India's intercity road travel is undergoing a significant transformation, with a new report revealing a rapid surge in trips connecting smaller cities and leisure destinations. According to the Uber Intercity Travel Index for April to June 2026, while established metro-to-metro corridors remain popular, routes involving Tier-2 cities are experiencing the fastest year-on-year growth.
Tier-2 Routes Lead Growth as Infrastructure Improves
The report highlights that improved highway infrastructure and a growing desire for experience-led travel are key drivers behind this shift. Traditional high-volume routes like Mumbai to Pune, Delhi to Agra, Bengaluru to Mysuru, Lucknow to Kanpur, and Ahmedabad to Vadodara continued to see heavy traffic during the quarter. However, the most rapid growth was observed on routes such as Ahmedabad to Vadodara, Bengaluru to Mysuru, Delhi to Dehradun, Delhi to Chandigarh, and Chennai to Puducherry, signaling a strong demand for regional road trips beyond major urban centers.
Shiva Shailendran, Director, Revenue and Category Management at Uber India and South Asia, characterized this trend as structural. "A combination of safer intercity travel options like Uber Intercity along with an expanding and improved road infrastructure is driving road trips across India, not just between major cities, but increasingly across regional corridors and to destinations that offer unique cultural, spiritual and leisure experiences," Shailendran stated.
Long Weekends Fuel Leisure Travel
The data also indicates a clear trend towards planned leisure travel, particularly around long weekends. Demand for Uber Intercity services spiked during May Day (May 1) and Bakrid (May 28) in 2026. Some frequent travelers completed nearly 30 intercity trips or covered close to 1,500 kilometers within the three-month period, suggesting that road trips are becoming a regular part of their travel habits.
Popular weekend getaway routes included Mumbai to Nashik and Aurangabad, Delhi to Dehradun and Agra, and Chennai to Puducherry. Heritage and pilgrimage sites such as Agra, Mysuru, Prayagraj, Ajmer, and Udaipur also maintained consistent demand throughout the summer season.
Emerging Tier-2 Corridors
The report provides compelling evidence of growing road travel appetite in smaller cities. Thrissur to Kochi, Indore to Ujjain, Kanpur to Lucknow, and Ranchi to Jamshedpur emerged as significant growing Tier-2 intercity corridors. These routes underscore that the expansion of road travel is extending well beyond India's largest metropolitan areas.
Patterns in round trip bookings further illustrate these trends:
- In Hyderabad, Yadagirigutta and Kurnool were the most common return routes.
- Around Delhi, Agra and Sikar topped the list for round trips.
- Bengaluru riders frequently booked round trips to Nandi Hills, Magadi, Dharmapuri, and Mandya.
- Pune travelers most often opted for return journeys to Ahmednagar and Satara.
Uber's Role in Expanding Access
Uber noted that new features, such as Call2Ride (allowing bookings via phone without the app), have helped extend access to riders in smaller towns where smartphone penetration might be lower. The convenience of booking round trips upfront, alongside safety features like a 24x7 safety line, trip sharing, RideCheck, and audio recording, have positioned Uber Intercity as a preferred choice for reliable and comfortable longer journeys.