Today I received a phone call from my son's college-age buddy. Chris studies music at a university in Pennsylvania. He had planned to swing by our place via Greyhound Lines before heading south to the airport to fly home for the holidays. Unfortunately for us, his plans have changed, and he's facing a long bus trip - around 14 hours of long-distance fun. We'll see him some time in 2008.
Students aren't Greyhound's only passengers. People of all ages, including seniors, take bus trips. In my area, "Chinatown buses" are also extremely popular. These discount bus lines connect large cities to New York on the East coast and to Los Angeles or San Francisco on the West coast.
The first time I traveled on a Greyhound bus, I wasn't sure what to expect. We spent a bit more time on the bus than we would have in a car, but we could sleep, listen to music or read instead of worrying about traffic jams and parking costs. It turned out to be a pleasant experience.
If you're considering a long-distance bus trip, you will need to consider several factors, such as cost, accessibility and bus schedules. Find out if long-distance bus travel is a good transportation choice for you.
Thanks for the article. Article was written like I was talking to the author in the same room. I’m thinking that a campanion article could be on private bus companies that travel to places like Atlantic City that give discounts at arrival that equal the cost of the trip. Suspect deals, especially for Seniors would be good for other places like Branson and Las Vegas as well.
Great job, Nancy!
Way back in the ’80s, when the Navy sent me to Pensacola to learn Morse code, Greyhound used to take me home to a New Orleans suburb almost every weekend. They offered two options, a bus which drove directly to my destination, or a bus which must have stopped at seven different spots along the way.
On the whole, the stop-and-go bus suited me better; it started a little crowded, but most of the passengers got off at the first or second stop, and then everyone else spread out and relaxed.
The direct-to-home bus started crowded, stayed crowded, and made it difficult to read or listen to music (back then, iPods were called “Walkmans”). The scenery outside the window also suffered. Little towns and back roads soothed my vision, while the changeless blur from the Interstate just made me wish for the chance to read, or snooze.
Of course, that was only 150 miles, or two to three hours either way. For 14 hours, those little towns and back roads might scrape your patience like steel wool. In that case, go for the direct bus, and bring water, snacks, and pre-moistened wipes for the times when some former passenger left some oily, fishy substance behind him, probably an oyster sauce.
And yes, I had forgotten the wipes.
Thanks for visiting, Dan and Bill! I love the bus article idea and will start researching this. I’d also considered writing about “Chinatown buses” and other discount bus travel options.
Please stop by again soon!