Direct vs Non-Stop vs Transfer Trip
How do I know if my trip has stops or transfers?
This can be a bit confusing since transportation companies usually define the term “Direct” differently.
For the most part, a “Direct” trip simply means that your trip will be on 1 bus/train/plane from your departure point to your arrival point and that you will not have to change vehicles. A “Direct” trip may have stops, but no transfers. Stops vary by trip length, since the driver must stop to pick up other passengers, to let off passengers, for fuel or for rest. The time a bus is stopped is called a “Layover”.
Some “Direct” trips may be “Non-Stop”, usually common in non-stop plane tickets or on bus trips shorter than 2-3 hours. For stop details, as provided to us by the carriers, please click on the “Details” button provided in the trip result and trip summary pages. Disclaimer: Not all stops may be listed, feel free to chat with our team for additional assistance.
A “Transfer” trip means that there will be 1 or more transfers at some point in your journey where you will need to change bus/train or plane to another bus/train or plane during a layover of anywhere from a few minutes to multiple hours. Trips commonly over 5-10 hours may have a transfer (especially if you are traveling by bus), however we've also seen transfers on much shorter trips as well. The amount of transfers will be shown on the trip search results page and Trip Summary page when booking on Wanderu.
Wanderu offers “Multi-Carrier” trips, which are combined trip route options which may provide travelers with alternative and, in some cases, more affordable options to reach their destination (especially if the route searched has limited options or none at all). These multi-carrier trips will always require a self-transfer, which means that the passenger must find their own alternative transportation to get from one station/stop to the next before the next bus departs. Our system provides a minimum of a 1 hour layover between the estimated arrival of the first carrier and the departure of the next one. In a few cases, the self transfer can happen within the same station. We do advise you to view all of the options and choose the one you are most comfortable with before booking.
If you have any additional questions before completing your booking, please reach out to our team at [email protected] or by chat.