reserved bus tickets in Himachal Pradesh

teadaze · Sep 3rd, 2009, 03:46

Hi

Sorry if this has already been asked, but I'm going to be travelling around Himachal Pradesh for a few weeks and plan on taking quite a few bus journeys. Is it necessary to always book tickets in advance (if so, how long in advance?) or could I just show up on the day? Does it make a difference if I'm travelling long distances between the bigger towns, or just going on a short journey from one village to another?

I want to visit the smaller, more rural places, not just Manali, Dharamsala etc, but I don't want to have a strict itinerary. I'm quite spontaneous so having to plan every journey and ticket in advance would be a bit annoying.

Any advice would be brilliant. Thanks in advance!!

bonded · Sep 3rd, 2009, 03:49

A day in advance should be fine. In some routes you would get seats on that day itself.

Since you are visiting the smaller rural places there would be shared taxis/jeeps plying there.

sriprakash74 · Sep 8th, 2009, 15:23

If you are taking long journeys like Shimla to Manali etc, in a luxury buses then advance booking is recomended. Otherwise no need for a advance booking. Enquire about bus timings if possible. There are also the option of Jeep plying on various routes.

sanket2612 · Sep 8th, 2009, 15:51

Hi Teadaze,

We had back packed Himachal this may. Its better to visit remote places than Shimla, Kullu and Manali.
Let me give you an advise. Get a map and tag the places of interest. The State transport buses ply down to each and every corner of state. However, the average speed is about 15 to 20 kmph, as its a hilly region. So it takes quite some time to reach from one place to other.
Also, if you get lucky you can travel sitting on top of the buses. Its an experience all by itself.
Some places that we had visited:

Manali
Kasol (Its a cool town 4 kms before manikaran)
Sohja (This one is on the road towards Jalori pass)
Naagni (This is a fishing village)

You can also check for government run resort in the Great Himalayan National Park. You cant drive to this place, but there is a hike for about an hour.

We backpacked, so our stay was basic. The locals are quite friendly. They offer you an economical accommodation and the food is very tasty.

After all, backpacking is the best way to experience the culture.

Let me know if you need any more info.

Sep 3rd, 2009, 03:46	#1
teadaze Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Scotland Posts: 2	reserved bus tickets in Himachal Pradesh Hi Sorry if this has already been asked, but I'm going to be travelling around Himachal Pradesh for a few weeks and plan on taking quite a few bus journeys. Is it necessary to always book tickets in advance (if so, how long in advance?) or could I just show up on the day? Does it make a difference if I'm travelling long distances between the bigger towns, or just going on a short journey from one village to another? I want to visit the smaller, more rural places, not just Manali, Dharamsala etc, but I don't want to have a strict itinerary. I'm quite spontaneous so having to plan every journey and ticket in advance would be a bit annoying. Any advice would be brilliant. Thanks in advance!!

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Sep 3rd, 2009, 03:49	#2
bonded Account Closed Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 492	A day in advance should be fine. In some routes you would get seats on that day itself. Since you are visiting the smaller rural places there would be shared taxis/jeeps plying there.

Sep 8th, 2009, 15:23	#3
sriprakash74 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Ghaziabad Posts: 294	If you are taking long journeys like Shimla to Manali etc, in a luxury buses then advance booking is recomended. Otherwise no need for a advance booking. Enquire about bus timings if possible. There are also the option of Jeep plying on various routes.

Sep 8th, 2009, 15:51	#4
sanket2612 Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bomaby Posts: 20	Hi Teadaze, We had back packed Himachal this may. Its better to visit remote places than Shimla, Kullu and Manali. Let me give you an advise. Get a map and tag the places of interest. The State transport buses ply down to each and every corner of state. However, the average speed is about 15 to 20 kmph, as its a hilly region. So it takes quite some time to reach from one place to other. Also, if you get lucky you can travel sitting on top of the buses. Its an experience all by itself. Some places that we had visited: Manali Kasol (Its a cool town 4 kms before manikaran) Sohja (This one is on the road towards Jalori pass) Naagni (This is a fishing village) You can also check for government run resort in the Great Himalayan National Park. You cant drive to this place, but there is a hike for about an hour. We backpacked, so our stay was basic. The locals are quite friendly. They offer you an economical accommodation and the food is very tasty. After all, backpacking is the best way to experience the culture. Let me know if you need any more info.