Bus travel is a cheap and convenient way to travel when compared to other forms of travel. Bus networks are widespread and connect to several small towns and cities, some that may even be out of reach by air or rail. Cheap costs and bus offers that are available online on various travel portals have made bus travel even more attractive for any customer. In earlier days, people mainly traveled for an occasion, such as a family reunion, a marriage, or just in general to meet their family members or parents. There were a few who used to travel for pleasure but it was a luxury only a few could afford. There were several reasons for this:-
- Poor Connectivity – Connectivity was not always that great. Several towns were not connected by rail or air. Road network was also poor so even bus routes were less and travel times were longer.
- Higher costs – Travel was also a bit expensive at times. Air travel, in particular, was quite expensive and most people avoided it. Hotels and lodging also used to cost more. Homestays were completely unheard of and have only emerged as an option in the recent past.
- Hassle of Booking Tickets – Booking tickets for bus, train or air took ages. People had to stand for hours and hours in never ending queues to purchase tickets.
Compared to the earlier generations, the millennials want to travel at each and every chance that they get. A lot of this change can be contributed to a change in outlook towards life and also towards the ease of booking tickets with the widespread use of the internet, better connectivity and rates. Someone once said, “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us” and the millennials live by this more or less. They work hard and steal moments from their lives to travel as and when they can. To explore things, to discover new places, try new cuisines and meet new people, to have a new experience is the driving force behind travel today than ever before. As people travel more, there is also the need to save more on travel and nothing saves it better than bus travel especially if that bus travel comes with additional discounts. A good place to find offers on bus travel is the internet. There are many travel websites or other multi-purpose websites on the internet that offer great discounts on bus travel. Here are some tips that can help you find online bus offers.
Finding Bus Offers
Finding online bus offers can be quite daunting at times as there are many travel sites with an equal number of attractive discounts and offers. At such times, it is best to explore a website that shows you all the offers together in one place. There are websites that carry details of all offers at one place and display attractive discounts from multiple bus operators in one place itself. One can choose the offer that suits his or her best and then proceed ahead to book his or her bus tickets.
Some pointers while selecting the correct travel site are:-
Clear and Complete Information – Check for all the information listed on the website. Does the website provide all details about various bus operators and associated bus offers? A website with complete information helps you in deciding clearly the kind of bus operator and bus offer you should go in for. Transparency helps solve half your problems. You can gauge the years of experience a bus operator has and find out about the fleets of buses, bus variants available, the cost of tickets, service quality and facilities offered by the information provided on the website before booking a ticket.
Transaction Costs – Once you have the details that you need, check for transaction costs, if any. Some websites may have hidden costs associated with transactions and this may cause you to spend more instead of implied savings with a bus offer. A bus offer can only help you if the transaction costs are nil or zero.
Security and Credibility – Check for site security and credibility of payment methods. Does the site let you use cards by credible providers like Amex, MasterCard or Visa? Does it have a means of countering hacking? The internet is flooded with all types of websites; some advertise bus offers and discounts but may not be safe from hacking. So, while you may save money purchasing a bus ticket from such a site, in the long run, you may lose a lot of money. A hacker may get access to your credit card or debit card details and siphon off with large amounts of money from your bank account.
Planning in Advance
It always helps to save more money when planning bus travel in advance. Compared to other forms of travel such as rail or plane, bus travel can be planned at the last minute and is still turns out to be cheaper but even booking a bus ticket in advance has its benefits. Planning in advance gives you ample time to explore sites and offers properly. It lets you research properly for customer reviews and feedback, to check if there are any extra discounts available during a particular time and to choose additional services as well. For example, many websites offer tour packages, that include not only bus travel but also hotel bookings as a package at relatively cheaper rates. Proper planning also lets you determine the kind of bus you would like to travel in. For instance, if elderly people are traveling with you, you may want to book low floor height buses. You can also research on various variants of buses available – AC, non AC, deluxe and luxury models and select one that best suits your needs.
Overall, traveling by bus is extremely enjoyable and a cheaper form of travel. Modern buses are equipped with all sorts of facilities like AC, plush laid back seats, spacious interiors, TV and DVD entertainment, mobile charging point, GPS tracking and more. If you find exciting offers on bus travel then you can save big and yet travel in style at the same time. A good offer running currently is the BUS200CB offer from Reload.in, a multi-recharge website. Under this offer, you can get Rupees 200 cash back on bus ticket transactions worth Rs. 450 or more. Make the most of the offers like BUS200CB and save on your traveling costs.
Martin Wynn
