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Chiku’s Ultimate Guide to Wandering: 8 Monkey Tips That Will Change Your Travel Life

Our newest friend and team member, Chiku is an avid traveler, but not really one of the patient kind. Like the cute little hyperactive monkey he is, Chiku has all the energy in the world to explore and wander, but no time to waste. He needs his cheap bus tickets right here, right now – and he wants to share his travel secrets with you!

With Chiku’s monkey tips and tricks for booking tickets effectively on Wanderu.com, every wanderer out there can snag the best deals and hit the road as quickly as possible!

In a rare interview at the seaside Wanderu headquarters in Boston, sitting on a rustic hammock and sipping on a frozen banana smoothie, Chiku tells me some secrets that will revolutionize the way you book ground travel in North America.

Behold Chiku’s Ultimate Guide to Wandering!

1) How can I find the best prices (like those $1, $3, $5 tickets)?

Looking to hold on to those bucks, huh? ;) Yey!

Nope, I don’t think you are cheap. Nobody wants to overpay when booking bus and train trips. And $1 tickets are no myth! Bus companies like Megabus, BoltBus and Greyhound regularly offer them, however, there isn’t really a magic formula to know when they will be available.

The thing is, there is only a certain amount of $1 tickets offered for some routes on multiple dates, and once those are purchased, the rest of the available tickets are sold at a different price. So the best way to snag the cheapest tickets is by searching in advance (four weeks before a trip is a good idea), and searching on different dates (weekdays are usually cheaper than weekends). Also, when you’re on the Wanderu search results page, go to the filter bar up top and click on Sort by, then select Cheapest.

2) How can I book a one-way trip on Wanderu?

It’s really easy! First, enter the departure date on the calendar and then go to the second calendar button (to the right), click and select Clear. You can find a one way ticket and then check out immediately. Explore a new destination with no rush and book your return later!

And how do I book round trip tickets?

Once you have entered your departure city, destination and travel dates and clicked Search, the page will show all the options for your departure. After you select the best option for your departure, you will be redirected to another page where you will select your return option, and then be able to check out.

3) How can I find out the locations of the stations I depart from and arrive at?

Oh, so you’re new to the hood? Hihi, no worries! Wanderu can give you directions in a blink. When you are looking for your trip, the location of each station is right below the departure/arrival city in the search results. Click Directions to see it on a map, or scroll down and see the station address. There, you also have the option to enter your final destination and get directions, just like in Google Maps.

4) Can you tell me how many stops my bus makes? And where I transfer? 

Sure, that information is listed on the search results on our website as well. If you click on Details under the select button, you can see all the stops your bus makes. If a city is listed twice, it means you transfer there. When traveling from Cleveland, OH to Madison, WI via Greyhound, for example [see graphic], you will transfer in Chicago.

5) What do I do if the website is not processing my payment?

That’s a great question. No, you’re not out luck (or money)! Sometimes, the checkout page can’t process the payment if the information you are entering doesn’t match exactly what you have registered with the bank.  So just dial up your bank and double check what they have on file! But please don’t click “Submit” multiple times, as it can generate holds on your bank account!

6) What if Wanderu.com does not display properly on my computer? 

My fellow Wanderites are very tech savvy, and we use all the modern technologies on the site. I suggest that if you are receiving error message or having trouble viewing the website, you try using a different internet browser, or upgrading the one you have.

7) Can I book my next trip on the go, even if I don’t have my computer?

For sure! Just download the free Wanderu app for iOS or Android and you will be able to book cheap bus or train tickets for your next trip anytime, anywhere! You can download it here.

8) What if I don’t have a set destination in mind for my adventure? How can I find available routes in my area?

You rock! Spontaneous traveling is simply the best! If you just want to explore, you can search on Wanderu for all the available routes departing from your hometown, or nearby cities in your state. Just go to the footer of our home page and click on Bus Routes. You will be directed to our Top 50 Routes in the United States and Canada. Also, there you can click on any state and see all cities covered by our service. Just click on the city to see all the places you can go to from there! If you’re in Boston like me, you can travel to more than 400 cities in North America.

Before joining Wanderu, Chiku took the country by a storm with countless bus adventures, tanning his little tail at Venice Beach, sipping a caramel latte at Central Park and hard-core hiking at the Rocky Mountains, so know that his travel tips are well-tested. No monkey business here! :)

If you have any other questions about Wanderu, make a visit our FAQ page.

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About the author
Karina Barriga Albring

Karina Barriga Albring

I'm a writer, journalist, soccer lover and hot sauce enthusiast born and bred in the mighty Andes. Wanderlust hit me hard at a young age and since then, it keeps me up at night. NYC and Modena, Italy changed my life, but my favorite destination is still Rio de Janeiro – and not only for the 'futebol'!

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