USA Bus Lines

what steps i should take before taking a greyhound bus?

I'm taking a greyhound bus in a few weeks and i would like to know a few things,can i purchase the tickets 14 days in advance at the station? how early should i get to the station? what should i do once i reach the station? if i have a duffle bag can i take it on the bus with me?

Public Comments

1. May I suggest you take Amtrak instead? The train is a lot more comfortable, and safer too, I think. Really not all that expensive either. But, of course, it could depend on where you live.
2. You can buy your ticket at any time , id get there about half an hour before you departure time, confirm your ticket with the agent. no your duffel bag will be stored wit the rest of the luggage. do take a carry on bag with i-pod cd player and some extra batteries because these people are incredibly slow, one eight hour trip by car took me over 12hours to complete.
3. I have traveled greyhound a few times and it's not as bad as people make it seem. You can purchase your tickets in advance either at the station or online. Often you can get a discount for advanced online purchases. If you already have your ticket you don't have to get there too early. I would say 30 minutes before departure, unless its a well traveled route then I would do 45- 60 minutes to make sure you get a seat. Every station is different but usually you sit and wait for your bus to arrive. Some people choose to sit and wait by the departure doors, at smaller stations that is not allowed. As for your bags you keep them and once you give your driver the ticket there is a person that takes your bag and puts it under the bus. If the bag is small enough to go in the overhead compartment you are allowed to take it on board.
4. Greyhound is horrible. Take a plane instead. I just took a trip on Greyhound to Nashville, TN from Newark, NJ and it was the worse experience ever. One of the drivers threatened to throw anyone off the bus who's cell phone rang and leave them stranded in the middle of the highway. NO JOKE! The drivers are generally rude and nasty people and so is customer service. Also, going back, our bus broke down just oustide of Nashville, TN and we were stranded on the side of a highway for TWO HOURS before they were able to get us another bus. God only knows what would've happened if we got stranded far away from any bus depots. PLEASE TAKE MY ADVICE, GREYHOUND IS THE WORSE WAY TO GO AND YOU MAY NOT EVEN MAKE IT TO YOUR DESTINATION!! I've had sooo many people try telling me this before I left on my trip, but I was too stubborn to listen to them. Well, I paid for it. IF you're planning on staying at a hotel, you can probably get a nice package deal by going on orbitz.com and taking a plane. It's worth the extra $150 for not taking Greyhound! You're free to do what you want, but please don't ever say I didn't warn you. I will NEVER take them again and if I had the money, I would sue them for how they treated me and everyone else on the bus. Almost forgot, they are KNOWN to loose your luggage. If you don't believe me, google "Greyhound lost my luggage" and see how many links pop up. IF you actually choose to suffer on Greyhound, carry all your luggage with you, but you can't carry too much because the overhead compartments are quite small (smaller than airplanes). Almost forgot to add, the buses mostly stink like crap and urine. Think about it, many people are stuck on those buses for 24 - 48 hours at a time, so think about how much they must stink. TAKE A PLANE!!
5. I highly DONT recommend Greyhound. weve had bad expirences on it. its very uncomfortable, not so safe, not very good condition, air conditioner xtremly hot or freezing, small seats. my aunt got lost on one. what should have been an8 8 hr drive lasted 4 days. they gave her the wrong stops, and they lost her lugage. i rather walk than take greyhound.And trust me the guy above is Right! I agree wit wat he says! Dont think were exxagerating! Trust me Were NOT! But if you go on the bus, then just member to get there half an hour earlier so you can get a comfortable seat and to get your luggage boarded and orgnized so you can have sum time to say goodbyes or buy you summin for da trip, and go to da bathroom cuz they dont always stop at nice clean gasoline stores, or very frequently. But if you take entertainment, mp3, dvd, books,ect., get it all together and avoid having everything out to avoid things getting lost or stolen.as soon as ur done wit summin put it away. but yes you can take bags wit you. But only if you have room. cuz carrying ur luggage on your lap is very tiring. Good luck on your trip, and member all of these things are based upon my past expiriences with greyhound (PS ITS HORRIBLE AND DISGUSTING!)and other buses.Wishing you Good travels =D