Bus travel might not be the most comfortable way of getting around but if you traveled as extensively as we have you know that sometimes it’s necessary. Therefore, having the flexibility to book your bus tickets online when traveling abroad is an important part of your adventure, especially when traveling on a budget. That’s where apps like Busbud come in, offering online bus booking for buses in hundreds of different destinations around the world. In this honest Busbud review, we’ll focus on this famous bus travel intermediary and help you decide whether to use their services when traveling abroad.
Let’s start from the beginning…
What Is Busbud?
Busbud is an online travel company that was founded in Montreal in 2011 and specializes in intercity bus travel. On Busbud, you can search, compare, and book bus tickets from and to over 20,000 different cities and more than 8 million bus routes in different corners of the world (according to their website). The platform is available in 12 different languages and offers a variety of payment options and also has mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.
Busbud Review: How Does It Work?
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a long-term travel adventure, 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. Just choose your departure and arrival locations, travel dates, and the number of passengers, (and other filters if you have any specific circumstances) and you’re good to go.
One of the best things about Busbud is that it gives you access to a wide variety of bus companies and routes for the same destinations, so you can choose the one that fits your travel style and budget. Plus, you can view photos of the buses and read reviews from other travelers who traveled with them in the past.
When you make your decision you just complete the payment on the website and in a minute or two you will receive an automated 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 routes. 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
First, it’s important to not forget that Busbud is an intermediary- they work for commission and do not sell the tickets themselves, they resell the tickets for different bus companies. Because of this, sometimes the prices of using their app are higher than the prices you would get if you booked directly with the bus company (but sometimes there are promotions that can result in cheaper prices too).
Second, pricing can vary on many factors, like the destination and competition (or lack of it) the bus company, the route, and the travel dates.
Finally, while Busbud does offer a variety of payment options, some of these options come with additional fees (i.e. credit card fees or currency conversion fees, etc.).
Overall, while Busbud’s pricing isn’t always the cheapest, its platform and services make it a valuable resource for your traveler’s toolkit.
Busbud Customer Support
Just like any other honest review, customer support is an important part of our Busbud review. And to be completely honest, their customer support isn’t the most proactive one but they do sort out their issues eventually, based on reviews we could gather online. Most people expected faster responses (which can be frustrating for travelers who need assistance with a time-sensitive issue) but many of them do say that their problem was eventually solved and the overall impression of their customer support is positive.
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.
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, and one advantage that Wanderu has over Busbud is that it also offers booking services for trains and flights, but its 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, and as such, it has a more limited selection of routes and destinations than Busbud, but it does offer some unique features, such as onboard amenities like free Wi-Fi and snacks. However, to be fair, its tickets are usually more expensive compared to Busbud.
Lastly, Redbus is another great bus booking intermediary that offers services very similar to Busbud but in different parts of the world. It seems like Busbud is more dominant in Eastern Europe and Asia while Redbus is more dominant in North and South America. One advantage of Redbus is that you can claim your refund always through Redbus itself while on Busbud in some instances, you have to contact the bus company for the refund directly (although that is not always the case).
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 without having to deal with the bus company directly. It’s also great for budget travelers but if looking for some extra luxury like extra legroom, wifi, or other requirements, Busbud might not be the best way to arrange your journey.
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
- Wide selection of routes and ticket options
- Competitive pricing (Bus travel is often more affordable than other modes of transportation)
- Multilingual support
Cons
- Limited transparency about fees (the platform doesn’t always make it clear what fees are included in the ticket price).
- Slow customer service response time
- Limited onboard amenities
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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