Mini Bus Cab Service Kashmir

What do we mean by a mini bus here?

In Kashmir, group hire usually means a van-style vehicle that seats twelve to eighteen people, such as a Tempo Traveller or a Force Urbania. A coach with more seats is a different vehicle, and the road decides how big a vehicle you can use: mountain bends, narrow stretches and hill-station parking all favour a mid-size van over a large bus.

Soun Kashmir lists three group vehicles and arranges larger ones on request. Each comes with an experienced driver-cum-guide, so a group of fifteen travels with one person who knows the road, the stops and the timings, instead of fifteen people with fifteen opinions.

Which vehicle fits which group?

The Force Urbania and the Tempo Traveller are both good group vehicles, and the choice is partly taste. The details of seats, air conditioning and storage differ by vehicle, so ask for them for the one allotted to you.

When is one mini bus better than two cars?

• The group wants to travel and arrive together, and to stay on one timetable.
• There is one driver to brief and one number to call, which helps with weddings and organised outings.
• A single vehicle can cost less than two cabs for a party of eight or more.
• Two cabs are better when the group splits for part of the day, or when the roads are tight.
• Two vehicles are also the safer choice when the luggage is heavy, because a full van has little space for bags.

Who books a mini bus, and for what?

The common thread is a group that wants to stay together. Families on a reunion book a van for the whole week, wedding parties book one for guest transfers between the airport, the hotel and the venue, and colleges and companies book one for an outing or an offsite. Pilgrim parties use one for the road to Katra and the shrine, and tour leaders use one for a group tour of Kashmir.

What should you know about big vehicles on mountain roads?

Mountain roads are narrow and winding, and a long vehicle needs more room at every bend. A mini bus can reach the main stops, Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg, without difficulty. On some smaller roads, and at some viewpoints, the last stretch is run by local vehicles or ponies under local rules, so ask where the van will stop. After snow or heavy rain, a larger vehicle may be asked to wait longer than a small car, so plan a margin in the day.

How should you plan luggage, seats and stops?

• Count the seats on the vehicle, not the seats you hope for: do not plan eighteen people in a seventeen-seater.
• Count the bags as well as the people, and tell us if there is heavy or bulky luggage.
• Keep a coordinator, one person the driver and our office can call.
• Plan a break every two hours or so, with a meal stop that suits a large party.
• Agree the seating for elders and children near the door and at the front.

Ask for the luggage plan in the quote, so that no one meets a surprise on the morning of the transfer.

What about multi-day and long-distance trips?

A group can keep the same vehicle and driver for the whole trip. Ask the quote to show how the driver's meals and nights are handled on multi-day routes, so that nothing has to be settled on the road. Long runs, such as Jammu to Srinagar, take a full day, and the road to Leh takes two with a night in Kargil, depending on the season and the passes; the number of nights at each stop is customised to your request.

How do you book a mini bus?

1. 1Send the group size, the dates, the route and the number of bags.
2. 2We suggest a vehicle, or two, and send a written quote.
3. 3You confirm; ask for the driver's details before the day.
4. 4A coordinator keeps one number for the driver and for our 24×7 support.