I’ve found that many people can’t read in cars and buses. I certainly can’t. It makes me nauseous. I can read in trains, though. Can the OP’s son read in a car?
If you can’t read, it would be good to plan ahead, as others said. Have a loaded Ipod; plenty to drink/read/eat/play. One thing I would like to have on a bus is a roadmap, so I can follow the route and understand the landscape better.
Is this the case? When I took the bus from LA to Chicago, I considered taking Amtrak, but it was almost the same price as flying. IIRC, it was something like $100 for Greyhound, $350 for Amtrak, and $400 for the cheapest flight (one way, no two-week advance notice.)
Bussing it is not too terrible, if you are alone. Just multiply the effect that you get from a plane trip (coach class) by the amount of time that you will be on the bus. IIRC, in a plane, you are assigned seating, but in a bus, it’s catch as catch can. Add in a lot of hand carried luggage. If the engine on the bus goes out, you can survive. The scenery is better. There are more family activities, with many little angels to keep you amused.
I think the relative competitiveness of Amtrak prices depends on the route. I suspect that, in the Northeast Corridor, it beats the plane, at least, and might be close to the bus.
I take the train between Chicago and Kansas City probably a dozen times a year, almost always the Southwest Chief which continues on to LA. The train takes seven hours compared to the one and half the Southworst flight supposedly takes. But the flight requires a trip to and from both airports (Midway and KCI), being at the gate at least an hour early to try to not get stuck in a middle seat, having to check the backpack I can carry onto Amtrak and having to wait at least half an hour for it to show up at baggage claim and the fact that I’m “randomly” selected for additional scrutiny at security…the difference is only an hour or so. And the legroom on Amtrak compared to Southworst makes the time seem a lot shorter. I bungee-cord my laptop to my tray table, watch a movie, eat dinner in the dining car, watch another movie (or the same film with the commentary track) and I’m at my destination. The Greyhound site lists the same trip as taking ten to twelves hours.
Hey! I did the same thing two summers ago! I generally agree with most of the opinions here: it’s often cramped (depending on the route), too hot/cold*, and can be boring. But it’s cheap, and I loved seeing the country and talking to people I never would’ve otherwise. As others have said, the number of weirdos is generally overstated, though there are some. In addition to bring a book/books to read, your son should bring an MP3 player to help with the boredom, and to tune out noisy passengers.
*Two valuable thing I learned: the engines are in the back of the bus, which consequently is always hotter than the rest of the bus, and the air conditioning vents are right beneath the windows. So if you sit in the back, you’re probably going to be too hot, and if you lean against a window to sleep, you’re probably going to be too cold. I recommend bringing a small blanket or throw.