GREYHOUND BUS SERVICE

Don't Like To Fly? Short Of Funds? Try A Trip By Bus


Greyhound Bus Lines is one of the most well-known bus lines in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1914, Greyhound serves more than 3,100 destinations in North America. Before commercial air travel, traveling by bus across the country was one of the preferred modes of transportation. Today, even though most of us travel cross country on an airline or even by automobile, if your budget doesn't allow for air travel, if you're afraid to fly, don't have a car or the time to take a trip by car, or if you just want to see the countryside without being the driver, bus travel is still a popular way to get from one destination to another. And should you be travelling by train to a city that isn't served by Amtrak, you could find yourself on a Greyhound bus, departing the train station and arriving at your preferred destination. If you're thinking of travelling by bus, here is information for you to use, as you plan your trip by Greyhound. We include fare and ticket information as well as tips for planning your trip and the actual travel itself.


Before You Travel

Unless you're a truly free-spirited person with no destination in mind, the first thing to consider is where you're going. With more than 3,100 destinations in North America, chances are that Greyhound comes to the city you are planning to travel to, or at least close to it. To find out for sure, Greyhound's web site has a Station Locator. When you first enter Greyhound's web site, the first thing you'll probably notice is a form to complete with your departing and arriving destinations and dates of travel. If you already know that your destination city is served by Greyhound, fill in that city's name; if you don't know for sure, check the station locator at the top of the page. This allows you to find your schedule and bus fares. You can purchase the tickets online with a credit card, or purchase right at your bus station if it is one of the thousands which has a ticket counter. If you are able to purchase your bus tickets a minimum of ten mailing days before you travel, you can arrange for them to be mailed to you if you are using a credit card for the purchase.

Be sure to check the links for "Traveling by Bus" and "Baggage Information" as part of your planning process, especially if you've never traveled by bus before. You should know what luggage policy for Greyhound is before you arrive at the station, including what is allowable as far as items to be checked in or carried onboard the bus.

Bus Fares

Greyhound offers a variety of discount packages for bus tickets. Here are the highlights for the fare types offered:

E-Fares
Booked online and good for travel between selected cities, e-fares offer a great savings on bus travel between these cities. Travel as low as $12 each way between Chicago and Champaign, Illinois; $13 between New York City and Philadelphia each way; $20 one way between New York City and Boston; $22 each way between New York and Baltimore or Washington D.C., or between Chicago and St. Louis; $25 between Chicago and Minneapolis, St. Paul or Detroit. There are other cities at slightly higher one way fares. Round trip isn't necessarily doubled the one way fares--sometimes you may find that a round trip ticket is very little more than the one way.

Go Anywhere Fares
Buy your one way or round trip ticket from 7 to 14 days in advance of travel and ride for less. Based on mileage, you can get a one way ticket 14 days in advance for a destination less than 300 miles from your origination for as low as $29 if you travel Monday-Thursday, or $31 if you are purchasing the ticket 7 days in advance with the same Monday-Thursday travel. Prorated by miles traveled, the fare for destinations more than 2800 miles can be purchased for as low as $129 each way purchased 14 days in advance and traveling Monday-Thursday. Fares are slightly higher under this plan if you are traveling Friday-Sunday. Tickets are non-refundable.

Companion Fare
Traveling with someone else and able to buy your tickets at least 3 days in advance? The Companion Fare allows the second person to travel at a 50% reduction in fare from full price. Tickets are non-refundable.

Child, Student, Senior, and Military Fares
These are discounted fares with no advance purchase requirements. Children ages 2 through 11 traveling with an adult are eligible to receive a 40% discount off the adult fare; under age 2 travel for free when not occupying a seat. Students may purchase a Student Discount card for $20 and travel with a 15% discount off regular fares. Senior citizens aged 62 and older travel for a 5% discount from full fare. Active duty military personnel and their families may travel with a 10% discount off regular fares.

Miscellaneous Travel Tips

Traveling by bus certainly isn't going to be the same as traveling by train in many instances. If you are traveling between major cities, it's possible to get a through bus with no changes, and even express buses with limited stops. But for the most part, you will have many stops between your departure point and arrival destination. Let's take a trip from Portland to Mankato, Minnesota and see where we stop and where there are bus changes:

Typing in the departure and arrival cities, we get one choice for travel between Portland and Mankato. The trip will take just under 2 days barring delays. There will be two changes of bus enroute -- one in Seattle, the other in Billings, Montana. Now if you were traveling between Portland and Denver, you could get an early morning departure that would take you there without a change of buses.

If your travel by bus will take in meal times, you won't get served food on the bus as you would on an airplane or a train. But Greyhound builds into their schedules longer stops at stations where one can get a meal, as close to meal times as they can arrange. The buses are equipped with restrooms, but there are also rest stops enroute as well. To help pass the time, feel free to bring on board reading material, radio, CD or MP3 players with headsets, and your own food and non-alcohalic beverages. Greyhound buses are also air-conditioned, have reclining seats with headrests and footrests, and tinted windows. Sit back, relax, and leave the driving to Greyhound!

Resource Index

Audio-Video-and-Cameras:
Plasma TV, LCD TV, MP3 Players, TIVO, Satellite TV, Dgitial Cameras, Digital Camcorders, Bose iPod Speakers, Multimedia Projectors, GPS, Blu-ray Disc

Computer and Accessories:
Choosing a Laptop Computer, Computer Memory Upgrade, Copying a Hard Drive, Dual Monitors, Networking Computers, Microsoft Office, PDA's, Cheap Ink/Toner, Color Laser Printers, Multifunction Printers, Scanners, USB Flash Drives, Wireless Printers, Dell computers, Wireless Routers, Wireless G Routers, Wireless N Routers, Laptop Carrying Cases

Computer and Video Games:
Age of Empires III, Battlefield 2

Entertainment:
Online Gambling, Poker, Routlette, Blackjack, Craps and other Online Games, Online Casinos, Movies, Online DVD Rentals, Home Theater Systems , Home Theater Components, HDTV, HDTV Buying Tips, HD Radio, Portable DVD Players, Magazine Subscriptions

Fun-Hobbies:
Tropical Fish, Aquariums, Scrapbooking, Rubber Stamping, Geneology, Geocaching, Soap Making, Candle Making

Legal:
Criminal Defense Attorneys, Tax Attorneys, Lemon Law Protection, Structured Settlements, Investment Fraud, Bankruptcy Attorneys, Personal Injury Attorneys, Family Law

CellPhones-and-Communication
Cell Phones, Cell Phone Carriers, Prepaid Cell Phone Plans, Cell Phone Ringtones, Headsets, VOIP, Cheap Long Distance, iPhone, Blackberry, Bluetooth Technology, SmartPhones

Jobs-Schooling
Online College Degrees, Business Degrees, Home Schooling, Drivers Education, Job Resumes, Online Job Search
Internet:
Cybercrime Prosecution, IE Security, Affordable Web Hosting, Web Hosting, Domain Name Registration, Search Engines, Web Site Design, Internet Mailing Lists, Blogging, Internet Serive Providers, Free Email, Clip Art

Finance and Insurance:
Auto Insurance, Car Insurance Quotes, RV Insurance, General Insurance, Travel Insurance, Business Insurance, Basic Guide to Consolidating Student Loans, Cash Advance Loans, Federal Student Loan Consolidation, Debt Consolidation, Debt Management, Credit Card Debt Consolidation, Free Credit Reports, Home Mortgages, Home Equity Loans, Mortgage Refinancing, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Companies, Second Mortgages, Mortgage Brokers, Health Insurance, Insurance Quotes, Term life Insurance, Mortgage note buyer, Renter's Insurance, Household Budgeting

Home:
Home improvement, Outdoor Lighting, Kitchen Remodeling, Kitchen Countertops, Espresso Makers, Food Processors, Coffee Makers, Coffee Grinders, Slow Cookers, Popcorn makers, Blenders, Cutting Boards, Refrigerators, Freezers, Washers & Dryers, Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen & Bathroom Faucets, Bathtubs, House Windows, Closet Organizers, Window Treatments, Hardwood Floors, Carpeting, Home Security, Water Heaters, Water Filters, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Bamboo Flooring, Portable Air Conditioners, Dehumidifiers, Siding, House Cleaning Services, Home Organization, Vacuum Cleaners, Cannister Vacuum Cleaners, Handcheld Vacuum Cleaners, Upright Vacuum Cleaners, Stick Vacuum Cleaners, Wet-Dry Vacuum Cleaners, Furnaces, Fireplace Inserts, Electric Space Heaters, Pellet Stoves, Wood Stoves, Heat Pumps, Buying a used car



Business-Office-Supplies:
Discount Office Supplies, Home Office, Office Furniture, Copiers, Home Business, Business Cards, Business Brochures, Mailing List Companies, Affiliates, Franchises, Business Telephone Systems, Employment Agencies, Call Centers, Fax Machines
Health and Wellness:
Fioricet for Migraine Relief, Online Pharmacies, Phentermine for dieting, Tramadol for Chronic Pain Relief, Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Lawyers, Acne Treatment, Contact Lenses, Drug Rehabilitation, Cerebral Palsy, Hair Loss, Hair Loss Products, Human Growth Hormones , Diet Pills, Treadmills, Fragrances, Reducing Cholesterol, Diabetes, Obesity, Arthritis, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Acid reflux, Cialis, Understanding Depression, Unraveling Diet Plans, Erectile dysfunction, Lipitor, Sleep Loss, Viagra, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Living With Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder

Gifts:
Gift Ideas, Corporate Gifts, Gift Cards, Wristwatches, Replica Watches, Sunglasses, Wholesale Jewelry, Jewelry Boxes, Wedding Gifts, Food Gifts, Books, Music, Flowers, Gift Baskets, Candles & Candleholders, Chocolate & Candy

Sports:
Health Clubs, Home Gyms, Treadmills, Golf, Golf Vacations, Golf Schools, Golf Clubs, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Basketball

Travel:
Railroad Train Travel, Greyhound Bus Travel, Moving Guide, Rental Cars, Luxury Cruises, Maui Vacation, Spain Travel, Panama Cruise, Mexico Travel, Europe Travel, Disneyland Vacation, Disney World Vacation, Airline Tickets, Las Vegas Vacations, Las Vegas Sights, Las Vegas Entertainment, Las Vegas Dining, Lake Tahoe, Reno Vacations, Grand Canyon Vacation, Alaska Vacation, San Juan Island Vacation, Seattle Vacation, San Francisco Vacation, San Diego Vacation, SeaWorld Vacation, Yellowstone Park Vacation, Los Angeles Vacation, Bed & Breakfasts, Las Cruces New Mexico Vacation, Texas Hill Country Vacation, Columbia River Gorge Vacation, Albuquerque Vacation, New Mexico Vacation, Utah Vacation, Denver Vacation, Carlsbad Caverns, Branson, Missouri, Arizona Vacations, Jackson Wyoming, Skiing Wyoming, Skiing Oregon, Skiing Utah, Skiing Colorado, Skiing California, Skiing Washington State, Skiing Idaho

Yard-and-Garden:
Lawn Care, Patio Furniture, Hot Tubs & Spas, Gazebos, Fences, Decks, Barbeque Grills, Greenhouses, Patios, Sprinkler Systems, Landscape Design, Backyard Ponds, Bird Baths, Hedge Trimmers, String Trimmers, Wheelbarrows and Gardencarts, Lawn Mowers, Lawn Mowers, Lawn Care Tools, Lawn Edgers, Leaf Blowers, Now Blowers, Rakes