Travel by Grayhound

[George]

most people in the US are so sheltered from the realities of the conditions that the majority of the population of the world lives in that riding the dog seems like such an adventure

[Alligator]

...
If you're used to checking bags on the airlines, keep in mind that Greyhound does not transfer your checked bag from one bus to the next at your designated transfer stations. This isn't like flying the airlines where your bags are automatically forwarded to your final destination. At every transfer, you have to retrieve your checked bags from the side of the coach (sometimes that's like fighting the mob on Black Friday), and carry the bag or backpack to your next bus, which likely is not there yet, you'll have a wait at the station. My experiences were that Greyhound employees simply unload the bags from the side of the coach at the bus station, and usually it's kind of a free for all as the mob grabs their bags. This part of the process can range from orderly to complete chaos. Usually it is somewhat orderly. Sometimes I've seen a Greyhound employee referee this phase, sometimes I don't see any Greyhound employee watching, that's where you really have to get in front and make sure someone else doesn't grab your stuff. In my case, I was typically the only one on the bus with a hiking backpack so it was easy to keep an eye out for it.
...

I rode the bus from Maine to Texas once. They followed airline style checking at a Texas transfer, I can't remember the city-maybe Houston or San Antonio. The bags went down a chute and got routed to the next bus. They misrouted my bag. I got it back a day or two later. I've never seen this anywhere else though, not on the East Coast.

[Miner]

I got off a long AT section hike in October in Williamstown, MA and road the Greyhound to Amarillo, TX to pick up my car at a relative. It seems expensive for shorter runs, but after a certain distance the price doesn't change much and becomes steadily cheaper than most alternatives. Especially if you are buying a ticket on short notice. For me the price of flying or taking the Amtrak was a lot more expensive. Going all the way to LA wouldn't have cost me much more then what I paid to goto Texas. My experience was riding it for serveral of hours isn't so bad. Riding it for a couple of days gets old really fast. Its hard to sleep on one.

Take an aisle seat. You have more options for stretching out your legs then the window seat. After several hours, this becomes important. Also, you may get a heavy person get on at the next stop and they may sit next to you, better to have some space then squished against the window.
Bring food and drinks. You have limited ability to buy food and it will be expensive.
Bring a charger for your electronics. Most buses now have a electric outlet you can plug into.
Carry on all valuables (camera, phone, money, etc.).
Try to pack everything inside your pack and not on the outside if at all possible (less likely to loose something falling off or someones quick fingers)
Keep track of your stuff at all times. If its out of sight for a moment it may be gone.
Try to enjoy the novel experience of the type of people you are riding with instead of getting an attitude about it. The guy giving a sermon to the bus in the back seat just before getting off. The 2 ex-cons fresh out of jail heading home. The super-sized person who just had to sit next to me. The illegal guy from India who had been hear for 10years with no documentation who got taken off by the border patrol when we stopped in Buffalo, NY (he should have picked a route that didn't go near the border).

[Siarl]

I tend to get a window seat if at all possible. I've never traveled as a thru-hiker but I lived in San Francisco for twenty years and generally speaking, most San Francisco residents don't have cars and they walk out the door with a small daypack. I moved north and would take the Greyhound into San Francisco alot. I traveled with a daypack and chose a window seat. I tend to keep to myself and nod off frequently. I fold my arms over my daypack which sits in my lap against my chest and then my hands lock in under my arms. I'm a nice guy but wear a face that says, don't bother me. It helps too if you mumble and gesture in your sleep, which of course I have no idea why I just said that, but it certainly helps.

[Firefighter503]

Didn't read the whole thread, but from my one experience on Greyhound, I will never do it again. The cost of a plane/train ticket is well justified in my opinion.

[steve0423]

Lot of good advice here. I traveled by bus on my thru including three diff buses getting from Millonocket to Portland. I never had what I’d call a bad experience just some better than others. Caught a bus to Albany to visit my wife for a few days. It was full of some pretty shady characters and smelled like the zoo. Finial ride into Portland was very nice and even featured an “in flight” movie.


You should bring drinks, snack, jacket etc. Most have rudimentary Wi-Fi and outlets by the seats for charging.


All and all, not the end of the world, an experience everyone should have, but don’t know that I’d want to spend more than a few hours on the bus. Now I CAN get excited about traveling by train!!

[Siarl]

I am traveling by train, Amtrak, from far west Texas, Big Bend National Park area, to Atlanta and then by shuttle to Amicalola Falls. It's a little pricey but there's no way I'm traveling for a couple of days or more on a bus. If it's a few hours I can handle that but not a few days. Oh gawd no. But having said that, my advice above still stands.

[starbright]

We traveled by bus 2013 to Gainesville. Was not fun in any way. We got packs searched at Atlanta had to pay extra to have small pocket knives taken out of our packs that were under the bus in storage. And put in envelopes put behind the driver seat. It was ridiculous got lucky they didn't see the stove fuel. God only knows what that would have caused considering we had already been on three other buses before getting to Atlana.

[Luddite]

I was on one once when some dumbass kept going into the bathroom to smoke weed, and finally the bus driver pulled over and demanded that the person who smoked in the bathroom come clean. He never did so we sat there on the side of the road for over an hour and the driver finally gave up. Another time a driver sat in the station to make a phone call on the payphone even though we were over 2 hours behind schedule.

Greyhound treats their customers like crap, like they're doing you a favor. I've been screamed at for asking a driver which bus was mine. I'm am terrified of airplanes but I have finally boycotted greyhound. I would crawl to the trail before I deal with that company again.

[Luddite]

We traveled by bus 2013 to Gainesville. Was not fun in any way. We got packs searched at Atlanta had to pay extra to have small pocket knives taken out of our packs that were under the bus in storage. And put in envelopes put behind the driver seat. It was ridiculous got lucky they didn't see the stove fuel. God only knows what that would have caused considering we had already been on three other buses before getting to Atlana.

I remember being searched once in Atlanta and I had my hiking blade in my pocket and the moron never even found it. I was pretty pissed that after being searched at 4 in the morning the incompetent "security guard" wasted my time.

[Buzz Saw]

Tried the bus in 2010. Did not work out very well. They had changed pickup point but did not notify me. I had gone in to check if I was at the right location and was told bus would pick me up out front. Never happened and by the time I was re-informed that the bus did not stop their it was to late to make it to the new location. Talked to reps from bus (gray hound) and were told that they put the notification in the local paper. I live in a a small neighboring community and do not get that paper. They refused to refund my money and I was forced to catch a plane next day to fly to Atlanta to meet my partner plus pay for a shuttle that would get me to my destination. I'm sure this is an unusual story but the plane was not that much more and I was there in three hours instead of 24. Buzz

[Preacher_68]

I would rather run through hell in gasoline underwear than ever ride a greyhound.

[Dogwood]

I always enjoy these Dog stories.

[Dad]

Here's a story about a bus trip to the trail.



http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=96705

[July]

Ha!... that's a pretty good'un..

[July]

Ha!... That's a good one, squared (how do you put that lil #2 up....nopun)

never sit next to the ****-er door

[SunnyWalker]

I have traveled Greyhound a lot when in college years ago. My last to-the-trail (CDT) in 2013 I used Greyhound from Amarillo into NM. It has not changed much but I would say it is friendlier and nicer then you've read here. Probably depends on which part of the country you are in. However Alligators advice was good. Remember to bring your jacket to use as a blanket. I personally would bring all my snacks and stuff I ight want while on the trip with me in a throw-away bag and all. If you bring electronics with head phones . . . yeah . . . be careful to keep them close. I would bring a lot of reading stuff with me-book, newspaper, magazines, etc. This usually helps me a lot . If you are on a bus that has a lot of country stops what helped me is that when everyone got off that was getting off I would get up and stand in the aisle and walk if I felt ok about it. That gave me a nice break from sitting and I was still on the bus. I have met some really neat people on the bus and so treat it as part of your AT adventure.

[putts]

Miss Janet taught me: If you don't want anyone to sit next to you, fill your water bladder up with some awful colored liquid, set it in the seat next to you, stick the hose into your pants. If someone asks if they can sit there, say sure then fumble around for a second to get situated and hand them the bladder "Can you hold this for just a second?". If they sit down, pull the hose out and take a drink.

I imagine this works especially well if you are fresh off the trail, musty, bearded, wearing duct taped crocs, and are used to not holding in your farts.

[fiddlehead]

I love these Greyhound stories.
Do you notice how some people think it's fine, and a way to get to where you're going, not so expensive, interesting experience, etc.
While others say: Never again. It was horrible. Bad drivers, passengers, food choices, etc.
Isn't it how we look at life in general?
Americans need to get out more and see how the poorer people of the world live.
No one has it as bad as Tibetens who live out in the dry mountains, no water, no trees, extreme cold in the winter (with no heat).
And no one has the opportunities as vast as Americans with choices for transport, jobs, weather extremes, religions, etc.

I often say that any American college degree should require one year of that degree to be spent in a university in a foreign country.
So much more would be learned in that one year. Most importantly, that there are many cultures in the world and we really should think about what other's priorities are in lfe.

OK, rant over.
Back to "dog" stories: (never mind, that one is not appropriate and hard to believe anyway)

[bamboo bob]

I got off and on the trail in Waterville Maine. I took the Greyhound to Boston for a toothache and back again a week later. Both ways was a pleasant ride. The bus was full of well behaved people. Mostly young student types. No bums, no perverts, no criminals.

Cheap too. Steve Longley came and put me back on the trail from the bus station.

Maybe New England is just nicer.