By train or bus?

Sometimes, passengers arriving at Jakarta Airport want to head straight to Bandung.

While travelling by train from Jakarta to Bandung is a relaxing and scenic journey, it is not always suitable, especially for those on a tight schedule.

View Larger Map to see Google’s current estimated travel time

As there is no rail-link between Jakarta Airport and Central Jakarta, visitors cannot accurately predict how long their 29km journey to Gambir Railway Station will take. Whether travelling by taxi or airport bus, the ride into the city can be affected by traffic, weather, roadworks, etc. They can miss the train or end up waiting hours at the station.

Having said that, the toll road between Jakarta and Bandung (a.k.a. Cipularang) can also have huge traffic jams. It is often Jakarta residents travelling to/from Bandung for the weekend, around public holidays, etc.

So when should visitors take the bus and when the train?

There are two companies operating airport buses between Jakarta Airport and Bandung: X-Trans and Primajasa. Both are compared with the train below.

1. SCHEDULE

	X-Trans	Primajasa	Train
Operates:	Every Hour, 07:30 to 22:30	Every Half Hour, 07:30 to 23:30	6 trains, 05:45 to 19:40

Airport Buses depart more frequently than trains, and are more suitable for a flight arriving in the morning.

2. FINAL DESTINATION

Destination X-Trans De Batara Hotel, Jl Cihampelas (a.k.a. Jeans St) Primajasa Pasar Modern Batununggal, Batu Indah Train Bandung Railway Station

Top = X-Trans, Middle = Train, Bottom = Primajasa

If you are staying in Bandung, X-Trans and the train terminate at a more central location than Primajasa. If you wish to continue to another city by bus (e.g. Pangandaran), the Primajasa terminus next to the main toll road is more convenient.

3. COST

	X-Trans	Primajasa	Train
Price of 1 Ticket	Rp100 000 ($US10)	Rp90 000 ($US9)	Rp85 000 to Rp120 000* ($US8.50 to $US12)

*Price includes Rp30 000 for DAMRI Airport bus. If travelling by taxi, the price would be different.
There is little difference in cost. The price of 1 train ticket covers travelling in both business and executive classes.

Train tickets can be booked online, up to 90 days in advance; airport bus tickets can only be purchased on the day, at the airport.

4. TOTAL TRAVEL TIME

View Larger Map

In theory, taking the airport bus would be faster; Google Maps estimates the 175km journey would take 2 hours 14 minutes. However, there are certain realities on the ground that also need to be considered.

For example, buses travelling from Jakarta Airport to Bandung all use Jakarta’s inner-city toll road, so they can get stuck in the capital city’s infamous traffic jams on the way.

Furthermore, the toll road from Jakarta to Bandung often gets traffic jams on Friday nights, weekends, the afternoon/evening before public holidays, etc, mostly due to Jakartans travelling to Bandung.

Finally, Bandung also has its own traffic issues. Travelling from the bus terminus to your hotel might take a while, especially for Primajasa.

The airport bus operators have cleverly masked the issue by not advertising an estimated time of arrival in their schedules, only departure times.

Taking the train might make for a more relaxing journey, as long as the ride to Gambir Station is unaffected by traffic.

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SUMMARY
If arriving at Jakarta Airport on a weekday afternoon or the day before public holidays, it may be easier to take the train. At other times, the airport bus may be more suitable.

If you are interested in travelling by train between Jakarta and Bandung, please send an enquiry.