There are many things I discovered while travelling in India, things that no guidebook or India travel blog could ever have told me about.
One of those things being the hell that is the overnight sleeper bus.
I’m sorry India.
I love your country with all my heart, (so much so that I made a podcast about India with my son putting the world to rights about your bad press) – I’ve even named you as one of my top underrated world destinations, but your sleeper buses?
Well.
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The India Sleeper Bus.
Are night buses really that bad in India? (Why not listen to our podcast on travelling in India on an overnight bus and you decide?)
Let’s just say that taking an overnight sleeper bus in India is not for the fainthearted.
Nor is it for those who cherish their sleep. Or for those with a weak bladder.
But if you want to save on a nights accommodation and travel a long distance in India for not much more than $10, then go for it. The overnight sleeper bus might just be for you.
Let’s face it. You are only going to book the coach because:
a) every other mode of transport is full or
b) you’re on a tight budget.
When we told people of our upcoming trip to India we were inundated with ‘tips’ about India. Some of them were helpful but most were utter rubbish. Be aware of these tips on India and ignore them.
We are a family of four travelling the world, we are doing everything in our power to save money and have authentic experiences.
Apparently, this includes taking horrific public transportation so that we can reward ourselves by seeking out India’s most beautiful beaches and proceeding to lay on them for three weeks. Sometimes, I wish I’d just been born rich.
If you are backpacking in India and your group is larger than one, know that the trains book up quickly. Unless you want to go third class on the train – and even my kids wouldn’t agree to that – then you will inevitably have to take an overnight sleeper bus or coach.
We took the sleeper bus from Mysore to Gokarna after spending a couple of days cruising the Kerala backwaters. If you want to make the same bus trip here are your options:
Traveling Through India. Your Transport Options.
There is only one company that I trust with booking planes trains and automobiles in India and that is 12GoAsia. They are super-efficient, competitively priced and very, very easy to deal with. If you need to book tickets then I would suggest using nobody else.
Flying
Flying in India is extremely cost-effective, especially if you are a family.
(Please remember, this transport review is for Mysore/Mysuru to Gokarna. There are no flights for this route.
We took four internal flights while we were in India and they were all very nice and simple. No worries about taking flights in India, just make sure you use a company that you can trust for your flights. We only ever use this company for our flights in India because they are reliable and have fabulous customer service.
The Train
The train was our preferred choice of travel, but we had left it too late which was a shame.
We’ve had lots of fabulous experiences on the Indian trains. We took the sleeper from Jaipur to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and it was a breeze. Unfortunately, when we tried to book the train for this trip they were full.
If you’re organised use 12GoAsia to book seats for you in advance, they are a fabulous company who deal with all the annoying things like booking a train, bus and internal flight tickets in India
Then write to me and tell me how I can be organised like you.
Normal Government bus.
Traveling by bus in India is an experience.
If you go to India I urge you to take a bus just so that you can say you have done it.
You can’t mistake the government buses in India for any other. They are the red ones with millions of bodies hanging out of the windows.
The bus from Mysore leaves at 6 am and takes roughly 12 hours.
This local bus is your cheapest option, but I just couldn’t face it. It’s a long way to go with a groin in your face.
Car
You can hire a car of course, but we haven’t got a death-wish, so we didn’t bother.
Just being a bus passenger on the Indian roads is enough to give me a heart attack, I can’t imagine being in the driver’s seat and seeing one of those maniacs in a bus veering towards me.
Leaving You With… The India Sleeper Bus.
A quick look inside the India Sleeper Bus. This was us coming into Mumbai after spending the night on the bus.
For those of you that are not familiar with the concept of public transport, let me fill you in.
Who knows what lies behind that curtain…
What is a Sleeper Bus?
A sleeper bus is pretty much what it says on the packet. A bus with beds that you can (or can’t) sleep on. There are two tiers down either side of the coach with double or single beds. (see the picture that I provided). A fitted sheet is provided.
There are hooks with small net baskets where you can store small personal items in each compartment.
Check out my essential travel checklist – I won’t give too much away but let’s say that you might find a few handy items on there to use while on the buses in India.
Some buses are semi sleepers, meaning that there will be beds down one side of the bus, and seats (for those who prefer to sit up) on the other. We have taken both. The full sleeper and the semi.
Some have air conditioning. Others don’t. Ours didn’t. Of course it didn’t, silly…
Are you sure that all the bags will fit in there??
Why not listen as you read? This podcast episode describes in detail what my son and I REALLY think of India…
Do Sleeper Buses Have Toilets?
You must know that there are no toilets on the overnight sleeper bus. Not the two that we traveled on anyway (non A/C overnight sleeper bus).
To be honest, if there were I don’t think I would have used them anyway.
Since writing this post I have had some of my Indian friends tell me that some buses do have toilets. Like I say. Ours didn’t so you might want to check.
I will tell you further down in the post what your options are when the toilet moment arrives.
Which Companies Operate Sleeper Buses?
The bus that we took was organised by Sheera travel.
It’s a big blue double-decker bus that departs at 9 pm from opposite the bus station in Mysuru. The central bus station with the archway outside. We booked our tickets the day before through an agent for KRSTC. The official website for online bus travel in the state of Karnataka in India.
If you don’t want to do it yourself online through KRTC, and you like chatting to Indian people in little offices, there are loads of kiosks and shops dotted around Mysuru so you won’t have any trouble finding someone to book tickets for you.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to use an online agent to book tickets for you, click here to use 12GoAsia. They are the best online booking agent in India. By Far.
This is what we did. Be warned though, we booked the day before, and there were only eights seats left in random places on the coach, so try not to cut it as fine as we did if you want seats together.
Which Option Did We Choose?
We opted for the overnight sleeper bus. Of course, we did. We are in India. We are up for an adventure!
Please, Daddy. Don’t make us do this. You’re smiling now Brian but you won’t be in 12 hours.
Here’s how they describe the sleeper bus India as on the website:
Sleeper. Non a/c. 2/1
Let me explain.
This sleeper bus goes overnight – naturally – no air conditioning but this is a plus, not a minus.
There are windows on both the top and bottom bunk. You can pull these open to let in air (yes, there is also smell and noise, but you can deal with that. Think of the money you are saving.)
2/1.
This description means merely that on one side of the bus are double beds for two people, and on the other side, there are rows of singles.
If you are the organised sort – and I urge you to try to be in India – you will end up with little other option than to take a bus.
Waiting for the sleeper bus. of course, it’s at the side of the road. Where else would the bus stop be? Feeling rather apprehensive…
Pros of Getting an Overnight Sleeper Bus in India. (What every India Travel Blog Should Tell You).
- It’s cheap. We paid 700 Rupees each. Check out the exchange rate here but it’s about $11.
- You save on a nights accommodation. Saving money on hotels always makes those travelling on a budget happy.
- There is a bed. But there is no top sheet – only a bottom one covering the mattress.
- There is a built-in pillow. Although the mattress was comfy enough we concluded that all Indian people must be short with small feet. My husband can’t find a pair of sandals over size 10 and the beds tend to be far too short for my son’s legs. Note to oneself. Must stop feeding my son so much while in India.
- Curtains for privacy. Yes, they flutter in the air when the windows are fully opened exposing you to the stranger laying opposite, but they do give a certain degree of separateness. Its better than nothing.
- Apart from the two double bunks at the back of the bus (and guess which clever clogs booked these), all the other bunks have a built-in shelf at the end of the bed to put your belongings onto.
- Don’t book the back berths unless you want to sleep (or lay awake for twelve hours) with your computer bag and water bottles weighing on your numb legs. Just saying.
- You can sit up and read. Even my son who is almost six foot could just about sit up without hitting his head.
- It’s great if you’re an insomniac because for one night of your life you won’t feel any different to everyone else around you.
- It’s an experience that you will be able to brag to your grandchildren about. A sleeper bus is real hardcore Indian travel experience.
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Cons of Getting an Overnight Indian Sleeper Bus. (What a Travel Blog Might Forget to mention)
- People talk about the sleeping bus India. So you immediately think of sleeping. But here’s the funny thing. You won’t sleep. Not a wink. It’s a cruel trick. Don’t believe for one minute that you are a heavy sleeper and go telling people that you can get shut-eye through anything. Believe me. You. Won’t. Sleep.
- Imagine going on a rickety old roller coaster, only you are lying down – and you don’t have a harness on or any shoes. Oh, and it’s in the dark, and you’re in a sleeping bag (if you’re lucky) you’re almost there on an Indian overnight sleeper bus.
- There are no toilets. But annoyingly they stop the bus in the middle of the night which is bizarre. Not only does the coach stop but the driver walks up and down the bus shouting for everyone to get off. A bit like a sergeant major. He then flings open the flimsy blue curtain, peering in to see if you are asleep. Which of course you aren’t.
- If you are a woman, you are in luck; there is a squat toilet. (Read about my experience with squat toilets here) But if you are a man you are expected to stand at the side of the road and, well, just be a real man. Have a spit while you’re at it.
- You are in very close proximity to other strangers. The man who was two berths down from us had a bucket with him. And he used it. I was slightly jealous of his facilities actually.
As you can see, because I am trying to be adventurous and jolly, there are more positives than negatives. It’s just the way I am. What can I say?
But ask me would I travel in an overnight sleeper bus through India again? Honestly? Probably not.
Let me rephrase that.
Only if I was desperate. Actually. Never again. I don’t cope well without sleep, and more importantly neither do my teenagers.
Want To See Some Sleeper Bus Images In India? Watch Our Video!
Yes, it was cheap, and it’s like anything, once you’ve done it you tend to look back with rose-tinted glasses.
“It wasn’t that bad” you’ll say, with a glass of wine in your hand. But, without a doubt, If I could, I would use another mode of transport, quite purely for the fact that I need my sleep.
So Why Don’t You Sleep on a Sleeper Bus?
Because there are thousands of potholes all over the place. The highways are in poor condition, and everyone on the road has a license that says ‘I’m the boss of this road so get the hell out of my way’. The sound of horns is unbearable at 3 am.
BUT.
If you don’t have much money and need to get from a to b, and you feel like staying up all night to catch up on that book you’ve been waiting to read, then take the sleeper.
Now here’s a little tip for you…
Sleeper Buses In India. The best Seats to book.
When booking the sleeper coach bus in India make sure you book the MIDDLE bunks. Between the wheels. DONT do what we did and think the very back or the very front of the bus will be smoother.
They are not.
The middle section people. The middle. Take it from someone who knows. Use this company to book your seats and ask for the centre of the bus.
My India Travel Blog Diary. What my Experience on The Sleeper Bus was Like:
Don’t do what I did on the sleeper bus. Don’t think ‘I’ll leave my contact lenses in so that I can get straight up in the morning’.
No.
Don’t do that.
When the coach screeched to a halt in the wee hours of the morning and the driver who barked at everyone to ‘Get off! Quickly! The bus need go!’ I opened my eyes to cloudy, dry contact lenses.
Imagine if you will an old woman with cataracts rolling dazed and confused off the top bunk – nearly crashing into the bucket that had most certainly been used by the man in the next bed – and you’ll never leave your contact lenses in on an overnight sleeper coach in India ever again.
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3 Beautiful beaches in India that will blow you away
Visiting Allepey? Don’t take a houseboat, do THIS instead!
25 things you will never say while backpacking in India
How do people on a regular wage afford to travel the world
8 Travel tips you can safely ignore – ’cause they are crap
Why people feel the need to travel. 5 Reasons.
I hoped you enjoyed my India travel blog post on the Indian overnight bus service. My advice to you if you are thinking of taking an overnight sleeper bus in India?
Don’t.
Not unless you fancy staying up all night with a good book and a strong bladder. Get organised. Take the train.
And remember your glasses.
Have you taken the overnight sleeper bus in India? How was it? What would you advise to do differently? Leave me a comment below or message me directly! And PLEASE! Don’t forget to share this post if you enjoyed it!
I’ve travelled in India many, many times, and would never, for even a micro second, consider taking an overnight bus of any kind. People die, lots of them. The roads are hell. And yes the trains fill up. Last time we got stuck in Kerala unable to get on a train north AT ALL, So we just…stayed in Kerala. It’s nice down there. Not like “real” India. Real India is hardcore and my favourite country. But I have ridden on the roof of an Indian bus and you haven’t, so we can sit in a pub one day and squabble over bragging rights. I’m up at 3am ( again) this time because I had a nightmare about…India. Beggars, deformities, rape, burns, sewers, it was all in there. I’m feeling quite traumatised.
You crazy lady! Get back to bed and get some sleep. It’s all that sheep milking in Romania…It’s driving you crazy. And by the way, I’ll always beat you at bragging because I have couchsurfed in Sri Lanka and India and you haven’t. You are right, the North is the REAL India and it was my favourite too but if I want to go back there I will have to do it alone. India has scarred Tessa for life I think…
Liz, Just curious to know, were you able to sleep in sleeper buses anywhere outside india? I haven’t traveled on the mentioned routes but frankly, I wasn’t able to catch-up sleep quickly in so called multiaxle Volvo buses too and therefore thinking buses are best suited for upright travel and not for horizontal way. Well, doubt road conditions to be cause for that since I felt more balanced and less bumpier on normal semi sleepers and prefer that for night travel (individuals choice might differ though)
Hi Balaji,
to be honest, not very well. We travelled overnight in Vietnam but they were just as bad (but we weren’t thrown off in the middle of the night to go to the loo!) But you are probably right, buses aren’t the best for sleeping, much prefer trains!
Never ever would I get another bus in India…. and your blog just made me remember why !!! 12 years later and it still makes me shudder!
Brilliant blog,you have a absolute knack of pinpointing the tiny details that bring it all to life…..like the man with the bucket!!!xxxx
Brilliant article. I think I’d be like Alyson and stay put. Probably forever! Kerala sounds lovely.
Thank you, Danielle, and yes, Kerela is a gorgeous part of India… You get to experience India but in a little bubble! It’s lovely!
Good post.
It was really unfortunate that you found a man with a bucket of pee. In all my life, I’ve never heard of anything like that happening. I’m not sure about it, but there are a lot of Multi-axle Volvo buses plying various routes, these are more comfortable than the average non-ac ones. They’re a bit costly, 1000 rupees and upwards, but I’m sure you knew that. I think it’s all about finding a good transport company. I’ve always used vrl, I think it’s the best.
It was all part of the experience Prateek! Why not bring your own ensuite on board I guess?!
Yes, I knew about the more expensive buses (don’t tell my kids that secret though) but because I am so mean I thought it much better to torture my children in order to save a few rupees!
:)) Thanks so much for your comment, Liz
That was a nice blog. Actually I am from Kerala and thank you for the nice comments about Kerala. But as Prateek had written here, atleast you should have mentioned about the costly options also in this blog (genuinely I don’t think its that costly for you though). If not I fear, your kids and your readers will hesitate to visit us again. You can not compare such a populated and diversified country like India with any European countries. Here there are different ecinomical strata and everyone should have the transportation facilities matching their pocket. Actually you did a mistake by intruding in to their zone and complaining about it. I am not blaming you but it is really sad to read about this “slumdog” portrayal of India…. my own country.
Hi Pratheesh,
I hope I didn’t offend you. Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know about my love affair for your country, India, I have written about it many times on sites such as Quora and have tried to remove any misconceptions that people have about this gorgeous country. Do not fear, India has not seen the last of me or my kids – I will be returning many, many, times.
Ps: I’m so sorry to hear about your terrible floods. My family and I were so saddened by it. We made many lovely friends in this beautiful part of India.All the best, Liz
I’m so sorry that you had such an experience. I’m from Mysore and never faced such an incident. A great story to read though! Were there no Volvo buses for this route?
There were Anurag (although don’t tell my kids that…) We absolutely LOVED Mysore! Such a beautiful city 🙂
Thank you for visiting Mysore, we welcome tourists from all round the globe!
I’ve lived in India for 11 years now, I am originally Indian, and I still wouldn’t take the sleeper bus if there was any other option. In fact, I’ve never taken it yet. And I’ve done plenty of crazy things but… not this. No. I’d rather use a tempo. (Those pick up truck thingies you see in India: they’re surprisingly comfortable.)
Kudos to you and your family for roughing it up. 😀
Thank you Sunskriti! I feel kind of tough now..!
Hey Sunskriti, Not all busses would be this horrible, probably they had a wrong pick for travel. There are more comfortable and well maintained busses aswell which include Airconditioner and even toilets. Try “Intrcity” by Indian railways. I hope you change your decision after that.
Wow, that sounds terrifying! I took many sleeper buses in Southeast Asia and they were all surprisingly comfy. Well, maybe except the Myanmar buses, they were actually really nice and clean BUT the roads were super bumpy so you couldn’t sleep either – and they also stopped in the middle of the night, forcing everyone to get off and locking the door! India sounds like another level though. Still trying to find the courage to travel there, especially as a solo female traveler…
Hi Michaela! I have seen you on Pinterest so it’s so nice to put a voice to the pinner! Yes! The bumps! Plus, I had a teenage boy laying beside me who kept saying “please.Will you stop rolling into me. Please.” (!) Good luck with your India plans, we met stacks of solo female travellers in India – they did tend to get together so they weren’t on their own for long I don’t think. Our experience of India was fabulous, although, as you say, it’s a whole different ball game when you are with a family 🙂 thanks so much for your comment my friend! x
I am originally from India and I would not ever travel on a sleeper bus or an overnight bus. I did when I was young and have a rather weak bladder. I can till you it is very uncomfortable. However I travelled in buses in Peru and Brazil and they were no better. No toilets in the bus and the ones that did you cant even go near it. So India is not that different. Stick to trains or find a bus which have toilets and there are very few of them.
I think everyone should experience at least one overnight journey on an Indian bus in their lifetime! I’m so glad that I did 🙂
Thank you Sunskriti! I feel kind of tough now..!
Well, that was a fun read. Thank you for lightening my mood up with your post while I go and book a sleeper bus in India since I don’t have any other option!
Why am I slightly jealous?! Have a good trip Harish – as one of the comments said below, it’s really not that bad (say that to yourself 100 times and you’ll believe it) say ‘Hi’ to your beautiful India for me 🙂 Liz
Would like to help you in making a small correction. KSRTC isn’t the official website to book buses in India. Mysore and Gokarna are both in the state of Karnataka, and KSRTC stands for Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. So the website is only for booking the buses within the state of Karnataka. And one more thing, the sleeper buses are luxury to us rather than trains. Come on they are not that bad.
Thank you Sandeep, that is super helpful, I will correct that on the post. To your second point…hmmm, remember we are Western softies!! BUT…it can’t have been THAT bad – as we did it twice – just to make sure! (or to punish my teenagers I can’t remember which?!) Your country is absolutley beautiful – magical – but your buses?? Let’s agree to disagree on that one! Liz 🙂
Ha ha… i feel like laughing out loud. Of course, sleeping in bus bed is not as comfortable as sleeping at home. But definitely it’s not as bad as it’s mentioned here…(may be it’s because I’m used to it as I’m born and brought up here).
Bus with toilet is a rare one here….just recently i came to know that few buses have been launched with toilets. So, stopping bus and waking up in midnight to go to toilet is a common thing here. It’s okay for us.
Bad roads… horns at midnight ..used to it since childhood.
By the way…I’m a regular traveller in over night sleeper buses from Madurai to Chennai (if i don’t get a sleeper in train).
Thank you Naga, I’m glad I made you laugh 🙂
Really happy that you loved our country!. Speaking about your bad experience, it was imo due to the choice of bus that you booked to ply on. First of all you guys must have opted for an air conditioned coach if u really had a choice. Any ac coach would have brought down your level of discomfort largely. And for a smooth and leisurely ride you should have experienced the multi axle coaches of Volvo and Scania Metrolink. Specifically for roads with abundant pot holes Volvo buses are a better off choice since they have a softer dampened suspension that absorbs pot holes efficiently and provide a fairly smooth ride. About restrooms, several luxury bus coaches in india have Inbuilt toilets in them which are clean & hygienic too. At the end of the day, we get what we pay for! ?
Awesome blog! Thanks for sharing your experience.
It was significance to me, thanks to the author for taking out some of your precious time and sharing your thoughts on this subject. You know Bharat Benz tourist bus are the safest bus in the World. Thanks Again to share your thoughts.
Hi Liz Decale!
Came across your blog. It was interesting to read. I’m glad that you had good experiences in India. But I’m sorry for some of the bad experiences you had. But to top on some of your opinion on travelling in a Sleeper Bus, I’m a software engineer and I used to travel every other weekend for 8 hrs to go to my hometown and back to work on Monday. Most of the time, it was always a good experience. Almost all the buses had at-least 6 ft bed with good curtains and a throw blanket. I used to sleep on the the night before and work the next day. There will be one or two rest stops, based on the number of hours of travel. In all the rest stops, I always have noticed Men’s toilet. But in cases, if some one had to pass urine in the middle of the rest stop, the driver will stop in some random place only if it is a Male traveler. Overall, the Sleeper Bus travels are not that bad as your experience. I’ve traveled in other western countries in Buses with restroom (not sleeper) but seater, there will be a mild smell from the restroom throughout the travel. I feel this is a better option to stop and go rather than travelling with the smell for the whole travel. Also, I believe the helper for the driver might have peeked inside the curtain just to count whether you are back on the bus after the reststop just to make sure everyone who got off had on boarded back on the bus. But anyway, I’m sorry to hear for your bad experience. When you travel to India next time, please use AC sleeper than non-sleeper where there will not be much noise comparing to a non AC one. I agree, the traffic system in India is chaotic and noisy because of over population and less area. But I feel like, we are using honk as a way to communicate with co-drivers. I’ve not used honk only once in my whole 6 years of driving in US, But I use honk atleast once in every 2 mins. 🙂 .
Oh! That’s a beautiful comment! Thank you so much – I could hear your voice as I was reading this :)) The post about the bus is written slightly tongue in cheek…if I’d hated that much i wouldn’t have gone back for seconds! My son and I have just made a podccst about are thought on India – it is here: https://itsadrama.com/travel-india-podcast-episode-10/
Next week we are going to tell the tale of the India bus journey and I will take all of your above points into consideration – thank you again so much Priya.
This is a hilarious read. I am born, raised in India and back then there were no sleeper buses. I live in US now and visiting family in India. To save time I was about to book this sleeper bus. I decided not to. Sleep
Matters to me to behave well the next day. I must also fly out of India the next day.
Thank you for your lovely comment Saradha 🙂 I have made lots of Indian friends over the last year (I also write answers on Quora occasionally and lots of people from India reached out to me on there.) Anyway, they have told me that if we were to have taken the air-conditioned bus we would have been able to sleep…hmmm…but that would have made it too easy on the kids and no mother wants that…
Did you get the chance to listen to the podcast that my son and I made discussing this very same subject??
It will give you an insight into our very different views!!
https://itsadrama.com/travelling-in-india-podcast/
Hope you are having a lovely time in India with your family 🙂 X
Hey, nice blog.
However I’d like to state that such buses should be avoided. Even as an Indian student, I take AC Sleepers only. They are way cleaner and have comparatively good stops.
I really don’t suggest foreigners taking non-AC bus for the ‘experience’. Seriously guys you would get Indian experience in AC buses too, there’s no need of deliberately availing such services which even an Indian would avoid taking.
The same is the case with trains too. People from foreign countries take tickets of general coach and then complain as to how bad their experience was. (For the uninitiated general coach is the lowest in hierarchy of Indian railways).
So bottom line is, if you come to India and wish to travel on bus, TAKE AN A/C Bus. And if you want to take a train, TAKE AN A/C coach and NOT general coach.
I am an Indian a frequent traveller. Live 600 km from my in-laws. we are a close knit family. my mother in law absolutely distrusts daycare. So when my kids were younger (both married), during school holidays, I was expected to drop them off with my in-laws so I could carry on with my job and not dump kids in day care of some summer camp (which according to MIL is torture camp). I used to take off sat night … drop kids off and travel back sunday night and back on the job on Monday. Always travelled by sleeper coaches (bus … cos trains take 29 hours on the same route while bus takes 12). the trick is , as you said, the middle berths AND THE LOWER ONES … single berths are better too .. you feel safe. buf if you are six feet or taller, then you are going to be cramped up for sure. The next time you are in India do try the sleeper coach again using these tips and go for Volvo and yes, Indian roads are in a much better condition than they were some years back.
Will welcome you back any day.
You should have booked a Volvo A/C sleeper. 🙂
Did you visit Assam or any of North East India? I ask because I’m an NE Indian.
Anyone reading this, sleeper buses are one of the best travel options in India but the problem is most foreigners end up with the wrong bus and the seat.
When it comes to choosing the most comfortable seats, you should always choose a seat in the middle part, within the wheelbase, is the safest.