Dharamsala - Manali

How to I get from Dharamsala to manali... are there any trains or buses that go direct?

I would do it by local bus,or for lots more money (and boring)you could use a tourist bus,but if you do try & do the journey through the day rather than at night, which lots of people do & miss the wonderful scenery of the Kangra & Kullu valleys. kk

You may find this site useful : http://www.himachal.nic.in/hrtc/ - it is a good resource for travelling by buses within Himachal Pradesh. Check under the "Time Table" link to get details of Timings/Fare of buses operated by the Himachal Pradesh Transport Corporation.

My vote would also be for the local day time bus. You can arrange this at the bus stand in Mcleode, or head down to the one in Daramsala. You probably won't need to buy ticks in advance. Just make sure you're at the bus stand in D.sala by about 7:00 am. It will leave early. The journey takes about 10 hours, but travel time commonly changes (part of the fun of local busses). Another benfit of local travel is you'll be travelling with a more diverse crowd.

Durning the popular tourist season (spring and autumn)there are some truely deluxe Volvo busses that do the same route. They are comfortable, but as mentioned, travelling like this is a bit boring. Cost is rarely an issue, but just in passing, the Volvo buses cost about 400 % more than the local ones.

Anybody know the price for one of the cheaper local buses from Dharmsala/McCleod to Manali?

It's just a hundred rupees or so, right?

Hi
Why is the deluxe volvo bus more boring? Doesn't it take the same route as the local bus? wouldn't the scenery be the same?
Thanks

I've done the route in reverse (Manali => Delhi) and took the local bus.

It was "interesting" to say the very least. At varying times of the journey, I was nursing an old man's grocery shopping; a newborn baby (3+ months); a man's (with the worlds worst B.O.)briefcase and more. It was a very long journey and one that I really wouldn't like to repeat in a hurry. If I did this route again, I'd go tourist bus.

But on the way to Manali, you may find less people going up there than back to Delhi (*maybe*).

The views along the way were stunning (daytime). It's worth getting a seat near the front and, one where you can open a window to stick your camera out & get some quick pictures along the way.

Cheers
Zoltan

Zoltan's hit the nail on the head,goats,hen's lot's of local people in various traditional dress.
As opposed to Volvo bus full of westerners sat listening to ipod's while trying to look Koooool!!! KK

Hi
Its my first trip to himachal, i am planning to stay in Manali. post sight seeing at nearby places visit Dharamshal, Mc leodgang, Dalhousie..

Can any 1 suggest if this would work or should i change my plan to make it Kullu- Manali and then Shimla

I feel either way it is fine, depends more on what you seek. Shimla has become a bit too commercial and crowded, for obvious reasons, and will not be a choice if you're looking for peaceful location. Take your time at Kullu and Manali and you may like to head for Dharamshala, Palampur and Mcleodganj thereafter. Have a look at the Himachal Tourism site in order to get a better hang of the locations before you finalise your route.