Save on Bus and Train Travel With Wanderu

This week in our Travel Startup Series we meet Polina Raygorodskaya from our Travel Massive Boston Chapter, CEO & Co-Founder of Wanderu. Polina helps travellers find and book the best deals on bus and train travel around North America.

Who is your startup for?

Almost 80 percent of bus travelers in the United States are Millennials, so we set out to become the go-to brand for on-demand travel and experience for the millennial generation. Our goal is not only to help travelers find and book the trip that best fits their needs but also to inspire them to be spontaneous and travel to destinations that they may not have considered before. 

What inspired you to create this startup? 

The idea for Wanderu was born out of my own frustration at not having a go-to place online where I could find and compare all available bus or train options for traveling between any two points in the U.S. In the past, if I wanted to buy a bus ticket, I had to go to all these different carriers’ websites and manually search for the cheapest or most convenient option. As a business person and a frequent traveler, I couldn’t afford to go through that process every time I needed to go somewhere.

The tipping point, however, came in the summer of 2011 when my now-business partner Igor Bratnikov and I joined a group of young professionals traveling across the country using shared rides on a mission to raise awareness about national parks and forests. During our trip, a driver who was supposed to take us to our next destination cancelled on us at the last moment which stranded us in the middle of rural Virginia with no way of knowing what buses or trains we could catch to continue our journey.

That’s when we set out on creating Wanderu – a ground travel search engine that allows people to easily find and book the best deals on bus and train travel. This helps travellers to easily find the most convenient and affordable transportation tickets from their location to more than 90% of the U.S. that is reachable by ground, as well as major cities in Canada.

How is your startup changing the future of the industry or helping to make travel better?

Wanderu has made booking bus and train travel easier. We released our smartphone app earlier this year, giving people the ability to compare and book tickets on the go.

Wanderu has also been instrumental in helping carriers expand their business. Since we launched in 2013, more than 20% of our sales for our partners constitute trips that people would not be able to find on their own because of the unique technology we created for the industry including our nearby station locator and routing capabilities.

What do you think is the biggest challenge in the travel industry you would like to see resolved or improved?

As surprising as it may sound, a lot of companies still don’t offer online booking which prevents many people from utilizing their services and leads travelers to seek alternative forms of transportation.

Technology is developing at an extremely rapid pace and companies nowadays need to be flexible and constantly adapt to new trends and developments if they want to deliver the best possible service and experience to their customers while staying on top of the competition.

Our company was founded on the basis of innovation and the desire to continuously push the boundaries of the ground travel industry. Therefore, it is our responsibility and obligation to adapt quickly and embrace change.

What is your long term goal?

Our goal is to be more than just a place where people come to look for bus or train tickets. We want to inspire them to travel to different places and explore both local and distant destinations that they wouldn’t have considered otherwise. We are building Wanderu to become the go-to resource for travelers to learn about interesting destinations, find inspiration for their next adventure, and easily plan and book their desired trip.

Do you have any tips for new entrepreneurs who want to create a successful startup?

If you’re going into the entrepreneurship world, you have to be in it for the long run and be ready to roll with the punches because things won’t always work out the way you expect them to. Be ready to fail at certain things but also learn from your experiences and improve. Most importantly, though, make sure to invest heavily, yet smartly, in building an amazing team – people who are passionate about solving the problems you are working on. I know it sounds easier than it is but taking the time to find the right people and build a team that actually enjoys working together is key.

Also, consider taking the bus or train on your next business trip. It’s cheap, fast and hassle-free. I know a place that can get you a very good deal!

Why do you travel?

I see traveling as the ultimate way to broaden your perspective and knowledge of the world. Whether you are going to a different country or to a nearby city, there is always something exciting happening and interesting people to meet.

Even though I travel mostly for work, I always try to allocate time to explore the place I am at and interact with local people because, in my opinion, that is the perfect opportunity to enrich my own cultural mindset and cultivate ideas that will help me grow both as a person and as a business leader.

Besides, traveling can be a lot of fun and those who don’t travel are missing out big time.

Travel Start-Up is a monthly series that profiles unique online travel start-ups in the Travel Massive community around the world. Connect with Polina Raygorodskaya on Travel Massive and find out more about the Wanderu App.