Bookaride Reviews 195

TrustScore 2 out of 5

2.0

While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more

To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more

See what reviewers are saying

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Cancelled my trip one hour before departure time. Promised a refund within 10-15 business days. It’s been five weeks and no refund. No response to multiple emails. Phone number directs you to email th... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

These guys cancelled 5 minutes before departure when everyone there had already spent money on ubers to get there. It has been a MONTH, and I have NOT yet received a refund! I hope they screw over a r... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

They’ve defaulted on me four consecutive times. They’ve gone so far as to not even cancel the trip, they say that I just missed the bus (an impossibility given the unless they were more than an hour e... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Avoid at all costs. Outdated buses. Dirty facilities. Smelly vehicles. No response to all attempts of contact! Cancellation without proper communications! You name it, they follow the book of running... See more

Company details

  1. Bus and coach company

Written by the company

Canadian Inter-city Bus Service connecting Toronto, Ottawa, London, Kitchener, Kingston, Montreal* and Other cities & towns along the route. Let's carry the north


Contact info

2.0

Poor

TrustScore 2 out of 5

195 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

No history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited their customers, so reviews may not be representative

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Extremely late no explanation

This bus was just reaching 2 hours late on the Bayshore stop in Ottawa. It was also raining which made it infinitely worse.

The tracker that they used online told me and the rest of the people waiting that the bus was arriving earlier than the update had told us, but when the bus got there, the drivers and staff told us that it was not our bus and that the tracker wasn’t giving us the right information.

On top of being almost two hours late on what should have been just over a 4 hour ride, it turned into 5 or 6. I ended up getting into Toronto just around 3 AM, when I was supposed to be there originally at 11:50 PM, and 2:20 AM with the original 1.5 hour delay (that turned into the two hours late).

I am currently waiting for the same bus to get back to Ottawa (Oct 22) and have just been notified of a 1 hour delay. Unbelievable. Do not bait into the cheaper prices, like everyone has said here, you’re better off using FlixBus, Viarail, megabus - literally anything other than this provider.

20 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are very sorry for the inconveniences caused by the delay due to certain technical issues with our trips on that particular day. We would definitely compensate for the inconveniences caused. I request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca . Also, I would request you kindly mention that you have reached out to us through the trustpilot review so that we take care of your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The most horrible bus service ever…

The most horrible bus service ever ,apart from the fact that they are cheap there is nothing good about this company. They buses are always late, some drivers are extremely rude. They don’t even have a contact number. I don’t even understand how such company can have a license to operate in Canada.

20 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are deeply saddened to know about your bad experience with Bookaride. We understand your frustration and would definitely take all necessary steps to provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. I request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca . Also, I would request you kindly mention that you have reached out to us through the trustpilot review so that we take care of your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The bus was one hour late with no…

The bus was one hour late with no apologies or explanation from the driver. The bus stop indicated online was the incorrect stop. The stop was across the street. The bus was not a full sized bus but more like a van. No markings on the van to indicate that it was Book A Ride. Seats cramped and uncomfortable. Will never use their bus service again.

19 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are extremely sorry for the inconveniences caused by the delay in the trip. We were facing technical issue with our trips on that particular day and hence couldn't provide you with the best service from our end. I request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca . Also, I would request you kindly mention that you have reached out to us through the trustpilot review so that we take care of your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

SCAM!! Do not use this company.

The bus did not show. I was there 15 minutes before the ride was supposed to be there and sat for an extra 20 minutes after it was supposed to leave and the bus didn’t come at all. I tried to call them literally 9 times but no one answered. I emailed them, and they tried to say that the bus was on time, and offered me a voucher for the next time I book with them, which will never happen. This company is a huge scam. Don’t waste your money.

16 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are extremely sorry for the situation that caused inconvenience. We have made all the efforts to improve our services and make it trustworthy. I request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can move forward with providing you compensation along with quality assurity . Also, I would request you kindly mention that you have reached out to us through the trustpilot review so that we take care of your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Truly the worst method to travel from Ottawa to toronto but it’s cheap

Honestly I take this service sometimes because it’s cheap but it keeps getting worse. It’s always late, the bumpiest/roughest ride possible (motion sick every time). They promise wifi but it never works. You need to be over 4hour late to get compensated anyway. So we’re often 1-3hr late on a 4-5 hour journey. It’s a joke. I would avoid using this service unless money is the main concern because it is cheap. But you get what you pay for

15 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are very sorry for the bad experience you had with us. We will definitely take your feedback into consideration and keep trying to make our services better. I request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue. Also, I would request you kindly mention that you have reached out to us through the trustpilot review so that we take care of your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible

Terrible! Bought a ticket for my daughter ($50) she took an Uber to the bus stop was there 10 minutes early. She waited for the bus almost an hour, no bus ever came and then had to Uber back to school. No messages, no update, no response and no refund A week and a ticket later no follow-up! I do not recommend this service to anyone.

5 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We understand your frustration and we are extremely sorry for the inconveniences caused. I request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can compensate on the issue. Also, I would request you kindly mention that you have reached out to us through the trustpilot review so that we take care of your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scam.

When you book a ride, and get a ticket for a pick up at 7pm, they will not show you the gps location of the bus like they usually do and when you arrive at the stop at 6:30, someone at the gas station will tell you the bus showed up at 6:15pm. And when you ask their customer service, they are no help and tell you no refunds. This bus company is a scam. They don’t show up at the time they say and they won’t refund you when they scam you. Find another way to where you have to be. I drove 45 mins to get to the bus stop early to drop off someone just for the bus to have arrived 45 minutes ahead of schedule. Waste of time.

20 August 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are extremely sorry for the miscommunication and inconveniences caused by this. We understand your frustration and we would take all necessary steps to avoid this in future. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Worst trip ever

October 13th, Friday, time 10:15 am.
The bus Ottawa - Toronto was late for 3h 15 min. The condition of the bus was deplorable. At Whitby the bus stopped working at traffic light. I had to take taxi to get in Toronto, this cost me additional $.
I would NEVER recommend this company to anyone.

13 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are deeply sorry to know about the experience you had with us. We understand your situation and we assure you that this type of scenarios are not going to happen in future. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DO NOT BUY!

My first time writing a review. This was just awful. When the bus was already an hour late, they sent an email saying that due to technical difficulties it will be delayed by one more hour. I would be fine with that, stuff happens. However, the bus that they said would arrive as a replacement was ALSO 45 minutes late! In total, I left the station 2 hours and 45 minutes later than I was supposed to. To make matters worse, the quality of the bus itself is also terrible, with the vast majority of seats being dirty and broken.
There is no customer support as well as no recognition of their fault from the company's side.
Please do not use this service, they don't deserve to get anyone's money for such horrendous experience.

13 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are extremely sad to know about your experience. We empathize your situation as a customer and we would definitely compensate you for the inconveniences caused. There was delay in the trip on that particular day due to technical difficulties with our buses. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I wish I could write zero stars

I wish I could write zero stars. I was waiting there for 2 hours with 3 others. The bus literally never showed up. No email, no call, no tracking nothing to let us know where the bus is. I was heading to university at 430 and waited till 630 lucky I live somewhat close so I could call someone to take me home but this is absolutely disgusting service. The contact phone number they gave to us doesn’t even work.

10 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are extremely sorry for the situation. We completely understand your concern. We also understand that there has been severe inconvenience due to certain miscommunication.I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Shannon's friend in kanata

If i could give 0 stars, i would. I'm the girl who got stuck in Kanata for 7 hours from the previous review. I was told my bus had been cancelled and that the replacement bus would not be going to my stop, but that another bus would come in 30 minutes, nope. I ended up having to purchase a ticket to the next bus because customer service wasn't running? They also caused me to miss half my shift.

10 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are deeply saddened by the situation you had to face due to miscommunication and we assure you that we would take all steps to avoid this in future and would also do our best to compensate you on this matter. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I took a bus today October 10 from…

I took a bus today October 10 from ottawa to Toronto but it was so bad and the driver is fighting with someone at scarborogh and saying that i am not gonna move forward. We were almost 45 minutes late before it started amd now he is saying that this bus is not going anywhere. People might havd some important tasks to do but this behaviour is awful. We were supposed to be at Toronto union station at 2:45 but it’s almost 3:45 now but we are still stucked at scarborogh. Worst ride rver👎

10 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We understand your frustration and we are extremely sorry for the inconveniences caused by the situation. We will definitely investigate on the matter and take all necessary steps to avoid this in future. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

no contact number bus late and my…

no contact number bus late and my luggage lost

6 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We regret to inform that we do not have a customer support contact number as of now but we are working on this and will be having one very soon. We are extremely sorry for the inconveniences caused. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The worst service you can imagine

The worst service you can imagine:
1. Pickup time was 7 am but the bus arrived at 8 am. We were all standing in cold for 1 hour.
2. The driver was constantly on his phone
3. Seats doesn’t have seat belt
4. Bus stops at 10 different locations to pick up more people
5. The drop off location in Ottawa was not clear. Just “Kanata” without any clarification and the driver was not answering clearly

10 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are deeply saddened to know about the inconveniences you had to face due to the delay. We were facing technical difficulties with our trips on that particular day. We h I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Friend stranded in Kanata and no customer service on tuesdays?

My friend was planning on coming down to Peterborough from kanata. She never got an email or anything and after talking to the bus driver realized her bus was cancelled. He said there would be another one but nope she’s just stranded in Kanata now. Customer service doesn’t run on Tuesdays(today. Why the heck would customer service not run on Tuesdays. Easily the most unprofessional bus service ever.

10 October 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unreliable Service

I would give it zero stars if that were possible. We booked a 2:00pm pick up at Whitby GO, which never showed. At 3:30 another BookARide Bus showed that was thankfully going to the same drop off and had room for the 20 or so stranded passengers. The company also advertises Wifi, which there was none. We relied on that to get work done while travelling between Toronto and Ottawa. There is no phone # listed to call and speak to anyone, the locate a bus feature does not work.
Very poor service!

9 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are extremely sorry for the situation you had to go through. We will definitely investigate on the matter and update you. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The operator changed the buses

The operator changed the buses and sent the email at 5:59PM for a bus departing at 6:00PM. Dont know how bookaride expects to see emails whilst travelling with luggage.

9 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are extremely sorry for the inconveniences caused by the delay in response as we were facing technical glitch in our system on that particular day. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Go with Megabus instead.

10 minutes before the departure time, BookARide sent an email and text saying the bus would be delayed 2 hours. The bus then had no functioning AC, a toilet that was full up to the brim (literally) and it was full of garbage left over from the previous ride.
Go with Megabus, you get what you pay for with intercity busses now clearly.

6 October 2023
Unprompted review
Bookaride logo

Reply from Bookaride

We are extremely sorry for the inconveniences caused by the delay. We understand your frustration and we understand that it has caused severe inconvenience. We try our best to provide best possible service to our customers but because of certain unfortunate events we faced difficulty in delivering the best. I would request you to kindly contact us through contact@bookaride.ca so that we can resolve your issue and provide you with the best possible resolution from our end. We request you to kindly mention that you have approached us through trustpilot review so that we can handle your issue with utmost priority.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Overall good experience

Me and My Mom took the book a ride to and from Toronto and it was overall good experience. On the first bus we went on to get to Toronto from Ottawa we got a older guy that seemed nice but he did some things that me and My Mom didn’t like, for example: he would look at his phone while driving, talking very loudly with another person on the phone, he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, and lastly he was driving over the white line once and it made a big noise. But on the second bus to Ottawa from Toronto was much better, the driver arrived really early, he helped us put our suitcases away, he made sure everyone was on the bus before he left stops, he even let us get off at Kingston to get Harvey’s, and lastly he let someone use his phone charger and I thought that was so sweet.

8 October 2023
Unprompted review

The Trustpilot Experience

Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.

Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. Labeled Verified, they’re about genuine experiences.

Learn more about other kinds of reviews.

We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.

Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.

Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.

Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.

Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.

Take a closer look