Busradar Help Database
Frequently asked questions
Topics
General Information about the booking |
Troubleshooting |
Booking |
Bus Stops
|
Discounts and vouchers
|
Luggage |
Frequently asked questions
What is busradar.com?
busradar.com is a search engine which offers you an overview and the comparison of bus, train and carpool fares for long-distance travel. All connections can be compared in terms of criteria as price, duration or departure time.
How can I search for buses?
It is quite easy and intuitive: Go to the search box at www.busradar.com and enter
- your preferred point of departure,
- your preferred place of destination,
- the preferred date (return is optional) and
- The number of persons who are travelling
- allow/disable trains
And click on the “Search”-button
Afterwards, you can see the search results with each available bus connection suitable to your preferred date.
Getting along with the search results
Following options are offered to find the most suitable connection:
- Sorting (by departure time, arrival time, duration and fare)
- Choosing the means of travel (bus, train or ride sharing)
- Showing details of a connection
- Booking a bus ticket: Click the "Book now" button to get redirected to the website of the bus company, where you can book your ticket.
How can I book a ticket?
The team of busradar.com provides an overview and the comparison of bus fares and is not able to handle booking requests. Instead, you buy the tickets directly via the bus companies. By clicking the “book now” button you get redirected to the website of the related bus company, where you can book your tickets and get further information on your chosen bus connection.
Alternatives to booking online:
Small bus companies, which do not provide an online booking system yet, offer the possibility to book tickets by phone or to buy them directly at a selling point. Generally, these selling points are located near to a railroad or bus station.
In addition, you can directly ask the bus driver for tickets. If you are lucky and the bus is not booked up, you have the chance to get tickets at standard fare on-site. However, standard fare is more expensive than online or pre-selling fares.
What are amenities?
Search results include amenity points for each bus company. These amenities give an impression of the traveling comfort the bus company provides to its passengers.
Move the cursor over the amenities icon to see a list of amenities. Generally, the named amenities apply to the whole fleet of the bus company. However, actual amenity points can deviate depending on the type of bus.
General information about the booking
By when do I have to be at the place of departure?
Generally you should be 15 minutes before departure (at the latest) at the departure platform. However this depends on the relevant intercity bus provider and maybe also on the number and size of your luggage. Please contact the bus provider you wish to travel with.
Please note: See information for what to do when you missed the bus.
What should I do when I miss the bus?
Please consider: the bus does not wait for you. So if you miss the bus, unfortunately the ticket expires without substitution. For another bus trip you will have to purchase a new ticket, either online (budget price) or you try to get one spontaneously with the bus driver at the next departure (normal price).
Is it possible to reserve a seat?
Some intercity bus providers allow seat reservations. Generally there are the following options, how seats are allocated:
-
Free seating
Seats cannot be reserved in advance (as it is the case with most long distance bus providers)
-
Voluntary seat reservation for an extra charge
The intercity bus provider Flixbus offers e.g. the option to reserve a seat. The fee depends on the chosen seat and route.
-
Seat reservation is obligatory
The allocation of the seat is done within the booking process. You have automatically a confirmed and numbered seat in that case.
Do I have to print the ticket?
That depends on the long distance bus provider with whom you would like to travel. There are different options to show your ticket you received per Email. Therefore the bus ticket does not necessarily have to be printed. With some providers (e.g. Flixbus or Omio) it is sufficient to show the QR-code on your cell phone.
In exceptional cases it is sufficient to show your ID card.
Please note: We recommend to always print your ticket – just to be on the safe side. If your cell phone battery dies, you will be able to ride along anyway.
Troubleshooting
Why are there no suitable search results?
There are several reasons for it
- A suitable bus connection is not available on the chosen date.
- Booking the connection on your preferred date is not unlocked yet (max. 2-3 months in advance)
- There is no bus company operating the chosen route.
Eliminate technical difficulties
Technical causes can lead to an empty search result without any bus, train or ride sharing connection.
Ensure that
- You are using a current version of your internet browser.
- JavaScript is activated in the browser settings (deactivate plug-ins if necessary).
Using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is recommended.
Internet Explorer is supported from version 10.
Why are there differences between the prices on busradar.com and the website of the provider?
Due to technical reasons, a real-time actualization of prices is not always possible. Hence, prices on busradar.com can possibly deviate from the prices on the website of the related bus company. Busradar.com assumes no liability for the availability of prices and price information. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by wrong prices.
Problems with the online booking process?
Busradar.com as an overview and comparison portal does not have any access to the intercity bus providers booking systems. If something went wrong during the booking process on the website of the provider or if you have any questions concerning your booking, please contact the intercity bus provider directly. Here you can find a list with contact details of the bus providers.
I did not receive a booking confirmation. What can I do?
Busradar.com as an overview and comparison portal does not have any access to the intercity bus providers booking systems. So unfortunately we do not have any access to booking confirmations which you received directly from the long distance bus provider.
Please contact the intercity bus provider with whom you booked the ticket. For contact details please click here.
Booking
Up to what point can I book online?
That varies across the providers and is different from one case to another. Regarding bulky baggage for example you must usually book online 24 hours in advance. However, some providers allow online bookings up to 15 minutes before departure.
Please note: the earlier you book, the best deal you can make. Shortly before departure the tickets are the most expensive in most cases.
Can I book a bus ticket by phone or mail?
Generally we recommend to book your ticket online in order to get the best deal. In regard to small long distance bus providers there might be no online service available yet, so you must either call or send them an Email or buy your ticket at a sales agency or directly in the bus.
You can check the website and FAQs of the respective bus provider to get detailed information.
Please note: busradar.com as an overview and comparison portal cannot take any bookings or reservations by mail or telephone.
Is my bus ticket transferable?
Usually the ticket is linked to a name. In order to transfer it to another person the bus provider has to give his consent, this is mostly done for an extra charge.
Please note: Some long distance bus providers issue tickets which are not linked to a specific name. In that case they are transferable with no extra fee.
Can I change or cancel my bus ticket?
Busradar.com as an overview and comparison portal does not have any access to the intercity bus providers booking systems. Unfortunately we cannot carry out any changes or cancelations of your booking. Therefore, we kindly ask you to contact the intercity bus provider with whom you booked the ticket. You will find contact details by clicking on this link: https://www.busradar.com/buscompanies/.
Regarding changes or cancelations of reservations there are no standardized conditions: it is up to the long distance bus provider and the respective ticket, e.g. cancellations or changes of budget or exceptional price tickets are mostly restricted. Please inform yourself about the cancellation policies on the website of the respective provider. Generally, there are three options:
-
Rebooking:
This might even be free of charge. If the new trip is more expensive though, you will be charged the difference. -
Changing the passenger name:
Since the tickets are mostly personal, it might be sufficient to contact the long distance bus provider per mail or phone. There might be a small fee. -
Cancellation:
This might be done in return of a voucher, which is mostly free of charge or in return of your money which might be high-priced though.
Please note: the incurred service charges differ regarding the point of time of the changing or cancellation of the reservation. However some providers offer changes of tickets up to 15 minutes of departure for free.
Which payment methods exist?
The booking is always processed by the chosen long distance bus provider. There are a number of different payment methods offered. However the accepted method of payment depends on the respective provider.
Most providers support:
- Paypal
- Credit card
Sometimes the following payment methods are accepted as well:
- DIRECTeBanking
- Giropay
- Direct Debit (mostly only for regular customers)
- Apple Pay / Google Pay
Prepayment as a common transfer is usually not accepted by the provider due to increased effort. For detailed information, please contact the provider directly.
Alternatively, you can always purchase your ticket locally at the point of sale or directly from the bus driver paying in cash.
However, please note that only the standard price, which is more expensive, applies for tickets purchased on the bus and paid in cash. Furthermore, you will not be able to get on the bus if the coach is fully booked, since guests who booked their ticket in advance have always priority.
Bus Stops
Where are the bus stops?
We show you the exact bus stop and its location in the search result. By clicking on a search result, you open the detailed view: the bus stop icon shows you the exact location of the bus stop.
Please note: no responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information. Only the information on your ticket is binding. Should you notice a discrepancy, we would appreciate a feedback.
Are there any breaks during the journey or cigarette breaks?
Apart from the regular stops or driving times and rest periods of the bus driver which are prescribed by law, longer breaks are mostly not scheduled. However, oftentimes it is possible to get off the bus at the regular stops. Please do not go too far away from the bus so that you are not left behind at the station. We advise you to ask your bus driver about the length of the break.
Can I get off earlier?
At regular stops or at stops that are served by other bookings on the route, you can usually get off earlier if you wish.
However, where exactly the bus will make an intermediate stop on the route is not indicated on your ticket. If you would like to get off earlier, you should therefore always check with your long-distance bus provider to see if the bus will stop at your desired stop.
Luggage
What luggage can I take with me?
You can find out how much luggage and what exactly you are allowed to take with you from the respective long-distance bus provider. There is often a difference between
- Hand Luggage
- Luggage
- Bulky luggage,
which may not exceed certain dimensions for the respective storage location.
Hand luggage, for example, can be taken into the cabin up to a certain size or weight and is usually stowed in the shelf above your seat. You will usually have to pay extra charges for additional or bulky luggage and should therefore register it in advance. The number of pieces of luggage varies from provider to provider.
Can I take my bike with me?
Bicycles can usually be taken along for a small fee. Often a reservation has to be made in advance.
It is always best to check the conditions of the respective long-distance bus provider. They will also tell you what size the bicycle must not exceed or whether special sizes such as tandems are allowed at all. Some long-distance bus companies also count bicycles as bulky luggage.
Discounts and vouchers
Can I travel for free as a person with a severely disabled pass?
Since intercity buses count as long distance traffic (just as IC and ICE) they are – in opposite to the local traffic- for handicapped passengers generally not for free. However there are numerous discounts, which vary across the providers. In many cases the accompanying person will get a discounted rate or even a ticket for free.
Are there group prices?
On busradar.com you have the option to search and book tickets for groups up to 99 people at once. However we want to point out that some providers do not support a search for more than 5 people. That is why we recommend the search for 5 passengers to identify a suited provider and to avoid searches for more than 5 passengers to guarantee a higher quality of the search results.
Please contact the long distance bus provider directly about their policies and conditions.
Can children travel free of charge?
Usually children do not travel free of charge, but at discounted rates. Please note that it depends on the age, the intercity bus provider, budget prices, and also in some cases on the chaperon. We recommend contacting the relevant bus provider in advance to get information about their policies.