Booking intercity travel has never been easier—but are you maximizing your savings every time you hit the road? With a little strategy, you can stack deals across apps, cashback platforms, and rewards programs to reduce costs without sacrificing convenience. Whether you’re traveling by bus or train, here’s how to layer your discounts and get the most out of every trip.
Start with comparison booking platforms
Apps like Wanderu and Busbud allow you to compare schedules and pricing across major transit providers including Amtrak, Greyhound, Megabus, and FlixBus. These tools are a great starting point because they often surface lower fares or flash deals not always visible on individual carrier sites.
Use filters for flexible travel dates to spot cheaper options, and always scan for applicable promo codes before checkout.
Use cashback portals when booking
Before finalizing your purchase, open a cashback browser extension or mobile app like Rakuten or Ibotta to check for rewards. Many travel booking platforms—including Wanderu and major carriers—partner with cashback portals to offer 2–5% back on purchases.
Cashback portals typically track your purchase through referral links, so be sure to click through the app or browser extension to ensure your transaction is recorded.
Pay with a rewards credit card
This step is essential for stacking. Use a credit card that earns points, miles, or cashback for travel or general purchases. You’ll earn credit card rewards on top of any savings from the booking platform and cashback portal.
For example, a 5% cashback on the booking site, plus 2% from your credit card, can already net a 7% return on a standard ticket.
Add gift cards for connecting rides
If you’re taking a rideshare to or from your terminal, there’s another layer of savings available. Instead of paying Uber or Lyft directly, you can earn cashback with a Lyft gift card or get rewards with an Uber gift card using Fluz. Buy a gift card for the exact ride amount, use it instantly, and stack cashback on top of any other credit card rewards.
This works particularly well for travelers connecting between train stations, airports, and city terminals.
Look for first-time user or seasonal promos
Busbud and Wanderu occasionally run first-time user discounts or seasonal deals around holidays and travel spikes. These usually appear as promo codes on their homepages or during checkout. Pairing these codes with cashback platforms and rewards cards gives you a multi-layered savings opportunity.
Set up alerts and track pricing
Both Busbud and Wanderu allow users to set alerts for preferred routes. Use this to monitor price drops or flash sales. Additionally, third-party services like Google Flights (while mainly for airfare) can help track multimodal itineraries that involve buses or trains connected to flights.
The takeaway: layer and save
The more intentional you are with your booking process, the more you save. By stacking deal platforms, cashback tools, reward credit cards, and strategic payment methods like gift cards, intercity travel becomes far more affordable—and rewarding.
