any experience of Greyhound?

[Peil 1]

I went across the USA on a greyhound...It had its advantages and disadvantages. First off...i was alone so that made it easier. I met many people and had a pretty good time. The Journey was long (about 3 days) It is nice to go across the country, but believe me, if you have the cash rent a car so you can actually stop at the cool stuff which you cant really do on a bus. They only things I didnt like on the bus was traveling thru nebraska. Uggg...those corn fields will make you lose your mind after staring at them for hours. The bus went into nebraska and after an hour of nothing but corn fields i decided to sleep. I woke up 6 hours later and i thought the bus must have been going in circles because it was the same damn corn fields. Another 2 or 3 hours we were out of the cornfields. The other bad thing that happened on the bus was a womans kids threw up and it smelled bad. It was an adventure though.

[Dr_LHA 3]

To those suggesting Amtrak - it would probably be cheaper to fly.

I spent 3 weeks on Greyhounds and travelled 2500 miles on them in 1992, and I swore I would never get on one again.

Edited November 28, 2006 by dr_lha

[Caladan 19]

It is probably cheaper to fly. I ride Amtrak periodically, but I seem to have horrible luck with delays, and layovers. Greyhound CA is pleasant, but my sister travels often to see her boyfriend at Penn State (a three hour trip), and has had nothing but bad experiences, including the bus showing up so late that at the next stop, it was closed and the last bus had left, and they just left her there.

This is why Americans drive cars.

However. If you wanted to see some of the country, you could take Amtrak from NYC to DC, hang out in DC, and then fly from DC to Atlanta.

[substance 0]

My first experience with greyhound was interesting and funny. it was not a long trip (only 1 hour 20 mins) However the driver first drove the bus to his home, picked up his launch bag and kids, he then dropped them to somewhere (and yes we were on the bus hehe) then head to original destination. I thought he was a crazy driver but i have experienced this many more times, i was telling my friends , they said the same happened with them too.

Edited November 28, 2006 by substance

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I've done 48 hours on Greyhound once in Canada (Toronto to Calgary), as it was cheapest at C$99 one-way.

I've never seen any US Greyhound fares so cheap for the distance, nor that cover similar distance (about 2200 miles) in similar timeframe.

[no name 1]

GREYHOUND SUCKS! DO NOT TAKE IT.

[morktuum 0]

my post would be too long but the words i could use to describe it is... such an adventure

i did twice montreal - kansas city both ways ( about 42 hours trip one way ) and i'll do it again for my move

[Otto 83]

No offense but 24 hours via Greyhound isn't a place I'd want to take a child... IMO - You just don't feel safe (too many creepy people hang out at some bus stations), just from my experience...

Fly or (if possible) take a train... or even get a car once your settled and do it at your pace...

Edited April 9, 2007 by Karin und Otto

[akdiver 3]

Yes, it sucks. Bigtime.

I'd rather hitchhike than "Go Greyhound".

Cheers!

AKDiver

[Saddle Bronc 124]

You'd be better off DRIVING A RENTAL-CAR from JFK to ATL than taking Greyhound, IMO.

I've actually done what would probably be the longest VJ'er Greyhound trip © 1987 from Pigtown to Calgary (road distance of around 3,500 km; trip took 48 hours), after a failed attempt at jobseeking in Pigtown. In Canada at that time, Greyhound WAS cheap (at C$99 for the trip).

I've never seen a US 'Hound fare anywhere near that cheap for such distance (the fare from NYC to Atlanta costs MORE than US$99)--and this is with a non-express run (which means quite a few stops).

I can actually remember considering in 1999 whether to fly (from Atlanta) to Boston and take a Greyhound to Montreal against simply flying to Montreal; the fact that the Greyhound trip would take TEN HOURS was a deciding factor.

[randolady 1]

Before I took my greyhound trip, I was told by several people, "Oh good! You haven't truly experienced America until you've ridden on a greyhound". I think that's absolutely true. But you may want to save getting to know America that well for a later date.

But honestly, I didn't think it was that bad. I went from Kansas City to Madison, and it took somewhere around 19 hours. The first bus's engine kept dying every five minutes on the highway (literally!), and made the trip to St. Louis twice as long, but the delay just ate up my layover time. I got to Madison on time. I don't recall the bus drivers being rude or the other riders being awful. You do have to watch your stuff, though.

[Itsmeitsmeitsree! 0]

I too, have had a 48 hour Greyhound trip, CherryXS. Lexington, Kentucky to Los Angeles, April 1999. It was the longest 48 hours, but for the price, it was great. Saved me some money, but that just meant I had a lot more to spend in LA!

But with a kid as young as 7, I'd take a plane. I checked into Amtrak, and it was more expensive than a plane.

[Darkchild80 0]

I just used the Greyhound over Easter to visit my family in NY. I did the 20 hour ride from Atlanta to NY. It was awful! The bus driver was rude. The bus was filled with weird people. My body ached for 2 days from the uncomfortable seats. I will never take the bus again!

[CardiffIan 0]

I took the 19hour Greyhound journey from NY to Atlanta as the first leg of my coast to coast trip in the USA a few years ago, and God it was awful.

I did an overnight trip to save me money, so there was nothing to see - all I did see were bus stations in Virginia and North Carolina, which were what I would imagine a crack house in a Baghdad red light district to be like. My fellow passengers were so scary I suspected that the prison service were transporting convicts on the cheap on the same bus as me.

It seemed to me that people don't travel on Greyhound if they can afford any other method of transport. I've travelled across the world, and my Greyhound journey was one of my worst experiences. Never again.

[l.j./1999 1]

I've taken dozens of short Greyhound bus trips over the years and think that it's a totally fine (and extremely affordable) means of transportation. I am from NYC where we have a big bus terminal and buses to nearby cities tend to be popular (perhaps because many New Yorkers don't own cars). Boston also has a nice bus terminal. The town where I went to college had a bus terminal near campus that was used by a lot of college students. But I bet that in many parts of the U.S. people are not as used to taking mass transit so you'd find more unpleasant bus stations and perhaps some creepy fellow passengers.

However, I wouldn't use Greyhound for a long bus ride (maybe 5-6 hours max). It would be too exhausting, especially with a child.