Wanderu Who? Travel Cheap Via Bus, Train, or Ferry

If you missed my article on finding flights via Google’s flight finder, you should check it out. Today, I’ll be walking you through using Wanderu, a handy travel search engine that can save you serious cash on ground transportation.

What Is Wanderu?

According to Wanderu, they are “The simplest way to book bus and train travel.” They help you find deals to thousands of destinations in North America and Europe. Think of it as a one-stop shop for bus, train, and ferry travel, with no more hopping from carrier to carrier trying to compare prices.

First, a bit of real talk. The Wanderu website can be hit or miss with screen readers. The good news is that the Wanderu iOS app and the Wanderu Android app work much better for VoiceOver and TalkBack users.

Who Does Wanderu Partner With?

Wanderu partners with major carriers including Megabus, Amtrak, Greyhound, FlixBus, Peter Pan, OurBus, RedCoach, Jefferson Lines, and many more. With all these partnerships, you don’t have to spend hours looking for deals across multiple apps or websites. It’s all in one spot.

How to Find Trip Deals

I’ll walk you through this using the iPhone app, so things may be labeled a bit differently on Android.

Once you open the app, allow it to use your location, and create your account, you’ll see the search screen. Here’s what to do:

Select Your Cities: The first box is your departure city and the next is your arrival city. Between them is a handy Switcheroo button that swaps your departure and arrival if needed. You can use your current location or start typing a city name and pick from the autocomplete list.

Select Your Dates: Tap the departure date box to open a date picker. You’ll see months with numbered grids beneath them. Select a number under the right month, then activate the “Select This Date” button at the bottom. Repeat for your return date if you have one.

Search for Trips: Hit the search button in the bottom right. You’ll get results showing the cheapest, earliest, latest, and fastest options at the top, with individual trips listed below. Each trip shows departure and arrival cities, stations, and times.

Use Filters: The Filter button in the top right corner lets you narrow results to direct trips only, filter by time of day, or filter by carrier. You can reset filters anytime.

Trip Details and Booking

Tap any trip to see the details. From here you can:

Add passenger information (keeping your account updated makes this faster).

Get directions to the departure and arrival stations using the map buttons.

Book your trip by activating the Book button, which shows the total price.

At checkout, enter your passenger info, billing details, and complete your purchase. You’ll receive a confirmation email with trip details and a printable PDF ticket. We’re done! I hope this app allows you to find fast, cheap rides for you, family, or friends.

FAQ

Is Wanderu accessible with VoiceOver or TalkBack?

The Wanderu mobile apps work better with screen readers than the website. I recommend using the iOS app or Android app for the best experience.

Does Wanderu charge extra fees?

Wanderu shows you the prices from each carrier. Their service is free to use: you pay the carrier’s price directly.

Can I compare bus, train, and ferry options all at once?

Yes! That’s one of the best things about Wanderu. It searches across multiple carriers and transportation types so you can compare everything in one place.

Does Wanderu cover routes outside the United States?

Yes. Wanderu covers destinations in both North America and Europe.

Can I book round-trip tickets on Wanderu?

Yes. When selecting your travel dates, just add a return date and Wanderu will search for round-trip options.

Conclusion

Wanderu is a solid tool for finding affordable bus, train, and ferry rides without having to search carrier by carrier. The mobile app is the way to go for screen reader users. If you have other ways of saving on travel, let me know in the comments or on my contact page.

Until next time, Qapla!