Travelling by Bus, Pakistan

Between Lahore and Rawalpindi / Islamabad, the roads are very good, and there are even service stations that the buses stop at occasionally. The only real difference between travelling on a bus here and in the west is that the bus driver continuously blasts out Bollywood/Lollywood film soundtracks!

Further north, heading towards Gilgit and beyond, the roads get a bit more hairy, and once past Karimabad, there are quite likely to be detours around landslides. The bridges too are rather flimsy affairs - don't be surprised if people get out and walk across (not that we, as tourists, were allowed to do that, although I think I would have preferred it!). The buses here are much smaller though!

Public buses are common in big cities like Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. The rate for a ride is somewhere between 7Rp-15Rp around the town. The passagers are separated by gender, female in front and male behind. Female passagers will not feel too uncomfortable with the ride.

Public buses are a good way to get around in cities in Pakistan. People can usually point you a correct bus to the destination you want to go. But if you have a local friend, they will probably tell you not to go with public buses especially if you are a female. Female in Pakistan dont go to public without a male companion.

Most of the time I am in public buses, no complain so far although sometimes the driver can be really reckless.

Hi,

Peshawar, some 175 Km from Islamabad,2 hrs drive and 495 km from Lahore, 7 hrs drive over motorway.

Grand hotel, almost 10, 15 minutes drive from the old city, a very nice and plushy place but there're some other places like

Rose Hotel
Khyber Bazar, old city

As it's been mentioned in the similar posts, better option to take a Daewoo bus from either Lahore or Rawalpindi, but better to make a seat reservation a day before the departure, there's always much burden on these buses.

Their nos
Terminal at, Kalma chowk Lahore

042 111 007 008

Rawalpindi
near Khinoor mills

051 111 007 008

Trains are slow and always take much time.

Have a nice trip,

Imran Schah

Photos of beautiful Pakistan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imranthetrekker

Along Korakoram Highway
Between Gilgit - Sost
Don't worry about public local buses...ahh...I should say vans
Most of local people connect each town via van

Gilgit - Skardu
Gilgit - Hunza - Passu - Sost
Take the van at Northern Bus Station-Gilgit

Gilgit - Astor
Take a van in GG town
- the guy at the GH can show you the place to get van as well

Travel from Islamabad to Lahore by Daewoo Bus Service - second to none. 4hours 30 mins journey; extremely comfortable seats which recline and have food tray; on board hostess service with food and drink; head phones for TV; one rest stop, and all for around $12 AUD. Warning: when booking I would suggest purchasing tickets at time of booking. On the return trip we booked but did not purchase tickets and when we arrived 30 mins before departure, they'd sold our tickets to others. We had to take a different bus service Niazi which was NOT the standard of Daewoo.

Pakistan & China have started daily serive from Gilgit, Pakistan to Kashgar, China starting from today (15h June 2006). The bus will take 14hrs to reach the other town. It is a significant move as now the travellers do not have to go town by town in order to cross the Pak-Chinese border at the Khunjerab pass.

Also today Pakistani President Pervaiz Musharaf announced that Pakistan and China is making a much broader highway so ensure that Pakistan & Chinese road links are connected all the year through. Plus! soon the rail link will also be made to enhance trade & travel.

Salut Mes Amis,

The best way to get to Chitral from Peshawar, is to take a flight through PIA but due to its difficult location, the flights are subject to weather therefore the 2nd options's to take a by road trip over Lowari pass 3200 m.

Leave Peshawar for Chitral, early in the morning, to Temergera from Haji camp bus stand Peshawar, 3 hrs in a public transport.
Temergera to Dir, Change the bus at Temergera for Dir, 2 more hours.
From Dir take a land cruiser to Chitral, 4 more hours.

Enjoy the marvels of Pakistan

Salut Mes Amis,

The best way to travel to Peshawar from Islamabad is from Karachi Company bus station in Islamabad where you can travel in a coach which accomodates 14, 15 people and takes almost 3 hrs to Peshawar on motoray and G.T road.

It's almost 170 Km from Islamabad to Peshawar.

Enjoy the marvels of Pakistan

.