Amtrak vs Greyhound

[Chessie]

What is the pros and cons of each to you?

 

[Steve4031]

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

 

[fairviewroad]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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]

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]

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

I think the whole Greyhound fleet has power now.

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

 

[RSG]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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...