# Amtrak vs Greyhound



## Chessie (Apr 24, 2017)

What is the pros and cons of each to you?


----------



## Steve4031 (Apr 24, 2017)

More leg room on Amtrak and better food options even in lounge car only trains.


----------



## fairviewroad (Apr 24, 2017)

Without a specific city pair/itinerary, it's impossible to say. On a two hour trip, I'd rather take Greyhound for $29 than Amtrak for $79. (just to use a completely hypothetical example). But if the time and cost are the same, I don't think there's a single person on here who would choose Greyhound.


----------



## jamess (Apr 24, 2017)

Greyhound serves more cities and tends to have higher frequencies. Also, lower prices. Is at the mercy of traffic.

Amtrak is more comfortable, has better bathrooms, and food service. Is at the mercy of freight delays.


----------



## Lonestar648 (Apr 24, 2017)

Greyhound seating is closer by width and pitch, so no movement is possible. Taking a walk on the bus isn't possible. Food service is not available on the bus. Plug ins to recharge phones and run laptops is not available on the bus. Amtrak may cost more, but is a much more pleasant trip.


----------



## jamess (Apr 24, 2017)

Lonestar648 said:


> Plug ins to recharge phones and run laptops is not available on the bus.


I think the whole Greyhound fleet has power now.


----------



## Don Newcomb (Apr 24, 2017)

In my limited experience traveling both the Big Dog and Amtrak, the Greyhound passengers make me think "People of Walmart". I would use the bus only if there was no other choice. The last time I "rode the dog" it was to either pick up or deliver a car at one end of the trip.


----------



## Skyline (Apr 24, 2017)

jamess said:


> Greyhound serves more cities and tends to have higher frequencies. Also, lower prices. Is at the mercy of traffic.
> 
> Amtrak is more comfortable, has better bathrooms, and food service. Is at the mercy of freight delays.


Surprised no one has added this comment: On Greyhound, you MAY also be at the mercy of some of the other passengers.


----------



## BCL (Apr 24, 2017)

Skyline said:


> jamess said:
> 
> 
> > Greyhound serves more cities and tends to have higher frequencies. Also, lower prices. Is at the mercy of traffic.
> ...


Not necessarily that much different than Amtrak. However, Amtrak generally costs more than Greyhound, and that can affect the type of passenger one encounters.

I think Amtrak probably gets better service from law enforcement. If someone needs to be booted from a train, that's done with law enforcement meeting the train. Not sure how Greyhound handles this, although I suspect that the driver generally does it.


----------



## railiner (Apr 25, 2017)

BCL said:


> Not necessarily that much different than Amtrak. However, Amtrak generally costs more than Greyhound, and that can affect the type of passenger one encounters.
> 
> I think Amtrak probably gets better service from law enforcement. If someone needs to be booted from a train, that's done with law enforcement meeting the train. Not sure how Greyhound handles this, although I suspect that the driver generally does it.


That was true at one time, but nowadays, driver's are forbidden to physically remove a passenger, except in the most extreme case, where there is no other choice. In addition, there are now a fair number of female driver's.

Driver's call for law enforcement to do that now, both for safety and legal reasons....


----------



## RSG (Apr 25, 2017)

jamess said:


> Lonestar648 said:
> 
> 
> > Plug ins to recharge phones and run laptops is not available on the bus.
> ...


Yes, on coaches operated under the flagship banner. Wi-Fi, too (subject to normal service interruptions). Both for several years now.


----------



## RSG (Apr 25, 2017)

To the original question: where schedules and service are equal, there is no comparison. Amtrak all the way. I would rather pay $79 to ride Amtrak for the same route Greyhound may be charging $29. The old line "you get what you pay for" applies, even if it isn't noticeably apparent.

That said, the Greyhound of the 2010s is far better than any bus service in the 20th Century. But, the more things change, the more they stay the same. That includes the passengers on Greyhound. (And in many bus terminals.)


----------



## cirdan (Apr 25, 2017)

The up side to Greyhound is that they go to many places that Amtrak doesn't go, and provide many connections where the Amtrak equivalent (if at all possible) would be an enormous detour involving multiple changes.

I haven't taken very many Greyhound trips, so am no expert, but so far I haven't had any of the negative sort of experiences people are suggesting might occur. All my fellow passengers were always civil and friendly and the drivers helpful and courteous.

The waiting rooms at the terminals are also fine. Generally they are clean and safe (typically there is some sort of security guard) and I saw no signs of antisocial behavior.

Food service on Greyhound typically takes the form of stopping at a service station of some description and passengers being told they can get off and buy something to eat but they have to be back by a certain time and otherwsie the bus will leave without them.

Typically that means long lines at both restrooms and at the checkout, but in the end there is enough time for everybody to get what they want.

So I would say Greyhound service is simple, spartan but it gets the job done and I won't quibblle with it.

Oh, yes, and there is WiFi.

Of course being a railfan I use Amtrak if and where I can but have no qualms about using Greyhound if Amtrak doesn't go where I'm going or I can't get the schedules to fit.


----------



## railiner (Apr 25, 2017)

RSG said:


> That said, the Greyhound of the 2010s is far better than any bus service in the 20th Century. But, the more things change, the more they stay the same. That includes the passengers on Greyhound. (And in many bus terminals.)


Perhaps, if the outlets and wifi is what matters to you.
But overall, the modern iteration of Greyhound Lines is a poor shadow of what they used to be, in terms of routes, schedules, terminals, and IMHO, the quality of personnel, from top to bottom, as well as service...


----------



## Philly Amtrak Fan (Apr 25, 2017)

jamess said:


> Greyhound serves more cities and tends to have higher frequencies. Also, lower prices. Is at the mercy of traffic.
> 
> Amtrak is more comfortable, has better bathrooms, and food service. Is at the mercy of freight delays.


And Greyhound is at the mercy of traffic, especially it the city The bus doesn't just get off the interstate and magically arrive at the bus station in many cases (I believe the Port Authority in New York is right off one of the bridges or one of the tunnels). Also, try being in or around a major city during rush hour (although if you plan carefully you can schedule around this). Six of one and half dozen of the other.


----------



## Philly Amtrak Fan (Apr 25, 2017)

railiner said:


> But overall, the modern iteration of Greyhound Lines is a poor shadow of what they used to be, in terms of routes, schedules, terminals, and IMHO, the quality of personnel, from top to bottom, as well as service...


Still way better than Amtrak in terms of overall map and frequencies. And that's not counting Trailways, Peter Pan, or several other companies as opposed to choices for intercity travel (outside of "short" distances). New Jersey Transit does have frequent service between New York and Trenton (I was just on the trains when visiting New York last weekend).


----------



## jphjaxfl (Apr 25, 2017)

I don't do intercity buses for anything more than an hour ride, not matter whether Greyhound or other. Passengers trains are many times superior to the buses. The scenery is usually much better too because you are using the railroad right of ways instead of freeways or highways. If Amtrak has a bustitution for more than an hour on a train I am on, I head to the nearest airport.


----------



## Everydaymatters (Apr 25, 2017)

Considering price and being able to go to more cities, Greyhound is better than Amtrak. If you don't mind sitting with your knees in your stomach for many hours, Greyhound is the way to go.

People told me I would hate it when I said I was going from Chicago to Orlando via Greyhound round trip. My reply was that I wanted to experience it. Oh yes,and what an experience it was. Never again! Not only was there no leg room, but on the way to Orlando, the chemcals in the toilet made me sick.

Years later I did take Greyhound from Chicago to Akron because of a family emergency. It was an all-night trip and again, knees in my stomach, but no chemical smells.


----------



## RSG (Apr 25, 2017)

railiner said:


> RSG said:
> 
> 
> > That said, the Greyhound of the 2010s is far better than any bus service in the 20th Century. But, the more things change, the more they stay the same. That includes the passengers on Greyhound. (And in many bus terminals.)
> ...


Well, in 2017 it beats not having either and makes the ride more tolerable for those who can't get into having a nose stuck in a paperback book for hours on end.



> But overall, the modern iteration of Greyhound Lines is a poor shadow of what they used to be, in terms of routes, schedules, terminals, and IMHO, the quality of personnel, from top to bottom, as well as service...


I think you have to qualify that statement by era. Is today's Greyhound what it was in the 1950s or 1960s or 1970s? Probably not. But I've ridden Greyhound in the bus post-consolidation/bankruptcies era of the 1980s as well as in the 2010s and I'll gladly take the 2010s over that period of time. And let's remember that Greyhound is the Emirates of nationwide US bus service; there are other operators who do a lesser job of intercity bus transport.


----------



## Palmland (Apr 25, 2017)

Haven't been in a LD bus since college. But then that was before Amtrak! The rides then were fine and I was taking it someplace to catch a train, usually from VA to eastern TN. Can't think of any reason to do it now. The bus stops at a McD in our town (by the Interstate rather than the nice old station downtown).

But, it is a shame Greyhound isn't a part of an integrated bus/Amtrak system. Buses collect passengers from small towns and feed them to rail hubs. We're visiting Switzerland in a couple months and they have perfected that very efficient model. In the U.S. with our much less dense population I would think that would work even better. I guess CA is about as close as we come to doing that.


----------



## Chessie (Apr 25, 2017)

One advantage to Greyhound I can think of is routing would likely be easier because the highway network to a bus is much less restrictive than the railroad network to a passenger train.

Maybe I am missing some legal or operating aspects, but I imagine if Greyhound wants to optimize a route, the company can pretty much go ahead and do it, without having to negotiate with track owners, freight companies, the government, etc, etc.

About 10 years ago I rode Greyhound from Pittsburgh to Boston area as an unaccomplished minor (a teen). I remember my parents checked for trains but it was much more expensive and required transfers. I vaguely remember going from Pittsburgh to Framingham, Massachusetts without transfers, getting on the bus around midnight and arriving the next afternoon, but I can't seem to find a similar one seat route on Greyhound anymore. They must have changed their routes.


----------



## crescent-zephyr (Apr 25, 2017)

I've ridden Greyhound, MegaBus, and Jefferson Lines (all on routes that Amtrak doesn't serve.)

Jefferson Lines is my favorite... Nice employees, busses aren't usually very crowded, and stations have decent seating, free wifi, and feel pretty safe.

Greyhound is interesting... I've had good and bad experiences but the bad experiences were really bad. Greyhound seems to attract the worst of the worst in clientele. But that will vary from time to time. I personally avoid greyhound if possible.

MagaBus is in the middle... The no station thing is interesting, and I've had some pretty bossy / rude drivers but most of the time its a pretty decent experience and it Is super cheap.


----------



## Chessie (Apr 25, 2017)

Never heard of Jefferson Lines. Just did a quick googling so it is around the Great Plains and prairies and the big sky country. Wouldn't mind giving it a try. That part of the country is so underrated.

I have never taken MegaBus myself but have classmates who have taken the route between Boston and NYC regularly and they have no complaints except the connection to NJT could get precarious if the busses arrive or leave around the first or last train of the day. But that's hardly the busses' fault.

My one time experience with Greyhound did encounter a rude driver who was hard to understand and not helpful in the least. I don't remember much about my fellow passengers but I remover the bus was pretty empty. Maybe because it was overnight?

The Framingham, Massachusetts stop I got off was at a big shopping center. My grandparents were supposed to pick me up but we missed each another. Luckily it was close enough (3 miles tops, easy walk for my young legs) to walk to their house.

That brought up another thought, everyone I mentioned above taking busses is a young person, highschool, college or grad school age. Physically able but tend to be price conscious. I personally would not subject my parents or grandparents to long haul bus rides if I could help it.


----------



## BCL (Apr 25, 2017)

Chessie said:


> I have never taken MegaBus myself but have classmates who have taken the route between Boston and NYC regularly and they have no complaints except the connection to NJT could get precarious if the busses arrive or leave around the first or last train of the day. But that's hardly the busses' fault.


Megabus is interesting because of their web only ticketing model. It is a bargain, but you need internet access and a credit card, so that creates an interesting dynamic with the type of passengers they attract.


----------



## crescent-zephyr (Apr 25, 2017)

BCL said:


> Chessie said:
> 
> 
> > I have never taken MegaBus myself but have classmates who have taken the route between Boston and NYC regularly and they have no complaints except the connection to NJT could get precarious if the busses arrive or leave around the first or last train of the day. But that's hardly the busses' fault.
> ...


I almost mentioned this as well... I think that's why I like MegaBus over greyhound. It seems there target market is college age kids. Greyhounds target market would appear to be... Umm...


----------



## Deni (Apr 25, 2017)

Skyline said:


> jamess said:
> 
> 
> > Greyhound serves more cities and tends to have higher frequencies. Also, lower prices. Is at the mercy of traffic.
> ...


Ha! True that. I do love to talk to people when I'm traveling but there have certainly been times in the lounge on Amtrak when I'm talking to someone and then realize they're a little crazy so I excuse myself to go get another beer, then sit someplace else when I come back. On a bus or plane there is nowhere else to go. It's one of the main reasons I don't strike up conversations on a plane.


----------



## jamess (Apr 25, 2017)

BCL said:


> Chessie said:
> 
> 
> > I have never taken MegaBus myself but have classmates who have taken the route between Boston and NYC regularly and they have no complaints except the connection to NJT could get precarious if the busses arrive or leave around the first or last train of the day. But that's hardly the busses' fault.
> ...


They dont advertise it, but you can pay cash at departure if there are seats available.


----------



## railiner (Apr 26, 2017)

Chessie said:


> One advantage to Greyhound I can think of is routing would likely be easier because the highway network to a bus is much less restrictive than the railroad network to a passenger train.
> 
> Maybe I am missing some legal or operating aspects, but I imagine if Greyhound wants to optimize a route, the company can pretty much go ahead and do it, without having to negotiate with track owners, freight companies, the government, etc, etc.
> 
> About 10 years ago I rode Greyhound from Pittsburgh to Boston area as an unaccomplished minor (a teen). I remember my parents checked for trains but it was much more expensive and required transfers. I vaguely remember going from Pittsburgh to Framingham, Massachusetts without transfers, getting on the bus around midnight and arriving the next afternoon, but I can't seem to find a similar one seat route on Greyhound anymore. They must have changed their routes.


To my knowledge, Greyhound has not operated any thru service between Pittsburgh and Boston (or Framingham)...a transfer would have to be made at New York City.


----------



## railiner (Apr 26, 2017)

RSG said:


> railiner said:
> 
> 
> > RSG said:
> ...


All right, then....the era before the 1980's...

From the mid 1920's, until the end of the seventies, no transportation company in the country so dominated its market, like Greyhound Lines did. It was indeed 'America's Busline"...

Its decline began with the end of regulation, and really took a dive when it was divested from the original Greyhound Corporation to its new owner's in the mid 1980's....

I would agree that it is better now then before First Group took it over, except perhaps in routes operated...


----------



## Maverickstation (Apr 26, 2017)

In some cases bus companies fill in gaps where Amtrak leaves a void.

We have a private operator LimoLiner that runs between Boston and New York. There busses have wide seats and they provide snacks.

I use them to return on weekends when Evening Acela service from NYP is lite.

Ken


----------



## Philly Amtrak Fan (Apr 26, 2017)

Maverickstation said:


> In some cases bus companies fill in gaps where Amtrak leaves a void.
> 
> We have a private operator LimoLiner that runs between Boston and New York. There busses have wide seats and they provide snacks.
> 
> ...


LimoLiner sounds expensive. Is it more expensive than NER trains between the cities? Does it make any intermediate stops?

Another advantage of Greyhound, express service (although they have the frequency to allow it).


----------



## Steve4031 (Apr 26, 2017)

Iirc the limo liner prices were competitive. There was a post on one of the railfan sights with a newspaper article comparing the two companies.


----------



## RPC (Apr 26, 2017)

One minor point: my wife can't ride an intercity bus - the air suspension makes her nauseous. She has no problems with school busses or transit busses, thank goodness.


----------



## railiner (Apr 26, 2017)

RPC said:


> One minor point: my wife can't ride an intercity bus - the air suspension makes her nauseous. She has no problems with school busses or transit busses, thank goodness.


Transit buses and even some school buses also have air suspension...


----------



## ciship (Apr 26, 2017)

No comparison......AMTRAK all the way!!


----------



## jamess (Apr 26, 2017)

Philly Amtrak Fan said:


> Maverickstation said:
> 
> 
> > In some cases bus companies fill in gaps where Amtrak leaves a void.
> ...


Limoliner is always $99 each way, so more expensive than an advance Regional, but cheaper than Acela. It goes express between NYC and Boston.

Off peak, it does the trip in 4.5 hours, so 1 hour slower than Acela.

Its 2-1 seating, meal and drinks included, and theres an attendant on board. Power and wifi of course.

This kind of "luxury" bus service is common in Latin America.


----------



## railiner (Apr 26, 2017)

Similar to Vonlane in Texas


----------



## LookingGlassTie (Apr 26, 2017)

I've ridden both Amtrak and Greyhound. In each case, my transportation choice was based on the needs of my trip.

I took GH from Norfolk, VA to Salisbury, MD. There is no Amtrak route between those two points. Of course, I didn't check to see whether Amtrak even had a route going that way; I just assumed that riding the bus would be easier. It was a two-hour trip.

I took Amtrak from Norfolk to Washington, DC. That made more sense because it was a longer trip (I don't think I would have been comfortable on a bus for 4 1/2 hours). Yes, GH does serve Union Station, but taking the train was easier in that instance.

So at this point I can't say that one is better than the other overall. Each has its pros and cons, and it really comes down to what your travel needs/wants are.


----------



## Chessie (Apr 26, 2017)

RSG said:


> Yes, on coaches operated under the flagship banner. Wi-Fi, too (subject to normal service interruptions). Both for several years now.


Have to admit the availability of Internet connection can make or break a trip for me and many. Think I would enjoy cruising more and hate flying less if wifi connections were better on ships or planes. Hopefully we will get to that point in near future. 
Nowadays cell phone data reception is usually pretty decent along interstate highways that intercity busses use, but maybe not quite yet for rails. Someday. 



RPC said:


> One minor point: my wife can't ride an intercity bus - the air suspension makes her nauseous. She has no problems with school busses or transit busses, thank goodness.


I have also noticed car sickness, air sickness and sea sickness are much more common than train sickness. Thankfully.


railiner said:


> To my knowledge, Greyhound has not operated any thru service between Pittsburgh and Boston (or Framingham)...a transfer would have to be made at New York City.


Ah, thank you for the clarification. I was hoping people who have more knowledge would chime in. 
Honestly don't remember doing a transfer, but then the more I think about it the more I can't imagine how or why Greyhound would do a through bus between Pittsburgh and Boston, unless it was part of a long cross country bus route, which it wasn't. Most likely I did do a transfer at some point but forgot.


----------



## MARC Rider (Apr 26, 2017)

I once scoped out a Washington to Ann Arbor trip via the Dog. As I recall it involved changes of buses in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit. Some of the changes were at, shall we say, inconvenient times of day. The equivalent Amtrak trip involves only one transfer to a Thruway bus in Toledo, and that happens at wake up time in the morning, so sleep is possible.


----------



## railiner (Apr 26, 2017)

Going back to its 'glory days', in the 50's and '60's, Greyhound Lines operated an incredible variety of coast-to-coast, and border-to-border, thru buses over its own lines, and in pools with other carrier's. Back then it is entirely possible GL ran a Boston to St. Louis (or beyond) thru bus via Pittsburgh...


----------



## railiner (Apr 26, 2017)

MARC Rider said:


> I once scoped out a Washington to Ann Arbor trip via the Dog. As I recall it involved changes of buses in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit. Some of the changes were at, shall we say, inconvenient times of day. The equivalent Amtrak trip involves only one transfer to a Thruway bus in Toledo, and that happens at wake up time in the morning, so sleep is possible.


There is a thru bus from Washington to Detroit, but sometimes you can make a faster trip with more than one change... depends on what time of day you depart...


----------



## Don Newcomb (Apr 27, 2017)

crescent-zephyr said:


> MagaBus is in the middle... The no station thing is interesting,


What Greyhound has for "stations" these days, you might as well not have a station. Most places (smaller cities) it's just a gas station near the Interstate. It may or may not be served by the city's bus system.


----------



## railiner (Apr 27, 2017)

Don Newcomb said:


> crescent-zephyr said:
> 
> 
> > MagaBus is in the middle... The no station thing is interesting,
> ...


I agree that the quality and sometimes the location of many of the current agency station's are not that great...at least you have shelter, restrooms ,and maybe snacks available, while you wait. Better than standing curbside in the elements waiting...


----------



## FormerOBS (Apr 27, 2017)

As a resident of Hagerstown, I find Greyhound to be totally irrelevant. This is not because it must be, but because the Company has made it so.

When I moved here in the early 1990's, Greyhound had a couple runs a day that ran West from Washington to Pittsburgh, stopping at Frederick and Hagerstown. Connections could be made for points West. I used the service sometimes. I believe there was also service to Baltimore and possibly other locations at that time. The downtown Hagerstown station was eliminated in favor of a small building behind McDonald's near the Interstate. This wasn't great, but it allowed the buses to get off and on the Interstate quickly, saving time. Even though Hagerstown is located at the junction of Interstates I-70 and I-81, I am not aware of any Greyhound schedules on Route 81 in my time here.

Now, Hagerstown has stopped serving Hagerstown at all. Last time I tried to get information on any nearby Greyhound service, I found their online information maddeningly incomplete and user unfriendly. If there is any advertising, I haven't seen it.

Sensible bus routings and schedules could provide East-West service from Baltimore and Washington to Frederick, Hagerstown, Cumberland, Wheeling, Columbus, Indianapolis and St. Louis, as well as routings to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo, and Chicago. This would logically connect with service along I-81 from Roanoke (or even Knoxville or Atlanta), up the Shenandoah Valley to Hagerstown and beyond to Harrisburg and points North such as Buffalo, Albany, Scranton, etc. Connection for New York could logically be made at Harrisburg.

Obviously, the private automobile has eaten into Greyhound's market significantly. But I can't help but think the answer lies in better schedules and connections, more routes, and more communities served.

If you want to get the patronage, you have to go after it. I don't see Greyhound doing that at all. At least not in any way that is useful to me.

It's true that Amtrak doesn't serve Hagerstown directly either, but the Capitol Limited does stop in Martinsburg, only 25 miles from my house by Interstate.

Best bus trip I ever took was on Badger Bus Lines in the 1970's, Milwaukee to Green Bay, on a deluxe bus with a service attendant. I checked today & see that Badger only offers service between Milwaukee and Madison now. Worst bus trip was from Sacramento to Chicago on Greyhound in the 1980's.. Almost all of the meal stops were at Burger King. It was several years before I could stand the thought of another Whopper.

Tom


----------



## NYP (Apr 27, 2017)

LookingGlassTie said:


> I've ridden both Amtrak and Greyhound. In each case, my transportation choice was based on the needs of my trip.
> 
> I took GH from Norfolk, VA to Salisbury, MD. There is no Amtrak route between those two points. Of course, I didn't check to see whether Amtrak even had a route going that way; I just assumed that riding the bus would be easier. It was a two-hour trip.
> 
> ...


Amtrak does offer Norfolk (NFK) to Salisbury (SLS). Train to BWI then BayRunner shuttle to SLS. Because it is on-demand shuttle service, it must be booked a few days in advance.


----------



## Lonestar648 (Apr 27, 2017)

Long Distance by bus between major cities may be a couple hours shorter, but the bus you start with will change en route either by transfer or regular change for service (layover though on same route number). These changes require you to get off with all your things even on a route like Los Angeles to Chicago. Thus a major advantage to Amtrak between many major cities.


----------



## railiner (Apr 27, 2017)

FormerOBS said:


> As a resident of Hagerstown, I find Greyhound to be totally irrelevant. This is not because it must be, but because the Company has made it so.
> 
> When I moved here in the early 1990's, Greyhound had a couple runs a day that ran West from Washington to Pittsburgh, stopping at Frederick and Hagerstown. Connections could be made for points West. I used the service sometimes. I believe there was also service to Baltimore and possibly other locations at that time. The downtown Hagerstown station was eliminated in favor of a small building behind McDonald's near the Interstate. This wasn't great, but it allowed the buses to get off and on the Interstate quickly, saving time. Even though Hagerstown is located at the junction of Interstates I-70 and I-81, I am not aware of any Greyhound schedules on Route 81 in my time here.
> 
> ...


If I could show you one of my timetables from the 50's and 60's, you would be amazed at what Greyhound once operated thru Hagerstown....locals and expresses to/from Baltimore, Washington, and Pittsburgh...locals up to Harrisburg and down to Winchester, and beyond, around the clock. The old downtown station you recall, with its multiple loading bays, gave a hint of what once was, going back to the pre-Greyhound, Blue Ridge days.

Greyhound does sell interline tickets on this carrier, with limited service to Hagerstown... http://www.bayrunnershuttle.com/west/rates_schedules.asp

As for the deluxe bus you rode from Milwaukee to Green Bay...are you sure it wasn't operated by Wisconsin-Michigan Coaches?

The "Burger King" era at Greyhound occurred when former Greyhound Food Service president John Teets got the bright idea to try converting a Greyhound Post House restaurant at some terminal to a fast-food operation, in an effort to draw customer's from surrounding office buildings to have lunch there. Typically, only bus passenger's would ever eat at the Post House cafeteria's. The trial proved to be a resounding success, and soon the entire Post House chain was converted to either Burger King or Hardee's fast food outlets.

As a result of that success, John Teets eventually was elevated to CEO of the entire Greyhound Corporation.


----------



## FormerOBS (Apr 27, 2017)

Yes, I recently heard about the Bayrunner for the first time, but didn't know it was affiliated with Greyhound. I don't know when I might need the service, but will keep it in mind. There was a time in my life when I might have used it fairly frequently, but not so much now. However, I am sure the market is viable.

I thought the Milwaukee - Green Bay service was Badger, but it's been many years ago and I guess I could be mistaken. I do remember the piped-in music: Neil Diamond.

Interesting that Mr. Teets got a promotion out of that Burger King deal. He ensured that I would avoid Greyhound AND Burger King at all costs for several years. If that deserves a promotion, then I guess I just don't understand how the world works.

Tom


----------



## railiner (Apr 28, 2017)

Well, he turned out to be a poor shadow of his predecessor, Gerald Trautman, under who's stewardship, The Greyhound Corporation rose to about number 27 ranking, on the Fortune 500.

Aside from the great financial results of converting the Post House chain, the Corporation began a great downhill slide under his administration, culminating in the eventual breakup of same...


----------



## railiner (Apr 28, 2017)

Badger ran between Madison and Milwaukee, and they also at one time operated between Madison and Freeport, Illinois...


----------



## Philly Amtrak Fan (Apr 28, 2017)

Lonestar648 said:


> Long Distance by bus between major cities may be a couple hours shorter, but the bus you start with will change en route either by transfer or regular change for service (layover though on same route number). These changes require you to get off with all your things even on a route like Los Angeles to Chicago. Thus a major advantage to Amtrak between many major cities.


Yes, that happened to me when I came back to Florida after a bowl game. I have taken the Silver Meteor to/from Florida a few times but that time I waited until the last minute and the fares were too high so I took Greyhound. I think these trains get "cut" (the expression they used although it's been a long time ago and I don't remember everything) when they are fairly empty and they combine two buses into one (and this was after Jan. 1 so it's a fairly less busy time of the year. I remember one of the stops was Fayetteville, NC? and it was in the middle of the night. At least when they cut the bus you're on you know the next one's coming within an hour or two (any longer and you really have a right to complain to them, especially if it's middle of night and middle of nowhere), they would never leave without you (as opposed to missing a transfer) and they honor your ticket as opposed to you having to change it. The other bus I was on for a long time was to Nashville (you can guess why I took that opposed to taking a train).

Ironically Greyhound also doesn't serve Philly to Chicago on a direct bus but they do serve Los Angeles (schedule 1683 from New York to LA): It leaves Philly at 7:40pm and arrives in Los Angeles at 9am three days later (two overnights). The bus goes through New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Assuming no cuts (and I'm guessing there would be) you'd have a once seat ride from NY/PHL to LA. I'd probably never take the bus to LA (or even Vegas) but I can see taking this schedule to Columbus or Indianapolis. Anything beyond there would be too much of a bus ride for me to handle. The route, although it misses Chicago, would be an awesome train trip to me though if Amtrak could do it (and technically they did the National from NYP to KCY and the Desert Wind from DEN to LAX but there'd be a gap between KCY and DEN).


----------



## Lonestar648 (Apr 28, 2017)

The problem I ran into was, even though it was to be a direct route, like described to LA, they changed out the bus for regular servicing, or like at one stop, everything was unloaded so while eating, the was serviced and cleaned at another location. I would never have done the bus, but a family member arranged and paid for me to come. Never again.


----------



## RailRide (Apr 29, 2017)

Of the four convention trips I take every year from NYC, three of the four are via Amtrak:

-First one is to Atlanta. never did this one by bus, for obvious reasons. The Crescent is easy to catch going and coming.

-Third is to Pittsburgh. I've missed my train twice going out due to unexpected construction-induced traffic snarls and had to resort to Greyhound:

---First time was direct, with a trek through nightmarish Philly rush-hour traffic as a "bonus:

---Second time I had to Peter-Pan it to Baltimore and wait out a layover for a Greyhound to Pittsburgh. Had I waited another hour in NY, I could have made it a one-seat trip (albeit still via Baltimore), but I was impatient.

-Fourth used to be "Dad's Taxi" going out, and NJ Transit bus/train coming back, but the convention moved to Herndon, VA and became Amtrak/DC Metro and Fairfax bus. In a couple of years (hopefully), I can omit the local bus at the end.

-Second one is to Montreal, and I've only done this via Greyhound.

---It's three hours shorter

---I can leave at midnight (arriving in Montreal at 8am) instead of dealing with early morning Manhattan traffic

As for the ride, I can actually sleep on the bus. Having a seatmate is hit-or miss. Going out there are usually so many people that I wind up on the second or third bus, which won't have every seat occupied, and often skips some stops. I find the seat at the wheelchair lift has the most legroom (natch), but you do sacrifice having overhead storage directly above your seat. Power usually works, Wifi is hit-or-miss, meaning often you get the access point, but the cellular modem is on the fritz. Adirondack Trailways on the return trip has more consistent WiFi, seat pitch is about the same as regular Greyhound though.

---Only bad point is the lack of departures between 9am and 6pm coming back from Montreal. Makes getting back to the terminal from Pointe-Claire a bit of a nail-biter with a combination of an hour-long local-ish bus ride through the AM rush, and a stint on the Metro, but I've been lucky so far.

---PCJ


----------



## Chessie (Apr 29, 2017)

RailRide said:


> -Second one is to Montreal, and I've only done this via Greyhound.
> 
> ---It's three hours shorter
> 
> ...


There used to be a Montrealer, using the current Vermonter route, leaving DC in the afternoon, stopping at Baltimore, Philadelphia and NYC and arriving at Montreal next morning, and the return trip following similar overnight hours. It would have been perfect.


----------



## railiner (Apr 29, 2017)

RailRide said:


> Of the four convention trips I take every year from NYC, three of the four are via Amtrak:
> 
> -First one is to Atlanta. never did this one by bus, for obvious reasons. The Crescent is easy to catch going and coming.
> 
> ...


There is an 1115 departure from Montreal on Friday's and Sunday's....if that helps...


----------



## RSG (May 22, 2017)

Am betting these passengers are wishing they took Amtrak instead of Greyhound on Sunday, between Grand Junction & Denver:

http://www.9news.com/news/local/greyhound-passengers-stranded-for-hours-after-strange-trip-to-denver/441662164


----------



## RailRide (May 24, 2017)

railiner said:


> There is an 1115 departure from Montreal on Friday's and Sunday's....if that helps...


Wow, late reply is late...

The convention I attend there runs from midday Friday to Sunday evening. So as not to miss out on anything, I typically arrive Friday morning and hang out with the con staffers during setup (or if I have the play money available for an additional night, arrive Thursday). Return trip is always on a Monday morning. The 11:15 departure would be ideal if it were available then. As it is, the return trip is via Adirondack Trailways.

When this particular convention was just up the hill from the old terminal, GLI's early-morning departure was the trip of choice. Now that the con is waaaay out at Pointe Claire, not so much. Last year, I had to reserve a seat on the hotel shuttle to Trudeau Airport and catch the airport express to downtown since I had been unaware that the local (ish) STM bus that runs to Lionel-Groulx Metro from P-C did not run on Victoria Day. Good thing I verified its schedule online while at the hotel, or I'd be cooling my heels (and 95 pounds of luggage) till the 6pm GLI.

---PCJ


----------



## fairviewroad (May 24, 2017)

RSG said:


> Am betting these passengers are wishing they took Amtrak instead of Greyhound on Sunday, between Grand Junction & Denver:
> 
> http://www.9news.com/news/local/greyhound-passengers-stranded-for-hours-after-strange-trip-to-denver/441662164


Yikes. Of course, Amtrak trains have also encountered four-hour delays between Grand Junction and Denver, but hopefully not for that reason.


----------



## dlagrua (May 24, 2017)

Buses can be a good mode of travel on short trips but you sometimes encounter a vastly different class of traveler on a bus and they're not distinguished academics! The bus mode of transportation is confining, cramped, and it provides a small single bathroom for everyone. Except for very short tips we avoid it and much prefer the spaciousness of the train. We just wish that the train took you into more major cities as Cheyenne, Boise, Nashville, Louisville and had more direct routes from the East to Kansas City and St Louis.


----------



## dogbert617 (May 25, 2017)

Philly Amtrak Fan said:


> Lonestar648 said:
> 
> 
> > Long Distance by bus between major cities may be a couple hours shorter, but the bus you start with will change en route either by transfer or regular change for service (layover though on same route number). These changes require you to get off with all your things even on a route like Los Angeles to Chicago. Thus a major advantage to Amtrak between many major cities.
> ...


Wowza, I'm surprised Greyhound even has a long distance bus route like Philly to LA! It's too bad that the era when a greater number of American cities and towns had some sort of long distance train service, has passed decades ago. It'd be amazing, if you could get to cities like Nashville, Louisville, Bowling Green, KY(as examples), by Amtrak. Too bad you can't. Greyhound sure did do noticeable cuts to its service during the 2000s, since I'm aware he told me the news back when he used to attend Earlham College in Richmond, IN, when Richmond lost its Greyhound service. I know a bus company called Hoosier Ride(IIRC the name of it), did start to serve Richmond after Greyhound stopped serving Richmond.

Never mind that I'm aware Amtrak killed off the Kentucky Cardinal during the 2000s, that provided service between Indy and Louisville.


----------



## Metra Electric Rider (May 30, 2017)

As I understand it, if cars hadn't become longer lived and more reliable, the market for bus travel would be bigger, but because cars are more affordable and reliable, the former clientele of Greyhound drives rather than taking the bus to a greater or lesser extent.


----------



## railiner (May 31, 2017)

Air deregulation, and low cost air carrier's such as People Express, had a large impact on their long distance traffic...

And each generation had less people "afraid to fly"...


----------

