Fly or bus from Srinagar to Jammu

I've got a short (16 day) trip coming up to India, and one of my destinations is Srinagar. I will be flying there from Delhi, and then head down to Rajasthan from there, via Jammu of course. The flight on SpiceJet is cheap, but I've heard the scenery is good on the bus. What would be the advantages of the bus over the plane, if any (I know the carry-on rules at Srinagar and am not bothered by that).

A lot depends on what time of year you are thinking of taking the bus trip. I did this journey in the summertime and the entire ride was enjoyable, I had the chance to chat with a lot of locals, enjoy the stunning scenery and lovely weather.
But at this time of year I think the road may get blocked in certain places, although it's getting towards the end of winter now. It's certainly one of the more pleasant bus trips in India but if you are short on time but not money flying gives you that extra 10 hours.

be kind to yourself - fly. bus journey i undertook during early 80s was horrendously uncomfortable - can't imagine much has changed since then.

hi,


I have been going to & fro from srinagar to jammu for the last few years in the bus, jeep and have even flown there .. i found the flying a real pain and time consuming affair.

1. due to high security u ought to report nearly three hours before the flight. U cant have any hand bags.

2. The rickshas are only permitted till the main gate of the air port.

3. your luggage goes thru a security drill there and then u ought to take an expensive internal auto ride till the main ride ( I was lucky I got a lift)

4. The flight is usually delayed cos it is on a high security zone hence the security drills at jammu and srinagar delay it.

5. yeah but if u are flying long distance like srinagar- bombay its worth the hassle ( cos it is only 3 hrs flight against an 10-12 hr road drive from srinagar-jammu, 12 hrs train from jammu to delhi then 14 hours rajdhani train from delhi to bombay)

6. But I really love the scenery and the whole experience of going on the roads.

7. The passing thru the tunnel and the lovely villages, bakeries, road side dhabas serving rice and rajma(kidney beans, the lovely cottages in patni top (hill station near jammu), the pine trees, fresh streams, the cold chills are what make it jaanat.

I am planning to go to Kashmir end of this month (28th) with my mother. We are flying from Delhi to srinagar and spending 4 days there. We have our train booked from Jammu to Delhi. So I am planning to drive back from Srinagar to Jammu - which is a better option?
1. bus - is private better or govt, any super delux buses?
2. Sumo or Cab - what will be the cost?

Also, I am planning to cover local sight seeing at Kashmir and Gumarg, if possible pehalgam.
Are there any nice places to stop by for a few minutes on the drive from Srinagar to Jammu?

A early response will be much appreciated.

Thanks a lot,
Nisha

Hi Nisha,
The best option for Srinagar to Jammu is hire a shared Sumo/Qualis/Innova and choose the middle seat for comfort. They will charge 300-350 per person for middle.
In shared cab, drivers genraly takes one or two stops only for refreshments....
it is not possible ss for nice palaces in shared cab.
Well, I am also visiting in last week september. feel free for any other query. Enjoy your trip

Thanks Vivek,
I got one more question - for booking of the house boats - which ones are good. Is it good to pre-book online and go or go there and book for one?

Sorry for interruption..
What are the carry on rules at srinagar as mentioned by OP?
Is it related to foreigners or indians.?

geo96 has a good option for houseboats. pm him for details.

Nisha, anar is rite. either PM to geo96 or PM me for staying options n queries. i have enough information abt stay n tour coz i am collecting informations abt trip from june

Hi,

I am visiting Kashmir for 4 days and plan to take 1 day for Gulmarg and one day for Pahalgam, over night stay at both places.
Do you suggest I do an over night stay at Gulmarg or come back to Srinagar by evening (what is the safe time to return?)
Also, Can i get good transport from Pahalgam to Jammu? How long will the drive take?

Thanks,
Nisha

Why not stay at Gulamrg for one day !!

It's a nice place.

I found pahalgam to better than gulmarg so it's better to return to srinagar and start early for pahalgam the next day..but if it's winter then gulmarg will be at it's best, so you can stay there.
Drop your taxi at anantnag and you can get buses or jeeps from there. I can't really say if it's good transport.

I wasn't too impressed with the jammu- srinagar highway-it's crowded, so it's better to take a flight.

how is the frequency of buses from srinagar to jammu? is there overnight bus? I'm going to travel from srinagar to jammu to catch a train to amritsar so i need to know the timings of the bus so that I know which train i can catch in Jammu...thanks in advance...