Booking a Ticket for the Bus

Bus Travel: Ticket Booking

How can I buy a ticket for a bus trip?

Are you looking for more info about buying and booking your bus ticket? Would you like to know if children can travel alone, how expensive a child’s ticket will be, or if there is a discount for seniors or people with disabilities?

Ticket Booking

CheckMyBus tells you how to book your ticket, how to pay for it and how to proceed in case of cancellation or modification.

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How do I book a bus ticket?

The bus industry is one of the fastest growing transport markets in the USA. Due to inexpensive prices and many direct and express connections, numerous travelers opt for a bus trip. If you want to do the same, then you can use CheckMyBus to find the right bus route for you. Once you find it, then all you need to do is book your ticket.

Booking bus tickets online

Online booking

Booking a ticket online is probably the easiest option. First, you select your trip with the help of the CheckMyBus search function. Then, you can click on “View Deal” to go to the respective bus company’s website where you can complete the booking process. Moreover, most bus companies will send you an e-ticket via e-mail. You can then print it at home or simply use your smartphone screen to show it to the bus driver. Some companies also allow you to pick your printed ticket up in person. When you book a Greyhound bus ticket, for instance, you can collect it at the bus terminal, 7/11 stores or ACE Cash Express stores. In order to do so, you will need to present a valid photo ID and the 8 digit reservation code that you received via e-mail.

When it comes to payment methods, then credit and debit cards are the most common option since most bus companies accept these.

Buying the Ticket at the Bus Stop

Some companies allow you to purchase your ticket directly at the bus stop. For example, at larger bus terminals, such as in New York City, you will find specific selling points from companies, such as Greyhound or Jefferson Lines. While this allows for spontaneous journeys, an extra fee might apply and the ticket could be more expensive than an online fare. What you should also keep in mind is that the bus of your choice might already be fully booked. Also pay attention to the fact that not every bus company sells tickets at bus stops: The low-cost provider megabus, for instance, only offers online tickets.

Can I Buy a Bus Ticket for Someone Else?

Greyhound Bus Lines and Jefferson Lines allow customers to reserve and pay for a ticket that is collected by someone else. You have the possibility to buy a ticket online and to choose a bus terminal, where a friend or family member can pick it up. This is particularly handy for customers without a credit card or other means of online payment. The person picking up the ticket has to present a valid photo ID and a password as authorization. However, this service usually costs extra fee. There might also be further conditions attached to the pick-up service. Jefferson Lines customers, for example, only have 10 days to pick up their ticket. In addition, only the person who purchased the ticket can claim a refund.

FlixBus, allow you to buy a ticket for another person. Just enter the traveler’s name and simply pass him the ticket with all the info.

How can I Cancel or Change a Booking?

When it comes to cancelling a trip or changing a booking, it is important that you know which kind of ticket you have purchased. Greyhound Bus, Jefferson Lines and Trailways, for example, offer both refundable and non-refundable tickets. In general, the latter is a bit less expensive. If you are not sure if you can actually use your ticket or whether you will take the bus at a specific time, then we suggest selecting a refundable option. Some bus companies, such as megabus, only offer non-refundable tickets. However, you can change your reservation but a small arrangement fee will be charged. In conclusion, the table below gives you more information on the specific cancellation policies of the bus providers Greyhound Bus, FlixBus, Jefferson Lines, megabus and Trailways.

Here are the cancellation policies of the most renowned bus companies:

Greyhound: Bus tickets, Schedules and Discounts
  • Refundable Tickets: Full refund and date exchange for free; No refund when the ticket was already used on parts of the trip, when a bus is delayed or when the ticket was lost.
  • Non-Refundable Tickets: No refund.
  • Changing a Booking: Changing a date or time is charged $20, changing the name of the traveler is not possible. Also pay attention to the fact that certain programs like the commuter ticket pass do not accept exchanges.
FlixBus: Bus tickets, Schedules and Reviews
  • Cancellation: Cancel your trip for a cancellation fee per each trip and passenger. The fee varies depending on the date of the original booking and how many days before the trip the cancellation was made.
  • Changing a Booking: Change your Booking up to 15 minutes before departure for a cancellation fee per booked ticket and passenger.
megabus: Bus tickets, Schedules and Reviews
  • All tickets are non-refundable.
  • Changing a booking: Passengers can change a reservation for $5 fee between 6-24 hours prior to departure, $1 fee when changed more than 24 hours prior to departure. A new reservation fee of $1.5 is charged. Should there be a price difference between the old and new trip, then this needs to be paid on top. Should the new trip be less expensive, then the difference in price is not refunded.
Jefferson Lines: Bus tickets, Schedules and Reviews
  • Refundable Tickets: Refund with 20% procedure fee, date exchange free of charge.
  • Prepaid Ticket Orders: can only be refunded to the original ticket owners with valid receipts and original tickets.
  • Non-Refundable Tickets: Marked with “no refund”. Date/time exchange is charged $20. Online Tickets are not refundable but can be cancelled in exchange for a voucher for future bus trips ($15 cancellation fee is required).
Trailways: Bus tickets, Schedules and Reviews
  • Refundable Tickets: Tickets purchased via stations or agencies can be refunded for a 20% cancellation fee.
  • Non-Refundable Tickets: Marked with “no refund”. Passengers cannot cancel or exchange Online Tickets.

What Happens if I Lose My Bus Ticket?

If you lose your Greyhound ticket or a ticket for any other bus provider, then unfortunately you need to book a new one. If you have only lost the printed version, then you can check your e-mails for the original ticket in order to print it out again. Should you lose your ticket on the way to the bus stop, then you can ask the bus driver or at a service point whether an electronic version of your ticket is ok for you to board or whether they can print out your actual ticket for you. Should you book a bus trip and you did not receive an e-mail, you should check your spam folder before contacting the bus company.

Bus Travel: Ticket Booking

How Can I Save More Money with Discounts?

In order to compete with each other, the various bus companies offer different forms of discount. It’s always worth checking them out in order to find out, which bus provider really offers the best overall deal. Finally, in the table below you can see, which bus company provides discount for which customer groups and how to save money with a few easy tricks. For more information about which bus companies offer discounts, check our bus deals and discounts page.

Greyhound:

  • Midweek Discounts: 15%-40% for bus trip on Tuesday or Wednesday, max. savings for trips before 10 am
  • Small Group Discounts (2-3): 10%
  • Child Discounts: 0-2 years free; 2-11 years 20% (accompanied by adult)
  • Student Discounts: 20% for the bus trip and 40% for shipping service with Student Advantage Card
  • Soldier/Veteran Discounts: 10% (applies to family members as well, booking at the station only), 20% with Veterans Advantage Card
  • Senior discounts: over 62 years 5%
  • Large Group Discounts (>7): Contact Greyhound for personalized prices
  • Loyalty Discounts: Road Rewards Program for coupons and free tickets
  • Attention: Passengers need a Valid Photo ID for discounted tickets

FlixBus:

  • Child Discounts: Children under 15 can travel at discounted prices, which are calculated from available discounts and rates.
  • Group Rates: Are calculated during the booking process.

megabus:

  • Regular Deal: tickets starting from $1 for all bus trips across the US on a frequent basis

Jefferson Lines:

  • Advance Tickets: 10%, 25% and 50% when booked 7/14/21 days prior to departure
  • Child Discounts: 0-2 years free; 2-11 years 25%-40% (accompanied by adult)
  • Student Discounts: 15% with valid college ID
  • Companion Tickets: One ticket at full price, two more tickets 30% off
  • Soldier/Veteran discounts: 10%
  • Senior Discounts: over 62 years 5%
  • City Pair Discounts: Iron Range Routes $5, Northwoods Routes as low as $15, Superior Shores starting at $25
  • Attention: Discounted Tickets are non-refundable. Passengers cannot combine Advance tickets with other types of discounts.

Trailways:

  • Child Discounts: 0-2 years free; 2-15 years 25% (accompanied by adult); unaccompanied children pay full price + $5 fee (booking at the station only)
  • Student Discounts: 15% with valid college ID or Student Advantage Card (only select destinations)
  • Military/Veteran Discounts: 10%
  • Senior Discounts: over 65 years 5%-10%
  • Half Price Program: passengers over 65 as well as disabled passengers & Medicare cardholders 50% on select routes (cannot be combined with other discounts)
  • Attention: Passengers need a Valid Photo ID for discounted tickets
CheckMyBus: Search Engine

We remind you that CheckMyBus is a search engine that helps you find the most suitable bus for your trip, but that does not provide the transport service directly. For any questions regarding your ticket, for changes or cancellations, we always recommend that you contact the Customer Service of the specific operator.

 

658 Comments

  • Eric Rentiers

    Trying to book tepic to bucerias mexico using Pacifico.
    Also return one week later.
    Your online schedule shows 2 hours 24 mins yet others say it is a 3/12 hour trip.
    Last year I travelled La Penita to Tepic and it took 2 hours 20 mins on Pacifico.
    I know that Bucerias is about an hour further so to me it makes sense that the trip
    From bucerias to tepic is 3 1/2 hours.
    I believe your online schedule is not factoring in the one hour time change between the two cities.
    I am confused .
    Please advise
    Gracias

    • Avatar photo

      CheckMyBus-Support

      Hi Eric,

      Thank you for your message and for bringing this to our attention. Unfortunately we had a technical issue regarding our time zones which we were able to fix. The connection should be approximately 4 hours since it’s not a direct connection. You should be able to find the accurate results now. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

      Best regards,
      Your CheckMyBus Support Team

  • Laure

    Hello, I want to book a ticket from Rio to Paraty on the 1st of March 2020 but I cannot see any options. Is there because there is no bus or because bookings are not open for that date? As buses from Paraty to Sao Paolo on that date are opened. Thanks, Laure

    • Avatar photo

      CheckMyBus-Support

      Dear Laure,

      Thank you for your message. We have double checked our systems, and it seems that they are working correctly with that route. We advise you to try a bit later in a couple of weeks time as the time selected might be to soon to process with the booking.

      Thank you for your understanding.
      Kind regards,
      Your CheckMyBus Support Team

  • Oguzhan

    I bought a ticket from there and the bus company name was citybusexpress and before my bus ride the company went bankrupt so I want refund.

    • Avatar photo

      CheckMyBus-Support

      Dear Oguzhan,

      Thank you for your message. We are sorry to hear that you had those problems with the bus company. Please notice that CheckMyBus is an intercity bus price comparison portal for buses and routes, so we don´t sell tickets or operate with buses directly.

      We recommend you to contact CityBusExpress directly and reach this issue with them directly.
      Kind regards,
      Your CheckMyBus Support Team

    • Avatar photo

      CheckMyBus-Support

      Dear Jan,

      Thanks for letting us know. It might be that the Primera Plus website was experiencing some technical issues. We have just rechecked and the website seems to be working fine from our end. Clearing cookies and cache if you’re on desktop or trying with another browser if on mobile might be helpful. Let us know if you need further info or help from our side.

      Happy Holidays and kind regards,
      Your CheckMyBus Support Team

  • David Malcolm

    I booked 2 tickets on ADO from Cancun Airport to Merida .I payed with visa the payment is on my statement I can’t print the tickets or get on my phone SMS needs a Mexican phone number.Tell me how to receive the tickets

    • Avatar photo

      CheckMyBus-Support

      Hi David,

      Sorry for the late reply, due to the holiday season we’re operating with a reduced schedule. Please contact ADO directly if the tickets are not being sent to your email address. Customer service for ADO can be found on https://hola.ado.com.mx

      Kind regards,
      Your CheckMyBus Support Team

  • Dani Souza

    I am trying to buy a ticket to Newark, NJ from Union Station in DC. I am struggling purchasing my ticket for the cost that it is showing on the web site.

    I was also looking for a contact phone number to speak with someone about this….is there a number that I can call?

    • Dani Souza

      Here is the pricing I am getting from your website and then it transfers me to a page that is charging me twice as much…….is this right?

      11:15

      Washington, DC – Union Station

      06:35

      Newark, NJ – Penn Station

      com Busbud
      $27
      Return December 22
      4:25

      Newark, NJ – Penn Station

      11:00

      Washington, DC – Union Station

      com Busbud
      $21

      • Avatar photo

        CheckMyBus-Support

        Dear Dani Souza,

        Thank you for your message. Unfortunately, as an intercity bus price comparison portal we don´t have full control of the changes in the prices with our bus providers. Unfortunately, it is not a problem only related to us as main other search transport systems experience the same, especially during high seasons such as Christmas. We believe that during Christmas the prices rate change significantly due to the amount of users travelling as well as other reasons.We apologise for any inconvenience cause.

        Best regards,
        Your CheckMyBus Support Team

  • Jeff

    I land at Heathrow airport on January 15 and will take the bus to Newport Wales. if for some reason my flight is delayed into London or going through immigration and customs takes longer than expected, would it be best to buy my bus ticket in advance or wait until I am ready to board the bus? Will I be penalized if I buy the ticket in advance and have to catch a different bus?
    Thank you.

    • Avatar photo

      CheckMyBus-Support

      Dear Jeff,

      Thank you for your message. Our advise is that you book your ticket in advance to avoid any issues during that day. However, please note that CheckMyBus is an online comparison portal only. We don’t sell the tickets or operate with buses. We recommend you to contact the company you want to travel with directly and ask them for advice in these cases.

      Best regards,
      Your CheckMyBus Support Team

  • Sandipan Sen

    Dear Sir/Madam,

    My name is Sandipan Sen. I am a traveller from Germany and I had booked a ticket from Chichen Itza to Cancun today (12.12.2019).

    Order number : YNJ3QT
    Journey date: 30.12.2019
    Total tickets: 2
    Passengers: Sandipan Sen (Seat number 19) and Arijit Patra (Seat number 20).

    The issue is that:
    While booking i had given my email address as sensandipan100@gmail.com but when I logged on with facebook, the booking procedure sent the tickets to the email associated with my facebook account (indiamycountrymylove@gmail.com).

    Since I dont have access to my facebook email addresss (indiamycountrymylove@gmail.com)I want to request if is is possible to send the tickets again to my current email address (sensandipan100@gmail.com)

    Since it is very important to have the tickets at hand for taking the bus it is very important that I can get the tickets to sensandipan100@gmail.com.

    Please let me know.

    Best regards
    Sandipan Sen

    • Avatar photo

      CheckMyBus-Support

      Dear Sandipan Sen,

      Please note that CheckMyBus is an intercity bus price comparison portal and doesn’t sell tickets or operate buses. In this case we recommend you contacting the bus provider you bought your tickets with to amend that issue with your email address before your trip.

      Best regards,
      Your CheckMyBus Support Team

    • Avatar photo

      CheckMyBus-Support

      Dear Keshnee

      Thank you for your message. Please note that CheckMyBus is an intercity bus price comparison portal and doesn’t sell tickets or operate buses. When you click “view deal” on a bus route in our search engine, you are then redirected to the company’s webpage to make the booking and payment. To request a refund, you must contact the company you booked with directly.

      Best regards,
      Your CheckMyBus Support Team

    • Carol Cavanagh

      Can you please give me a record of what I clicked through to book the tickets because on the bus website when I type in my details it give no record of my booking.

      • Avatar photo

        CheckMyBus-Support

        Dear Carol,

        Thank you for your message. Please note that CheckMyBus is an intercity bus price comparison portal and doesn’t sell tickets or operate buses. When you click “view deal” on a bus route in our system, you are then redirected to the company’s webpage to make the booking and payment. With which bus company did you book your trip with? To receive a confirmation for a booked trip, you must contact the bus company you booked your trip with directly.

        Best regards,
        Your CheckMyBus Support Team

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