So, I’m going to be taking a couple of weeks of leave pretty soon (which will also happen to be when I’m rid of this stupid retarded armpit of a training squadron) and a friend in the Army turned me onto the idea of traveling by Greyhound. Turns out that riding on a bus is considerably cheaper than taking a jet plane to get somewhere (the question is, do they give me free soda and dry snacks?).
I’m basically looking for general advice on traveling by bus. As far as etiquette and traveling safe go, should I just consider a bus to be a really slow, low flying airplane? Anything in particular I should be mindful of? If I plan to leave the state via airplane (because my next duty station is sufficiently far away that I do not intend to get there via Greyhound bus), how much time should I allow for transfer from a bus station to the airport in a major city? (Dallas or Houston, in my case)
No, they don’t give you anything. Once every few hours they’ll stop at some place long enough for you to stretch your legs and buy a soda and dry snacks.
Bus stations are generally located somewhere near downtown. Airports generally aren’t. How long to get from one to the other depends on where each is located, whether you take a taxi, light rail or city bus, etc. There won’t be any formal shuttle service, so you’re on your own to make the transfer.
As for general etiquette, let’s put it this way. I consider a bus trip to be not just long, but long and depressing.
Go to the bathroom at every stop and make yourself go. Avoid the bus toilet at at all costs. Don’t even sit near it. It’s evil; imagine a porta-pottie that;s constantly moving and splashing your backside. Avoid the bus toilet at at all costs. Other than that bring enough reading material to keep you occupied and an Ipod or CD player and you’ll be off in you’re own little world.
I don’t see why you shouldn’t do it, and I’ve taken 20-hour trips by bus in the U.S.
Bring food and drinks (you can bring them on a bus!), though often they’ll stop at a restaurant I wouldn’t count on it.
Bring entertainment (some buses do have movies, but it’s rare).
Your fellow passengers are going to be mostly lower income that plane passengers, but who really wants to sit next to some yuppie businessman anyway?
You might also investigate trains. Amtrak has limited destinations, but usually cheaper than flying (but more expensive than bus), and way more comfortable than either.
This. If you get a drink at a rest stop get something in a bottle so you can recap it and not drink it all at once because you don’t want to use the bus toilet.
Do you have a particular destination in mind? Amtrak is more expensive but it will probably be more enjoyable. Or I’d look into some other way to spend your time off. I don’t think I’d ever use Greyhound again if I can help it.
Regarding the bus to airport transfer, in my limited experience with the Greyhound Buffalo to Albany route, allow for the real possibility that the bus could easily be an hour late.
And as mentioned previously, do not use the restroom. Do not sit near the restroom.
I’ve never ridden a Greyhound bus and after spending time in major Greyhound stations (San Francisco and Portland), I never will. The type of people I saw coming off the bus or waiting for it are NOT the kind of people I want to share an enclosed space with. Yes, that sounds shallow but I’d prefer feeling safe enough to sleep when I’m going somewhere.
I’ve spent a lot of time riding the dog. From Florida to Cali and back and all up and down the east coast. A few bits of advice:
What they said up-thread about the on-bus toilet is dead on. Do not use it. Do not sit near it. You’ll stop every few hours anyway.
If you have to transfer buses and you have luggage under the bus, watch to personally make sure it makes the transfer with you. Do not assume they will bother to make sure it goes where you go.
Bring snacks and drinks. But nothing stinky (no sardine sandwiches) or likely to make you need the toilet urgently (see above).
Someone will sit next to you at some point. It’s a given. They will likely be a working person who is, like you, just interested in getting where they are going. Once, it was a little kid who rode next to me for 7 hours. He told me he and his two sisters and his mama were going to live with his auntie because their house burned down. His poor mama looked so frazzled that I fed him one of my peanut butter sandwiches (after asking if it was okay) and chatted with him while she dealt with the even younger girls. It’s always good to be reminded that other folks are worse off than you are, you know?
And that comes to my last point. You can linger on the cramped quarters and the seemingly endless travel, or you can people watch, listen in, and generally distract yourself with your fellow passengers. You hear some of the craziest shit that way.
Good luck! It ain’t all bad. Unless you’re passing through Texas. Man, that went on forever.
I spent a month traveling the U.S. by Greyhound bus. Here’s are my tips and tricks:
The motor is in the back of the bus. It generates quite a bit of excess heat, and people who sat in the back of the bus frequently complained to the driver that it was too hot. Avoid the back of the bus.
The air conditioning is located under the windows and will blow arctic air on you if you rest your arm or lean against the window. A small, cheap blanket will prevent a lot of discomfort. (And if you get off at a rest/meal stop, leave your blanket on your seat to claim it, or someone else may be sitting there when you get back.)
A ticket on the X o’clock bus from Point A to Point B does not guarantee a seat on the X o’clock bus going from A to B; it’s more like a permission slip to ride the bus if a seat is available. If the bus is already full, you’re stuck waiting for the next bus (and possibly the next bus, and the next bus, until there’s an open seat), unless there are enough overflow passengers to make it worth sending out an extra bus on that route. When I was on my road trip in 2006, most buses had 54 seats, and Greyhound would send out an additional bus if there were 15 or more people who were waiting for the next bus.
In general, this wasn’t a big issue, but I was stuck in Albuquerque for a while because the bus that stopped there was en route from Houston to L.A., it was already packed, and nobody was getting off in Albuquerque. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough people leaving Albuquerque, either, so it took a long time to gather the 15 passengers needed to requisition an extra bus.
The Port Authority station in New York is the only Greyhound station I passed through that required you to check your baggage before getting on the bus. If you pass through the Port Authority, look for the little checked-baggage booth before getting in line, or you’ll lose your place. If possible, avoid the Port Authority station at all costs.
In general, I think there are fewer crazy, dangerous, and weird people than you would expect, but they definitely do exist. You will have a better experience if you have a lot of patience and are not easily annoyed. That said, bring an MP3 player or earplugs to drown out the shouters, and a long book or something else to help you pass the time.
It’s already been said, but don’t use the bathroom on the bus at any cost. The bathrooms at the stations may not be pretty, but they’re infinitely preferable.
I took a greyhound from boston to florida. I cried 90% of the trip. It was hot, and crowded, and there was a line at every single transfer. I bought a plane ticket home.
Amtrak was much more accomidating. Just so long as you’re not disabled. I had a horrible experience when I trained from Boston to NJ right after I got out of the hospital.
I find it amusing – and telling – that the reviews say things like “It ain’t all bad” and “There are fewer crazy, dangerous, and weird people than you would expect.”
When I went to college (in 1995), for assorted reasons that made sense at the time, I rode the bus from Zirahuen, Mexico to Boston, Massachusetts. It took a very, very long time. Other than sitting in a not-so-comfortable seat for the better part of two days, it wasn’t really all that bad.
Bring snacks (nothing messy, smelly or too salty), something to drink in a recloseable bottle, more entertainment (books, music, whatever) than you think you will possibly need (in case you get stuck somewhere or get bored with your first choice), a jacket or blanket, shoes you can easily remove, and lots of patience (a pillow is nice too). As said upthread, consider it an opportunity to people-watch.
Incidentally, first-class Mexican busses are much more comfortable than Greyhound (more comfortable than economy-class air, even). New, clean busses; big comfy seats; free movies; and dirt cheap…
Part of the problem with the bus is the unpredictability. I took the bus back and forth between NYC and Providence quite a few times. You never knew what you were in for. Could be a quick, painless – even pleasant – three hour ride. Or, depending on your fellow travelers and the amount of traffic, it could be the longest six hours of your life.
