Bus, train, car or flight: which is cheapest for two travellers?

By the CostMyTrip team · Updated 2026-09-20

Whether the bus, the train, your own car or a flight is cheapest depends on how many people are travelling, how far you go and whether you need to carry luggage. The table below uses CostMyTrip's calculator for ten popular routes and shows the cost per person for two travellers. It counts only the cost of getting there, not food or stay.

Estimates use CostMyTrip's default assumptions: a petrol car doing 15 km per litre with fuel at the average price across the states on the route, a toll allowance of about ₹2 per km on tolled highway, a semi-sleeper bus and a sleeper-class train, for two adults travelling one way outside festival peaks. Distance is CostMyTrip's estimate and your maps app may show a slightly different road distance.

What the numbers show

Sleeper-class trains are the cheapest way to cover long distances on almost every route, and semi-sleeper buses come next. A car for two people costs several times more per person than public transport for fuel and toll alone, and that is before parking and wear on the vehicle.

When the car wins

The car catches up quickly as you add people, because the fuel and toll are shared. With four in the car the cost per person falls to half the two-person figure in the table. A car also wins when you need to stop at several places, carry a lot of luggage, travel with elderly relatives or small children, or reach a place with no direct train.

When the train or bus wins

For one or two people on a single point-to-point journey, public transport is cheaper and less tiring, and an overnight service can save a hotel night. Trains are best for daytime journeys on busy corridors, and buses for routes without a direct rail link. Book train seats early for holidays.

What about flying?

Flights are fastest on long routes, but the fare is usually several times higher than the train and airport transfers add cost and time. They make sense when you are short on time or when the ground journey would take more than a full day. Fares vary widely by date, so check live prices.

Compare your own route

Enter any two places in the CostMyTrip planner to see car, bus, train and flight side by side with your own traveller count and vehicle. You can also open a route guide such as Hyderabad to Tirupati for a fuller worked example.