GreyHound Bus Travel ---- Any ADVICE??

Bert_Mathews · Post by **Bert_Mathews** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:22 pm

Thinking of traveling across country on a BUS??

Any advice on traveling this way with a CPAP??
Or any other thoughts.......
Jump in I have a couple months before making a plan...

BERT

Bearded_One · Post by **Bearded_One** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 5:27 pm

I would take my Battery Geeks CPAP battery and a small CPAP.

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 5:50 pm

NOT is my opinion. My husband, did that a few years ago!!!!

He said it was the worst thing he has ever had to do in his life. He ended up taking our daughter's car to her in Va. from ND, having just moved across the country. Well, he drove, I did not go. That trip was much harder with only him to drive and a Neon at that! He took a bus back home. He said that it was very uncomfortable. The delays between trains at one point was 8hrs. That was in Chicago, where he was afraid the entire time he was there. It was unsafe to leave the station. He went to walk around outside and was approached by 2 different guys. On wanted a smoke and the other one was just begging. It was horrible

Now my daughter was traveling to and from VA and ND at the same time. She LOVED the train and the countryside, the access to internet for her laptop and plugs to charge cell phones while traveling. It seems like a nice change of pace to get somewhere.

Just food for thought.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:46 pm

I traveled by Greyhound and to a lesser degree Indian Trails busses extensively as a kid locally in Michigan. Loved it.

BUT as a young adult traveled by bus Saginaw, MI to Worcester, MA. Via Express even. HORRIBLE! One change over in Cleveland. THAT was on a par w/Bap40's hubby's experience in Chicago.

My son and grandson have traveled by bus from SC to MI and from KS to MI. Similalr experiences.

The large cities, which is where most change overs are made, are NOT in the nicest part of those cities. Nor are the stations particularly comfortable or clean. Yech!

IF the stops were CLEAN and in a DECENT PART OF TOWN travel by bus can be a great experience. The problem is - you gotta stop, layover or transfer in the big towns w/the filthy stations and in the unsavory part of town.

I have a friend who loves traveling all over the country via Amtrak. The one time I checked into it the trip was w/in a few dollars of flying. And I mean JUST A FEW DOLLARS!!! Less than $20 difference. I opted to fly. Of course, that was before the current gas prices and airport security, etc. Now, most of the places we want to travel to we can almost drive there faster than diddling around at the airports.

Bookbear · Post by **Bookbear** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:15 pm

I LOVE traveling by train... very restful. That said, the trains don't go everywhere I need to, and they take longer for most journeys than flying does. But then, you bags and you always arrive at the same place and the same time with the train. Better scenery, too. Nearly all Amtrak cars have electrical power at the seats, and all compartments have AC power in them.

True, you don't have wi-fi access on trains (but you don't on airplanes for the most part, yet, either). So? Sit back, relax, enjoy the scenery! Read a book! Chat with a fellow traveler!

Being disconnected for a few days isn't such a bad thing...

Most urban train stations are located in central areas, not outlying ones, and that can mean a less savory part of town; but as a rule, they are well-policed. (Amtrak has it's own police force, btw). If the train is going anywhere near where you will be traveling, I say go for it!

Shellie_p · Post by **Shellie_p** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:58 pm

inside the station most amtracks stations are pretty nice. well lit & patrolled by security, But man let tell you do NOT wait outside in your car for a train to come in. At least not at 1 am in the morning.

My son's train got delayed for an hour. And because I smoke we opted to stay in the car untill the train arrived. BIG MISTAKE.

We had no less then 10 people aproach the car beggging for money, rides, ciggarettes etc. One guy even offered me a pair of wadded up socks and a flower! O.o many of them would walk away then come back 5-10 minutes later!
I wouldn't exactly call the area in Indianapolis a bad part of town. Couple of bars in sight though. Mostly shops etc.. not residences. Police cars patroled regularly but still. I was so totally creeped out by the time my sons train arrived It wasn't funny. I told him if he just had to come home and come in on a train that late get one of his friends to pick him up lol.

I'm not impressed with greyhound. their place here in town is ok, its a local small motel which has a glass enclosed waiting area in case of bad weather. But its not close to anything usefull. It is well lit and in a buisness area. But no gastations, resturants etc closeby. My son likes traveling with them for the price but hes also 20 and needs to carry very little. But he says some of the stops are downright scary & often not the most well kept places. And often the layovers arent exactly comfortable.

Bearded_One · Post by **Bearded_One** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:38 am

The question was about taking a bus.

Why are all of these replies about trains?

Bert_Mathews · Post by **Bert_Mathews** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:06 am

I agree the TRAIN travel is GREAT -BUT- I was also looking at BUS travel and its options.
Being a CHEEP OLDFART the BUS cost is 1/3 0f a Train or Flight. Bus travel time is the same as Amtrak 1day 18 hrs.

THANKS for everybody's input

BERT

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:18 am

Hey, Bert,

As I mentioned, I always enjoyed traveling by bus. BUT, you HAVE to keep in mind that if you have to change bus, the transfers are most always made in a large town, and most of the terminals are NOT well kept, clean or in a good section of town. It is NOT unusual that the changes are made at night. AND it CAN happen that your arrival at your destination is late at night and most of the smaller stations are NOT open at night. You are dropped off at the closed office.

Saginaw, MI is not a particularly small town. The bus station is NOT in a good part of town. It is NOT clean. And they have SEVERAL arrivals after station hours. Nor is the station clean or comfortable even if it is open.

The express from Saginaw, MI to Massachusetts HAS to change in Cleveland (or did a few years ago) and the transfer is made late at night. The Cleveland station was open, but it was NOT clean, it was NOT in a good part of town, and there was a shooting outside of the station the night my son went thru and stuck in the station for an hour and a half waiting for the transfer Express bus.

So check your schedules CAREFULLY. WHERE and WHEN meal stops are made, WHERE and WHEN any changes of bus are made. Check to see if you can choose your own places to stop and overnight w/o raising your fare.

I don't know if things have changed yet again, but years ago you could buy your ticket from one small town to another or even "thumb" the bus down in a small town w/o a station and get off in another small town w/o a station. But then, things changed and if your small town of destination didn't have an office you had to stay on the bus whilst it went right thru that town to a nearby town where there was a station where you COULD get off - and then have to arrange for your own transportation to get back to yoru small town of destination that you had ridden thru.

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:53 am

Another thought on bus travel.. you have to carry your luggage from one bus to another. At least my husband did and so did my daughter-in-law on her one and only bus trip across the country. She actually ditched a few things along the way just to get rid of some of the weight she was carrying. She also felt very vulnerable and unsafe her entire trip of 3 days.

I remember when Iwas a kid and my grandma would come to visit on the bus with no problems, but that was like 30yrs ago.

It is not the same at all nor is it a comfortable way to travel and the bus bathrooms are just as horrible as they are in the stations.

I really would give it alot of thought before I purchase a ticket.

Bookbear · Post by **Bookbear** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:28 pm

Bearded_One wrote:The question was about taking a bus.

Why are all of these replies about trains?

Because he asked "for any other thoughts"?

Because train travel is sometimes a viable alternative to bus travel and offers the bonus of being arguably more comfortable than bus travel as well as having electrical power for using a cpap, something buses often do not provide?

.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:37 pm

Ahhh, I missed it, thank you.

I have been on-call for the past week and have averaged about three hours of broken up sleep each night for the past week. I pull on-call one week at a time every month or two and I am looking forward to a full night of sleep tonight.

Bookbear · Post by **Bookbear** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:08 pm

Eeep! May you have no calls tonight!

goose · Post by **goose** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:25 pm

Well Bert, my first thought when I read the intro was.......
Don't do it!!!!!

Understand the cost issue, but having done the bus and train on occasions, I will only fly now.
Train seats really suck and bus seats are worse. We did a 36 hour trip from Paso Robles Ca. to Seattle Wa. a few years ago (train) and I couldn't wait to get off that train.....my butt was sooooooo sore from sitting that long (yes. I got up and walked around, went to the view car, went to the restaurant car, but there's only so many places you can go and not find another uncomfortable seat on a train (and we had a 45 hour trip back (it was over 110 degrees most of the time between San Jose Ca. and Paso Robles -- train didn't go over 10mph the entire time -- 6.5 hours!!!).....I tried not to think about it while on the cruise, but knowing I was going to have to get back on that train was not a comfortable thought -- wife wouldn't fly at the time - after that train ride, she gave it a whirl and now flies) -- buses are even worse IMHO!!!!
When I travel, I just want to get there and be done with it.....that 36 hour train ride could have been a 1.5 hour flight, and only cost about 25% more.....my comfort (and not having my butt shaped like a train seat) is worth that 25%......

just my two cents.....

cheers
goose

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:10 am

Yep, Goose, I understand the "just want to get there and be done with it". We've made plenty of car trips w/that mindset.

BUT, there are times when a lesiurely trip, enjoying the scenery, your fellow passengers you meet, etc can be a real pleasure. It used to be like that on bus trips. I just don't know that it still is. I know that is what my friend enjoys about her Amtrak trips.

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