When consistently traveling the world, bus travel is an almost unavoidable part of one’s journey. Therefore, having the flexibility to book your bus tickets online when traveling abroad is an important part of your journey, especially when traveling on a budget. That’s where Busbud comes in. In this honest Busbud review, we’ll focus one this famous travel company that provides bus tickets to pretty much anywhere in the world and help you decide whether to use their services when traveling abroad.
Let’s start from the beginning…
What Is Busbud?
Busbud is a Montreal-based online travel agency that specializes in intercity bus travel that was founded in 2011. Busbud allows travelers to search, compare, and book bus tickets from over 20,000 cities across more than 8 million bus routes in different corners of the world. The platform is available in 12 different languages and offers a variety of payment options. In addition to its online booking platform, Busbud also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, making it easy for travelers to book their bus tickets on the go.
Busbud Review: How Does It Work?
Busbud allows users to search through thousands of bus routes and ticket options, compare prices and amenities, and book your tickets directly through the Busbud website or mobile app.
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a long-term travel adventure, Busbud makes it easy and convenient to find the perfect bus route and ticket to suit your needs. You can search by departure and arrival locations, travel dates, and the number of passengers, and use Busbud’s filters and sorting options to narrow down your search results and find the best options for you.
One of the best things about Busbud is that it gives you access to a wide variety of bus companies and routes, so you can choose the one that fits your travel style and budget. Plus, you can view photos of the buses, read reviews from other travelers, and get all the information you need to make an informed decision about your travel plans.
When you’re ready to book, you can do it all through the Busbud website or mobile app, with a variety of payment options to choose from. And once you’ve booked your tickets, you’ll receive a confirmation email with all the details of your trip.
Busbud Bus Routes
This honest Busbud review couldn’t be complete without sharing a few words about its pricing. Busbud offers a vast array of bus routes that cover a wide range of destinations, from major cities to smaller towns and everything in between.
Whether you’re looking to travel domestically or internationally, Busbud has a route that can get you where you need to go as long as that’s a part of the 20,000 cities/towns on their list. One of the strengths of Busbud’s route network is its international reach. With partners in over 80 countries, Busbud makes it easy to book bus travel across multiple continents.
Busbud Pricing
Busbud’s pricing model is designed to make finding and booking intercity bus travel as easy and affordable as possible. But like any online travel agency, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to pricing.
First, it’s important to remember that Busbud is an intermediary between you and the bus companies, which means they take a commission on each booking. This can sometimes result in higher prices than you would get if you booked directly with the bus company. However, in most cases, the convenience of using Busbud’s platform and the ability to compare prices from multiple companies more than makes up for the commission.
Second, pricing can vary widely depending on a variety of factors, including the bus company, route, and travel dates. It’s important to shop around and compare prices on different dates and times to find the best deal.
Finally, while Busbud does offer a variety of payment options, some of these options come with additional fees, such as credit card fees or currency conversion fees. It’s important to read the fine print and understand all the fees and charges before booking.
Overall, while Busbud’s pricing isn’t always the cheapest, its platform and services make it a valuable resource for travelers looking to find and book intercity bus travel.
Busbud Customer Support
Just like any other honest review, customer support is an important part of our Busbud review. Their customer support team is available to assist travelers with any questions or issues they may encounter before, during, or after their trip. However, like any company, there are some areas where Busbud’s customer support could improve.
On the positive side, Busbud offers customer support through a variety of channels, including email, phone, and live chat. They also have a comprehensive FAQ section on their website that can help travelers find answers to common questions.
However, some travelers have reported issues with the responsiveness and effectiveness of Busbud’s customer support team. In some cases, it can take a long time to get a response to a customer service inquiry, and the response may not always fully address the issue at hand. This can be frustrating for travelers who need assistance with a time-sensitive issue.
In addition, Busbud’s customer support team is not available 24/7, which can be inconvenient for travelers who need assistance outside of regular business hours. It would be beneficial if Busbud offered 24/7 customer support to ensure that travelers can get the help they need whenever they need it.
Busbud vs Its Main Competitors
This short analysis of its main competitors is perhaps the most important part of this Busbud review. One of Busbud’s main competitors is Wanderu, which also offers an easy-to-use platform for booking intercity bus travel. One advantage that Wanderu has over Busbud is that it also offers booking services for trains and flights, making it a more comprehensive travel booking platform. However, Wanderu’s selection of bus routes and ticket options are not nearly as extensive as Busbud’s.
Another major competitor is FlixBus, which is both a bus company and a booking platform. While FlixBus has a more limited selection of routes and destinations than Busbud, it does offer some unique features, such as onboard amenities like free Wi-Fi and snacks. However, FlixBus is usually more expensive, and its customer service can sometimes be slow to respond.
Lastly, Omio (formerly GoEuro) is a travel booking platform that offers not only bus travel, but also train and flight options. Omio’s platform is easy to use and offers a wide variety of routes and ticket options. However, like Wanderu, its bus selection is not be as extensive as Busbud’s.
Overall, while Busbud faces stiff competition in the intercity bus booking space, its user-friendly platform and wide selection of routes and ticket options make it a popular choice for travelers. However, there are areas where it could improve, such as offering 24/7 customer support and being more transparent about pricing and fees.
Who Is It For, Who Is It Not For?
Busbud is a great option for travelers who are looking for an easy and convenient way to book intercity bus travel. Its user-friendly platform makes it easy to compare prices and schedules from multiple bus companies, and its wide selection of routes and ticket options means that travelers can find a trip that fits their budget and schedule.
Busbud is also a good option for travelers who are looking for a more affordable way to travel between cities. Bus travel is often cheaper than air or train travel (although in Europe- not always), and Busbud’s platform makes it easy to find the best deals.
However, Busbud may not be the best option for everyone. For example, if you are looking for luxury travel or have specific travel requirements, such as a need for extra legroom or special accommodations, Busbud may not be able to meet those needs.
In addition, if you prefer to book directly with the bus company or prefer to travel with a specific bus company, Busbud’s platform may not be necessary for you. Booking directly with the bus company may sometimes result in lower prices or more personalized service.
Are you finding this Busbud review useful? Then you may also like some of our other reviews:
12Go Asia review for traveling in Southeast Asia;
SafetyWing review if you’re looking for a new travel insurance provider;
Auto Europe review– if you’d prefer to rent a car while traveling
iVisa review– for getting visas across the world without any hassle from your side.
BusBud Pros & Cons
Lastly, we round up this Busbud review with a short list of pros and cons. Busbud has both its strengths and weaknesses, as with any travel booking platform. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of using Busbud:
Pros
- User-friendly platform: Busbud’s website and mobile app are easy to navigate, and travelers can quickly find and book bus tickets for their desired route.
- Wide selection of routes and ticket options: Busbud partners with hundreds of bus companies around the world, giving travelers a broad range of options when it comes to destinations, schedules, and ticket types.
- Competitive pricing: Bus travel is often more affordable than other modes of transportation, and Busbud’s platform makes it easy to compare prices and find the best deal.
- Multilingual support: Busbud’s platform is available in multiple languages, making it accessible to travelers from around the world.
Cons
- Limited transparency about fees: Busbud’s pricing structure can be confusing, and the platform doesn’t always make it clear what fees are included in the ticket price. This can lead to surprise fees at checkout, which can be frustrating for travelers.
- Slow customer service response time: While Busbud offers customer support through various channels, including email, phone, and live chat, support is not available 24/7 and some travelers have reported slow response times when trying to get in touch with customer service.
- Limited onboard amenities: Unlike some bus companies that offer amenities like Wi-Fi or power outlets, Busbud does not offer these amenities directly, as it only serves as a booking platform. This means that travelers may have to research the amenities provided by the individual bus companies before booking their trip.
Did you find this Busbud review helpful? Did you ever use their services? Feel free to share your thoughts/experiences in the comments below.
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