.com app and website.
Features:
- Purchase popular bus bundles
- Packages for tourism and travel
- 24/7 in-app chat support
- Find and compare cheap flights
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8. IntrCity
Intrcity app allows users to book smart bus tickets and the app is also listed among the best bus ticket booking apps in India. Customers can reserve buses with features such as reading lamps, restrooms on the board, and more. To a certain extent, this application also offers a free cancellation policy.
Features:
- Washrooms are available on some buses.
- Services are available across all of India.
- Intelligent boarding areas.
Download IntrCity: Android | iOS
9. MakeMyTrip
Experience hassle-free and cost-effective bus travel like never before with MakeMyTrip, the premier bus booking app that redefines your journey. The app features a user-friendly interface that ensures seamless booking, hassle-free revisions, and effortless cancellations. What sets MakeMyTrip apart is its commitment to enhancing your savings. With this app, you can enjoy instant discounts on selected Bank Debit & Credit Cards, while exclusive MakeMyTrip coupons pave the way to unlock savings of up to ₹2500.
Features:
- Special benefits and discounts for first-time users.
- Upto Rs 500 off on bus bookings.
- User-friendly interface.
Download MakeMyTrip: Android | iOS
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