Blog du Wren

Greyhound Alternatives

I've mentioned before the qualms I have with Greyhound. While I appreciate the coverage they offer–bringing transportation to places that may have no other options–I've had enough bad experiences* to actively seek out alternatives. Until I started looking, I didn't even know they existed. "Bus travel" and "Greyound" were always synonymous in my mind. I was pleased to see that this isn't the case. On the off chance that you have some of the problems with Greyhound that I do, I thought I would share some alternatives I've come across.

	Megabus: Serving 3 different regions (CA,NV; Midwest; Northeast) with "low cost daily express bus service". Book early and you might only pay $1 for your seat*.
Sample fare comparision: Megabus vs. Greyhound Chicago -> Cincinnati: tomorrow $37 vs. $46; a month from now $36 vs. $50
	Bolt Bus: Serving DC, Philly, NYC, and Boston with inexpensive direct routes. They also do the ticket for a buck thing, if you book far enough in advance. Free WiFi on the bus is another perk.
Sample fare comparision: Bolt Bus vs. Greyhound D.C. -> NYC: tomorrow $20 vs. $42; a month from now $15 vs. $34
	Chinatown Buses: Chinatown buses started springing up as a cheap way for people (and wares) to get from Chinatown district to Chinatown district of major cities in the Northeast corridor. It has recently become a very popular way to get from city to city for anybody. With a straightforward loading process and very extensive schedule, this is the preferred method for many east coast corridor travelers.
Sample fare comparision: NYDC Express vs. Greyhound D.C. -> NYC: tomorrow $20 vs. $42; a month from now $20 vs. $34
	Concord Trailways: Serving Maine,New Hampshire, and Boston, this is a great example of a regional alternative. Benefits over Greyhound that I've personally experienced are movies on the buses and better connection/station location in Portland, along with saving a few bucks.
Sample fare comparision: Concord Trailways vs. Greyhound Boston -> Berlin, NH: tomorrow $20 vs. $42; (4.5 hrs vs. 14 hrs (with two transfers))

These are a few alternatives I've come across in my travels. While I haven't ridden all of them, the ones that I have proved a better experience for me than GH. I don't always discount Greyhound because they occasionally have better rates or better schedules. I've found, though, that it is always nice to have options.

Monday May 19 2008

File under: travel, transportation

Toggle Comments (4)

comment?

on Tue 20th May, 2008 03:28 pm PDT soreyes said:
Bus Simulator 2008 ... Your task is to gently, sensibly, and most of all legally, drive your bus from stop to stop, letting passengers off and on, and get this, without murdering even one of them. It’s weird and confusing. ...
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on Wed 21st May, 2008 08:02 am PDT Saxtor said:
Actually, I played an earlier version of Bus Simulator. There were SO many things wrong with that game that it was briefly fun(ny) for reasons completely aside from what the developers aimed for. But once that wore off, it got tediously boring.
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on Fri 23rd May, 2008 11:58 am PDT Jule said:
I took the Boston to New York Chinatown express for 10 dollars! Take that Greyhound! By the way, if you ever need to get from Olympia to Seattle, the city buses are just as fast and 5x as cheap! And you may see Wren...
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on Sat 31st May, 2008 07:55 am PDT Ryan said:
Here's a cool alternative that runs through Pueblo, Denver, El Paso, Los Angeles, and into Mexico. http://www.eplalimo.com/
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