For a distance that long, a Greyhound seat won't cut it...that's still three nights and two days just in transit. It's still more expensive than Amtrak, too (looking at August 12, Greyhound is $228 in coach and Amtrak is $223.) The length is about the same for the afternoon departure (though Amtrak has no morning option to arrive a bit earlier.) Yes, there's a transfer for Amtrak, but I wouldn't be opposed to a longer layover on a three-night trip anyways. I'm just not sold that Greyhound will have any competitive advantage on this run versus the competition...it doesn't have the price advantage or any real speed advantage.
I wish them luck on this, but I don't see them having a lot of uptake on the long-distance buses. Maybe they enable connections that I'm not aware of (or a straight-shot for some passengers who don't have a straight shot currently and the price is competitive) and so they'll be successful there. But in the end-to-end market I'm skeptical that they'll be popular.
Check Philadelphia-Los Angeles. That's only $129. And at this point, Greyhound isn't much worse than Amtrak LD Coach. No more overbooking, buffed security, great views out both sides, impeccable bus restrooms, and to many travellers, that Wi-Fi is important. Yes less legroom, but the same recline on some buses, and the views are better with those big windows. Plus Greyhound smells a lot better than they used to.
Most importantly, Greyhound's new route doesn't parralel any Amtrak route. So a sightseer could ride Amtrak one way and Greyhound the other, seeing very different scenery.
I am not at all familiar with the TRIPS booking system, but can't one book a ticket to anywhere on Greyhound, regardless of a thru bus, or having to make a couple of transfers?
I'll see what I can find out here, but likely, no one here will know, either, until the new TT is published....
You just have to try a mock booking from New York to Los Angeles. Apprently the route starts on June 27th, 2014. You'll quickly find that there are two options showing "0" transfers. Look at the Schedule Details, it'll go through Saint Louis and Denver.
Interesting that they are restoring coast to coast thru buses after a several year hiatus....perhaps, (hopefully), they are changing their business model initiated by their former CEO to discouraging long distance travel in favor of short to medium distance 'hub and spoke' scheduling. That campaign has decimated their route map over the past twenty years or so.
The new thru route may even be a first for them.....New York-Kansas City-Denver-Las Vegas-Los Angeles, I don't believe ever happened before. Most thru buses in the past ran New York-St. Lous- Oklahoma City-Amarillo-Albuquerque-Los Angeles, with a few going New York-Chicago-Omaha-Cheyenne-Salt Lake City- Los Angeles, with a variation going from Omaha-Denver-Las Vegas-Los Angeles in later years.
Continental Trailways ran those routes, as well as one that ran New York-Kansas City-Wichita-Liberal-Albuquerque-Los Angeles.
There is no doubt that not many will utilize a bus on a coast to coast trip in this day and age of low cost air carrier's, other than the "backpacker's" consisting of European students over here on vacation, wanting to see the country at 'see-level'.....but it is kind of neat that the option will again be available.
Great thing is that it actually take the most scenic route. Rolling hills and farmland in the East, then Great Plains, then the Front Range, Genwood Canyon, San Rafael Swell, Virgin River Gorge, Cajon Pass. Even better, it now offers a bunch of new connections. For example, you can now get on a Greyhound in Glenwood Springs and get off in Topeka. Or get on in Los Angeles, and get off in Saint George. Or any combination you can think of.
Which brings me to my point: You don't have to ride New York to Los Angeles in one go. The smart way to do it is to take advantage of the minimum 3-times-daily service along the length of the route. Once the PDF timetable gets released, it'll be easy to construct an itinerary across the entire country by hopping on and off various buses at various places, only stopping in where you want to stop, and not having to transfer anywhere you don't want to stop. And if you find the Plains boring, just "skip" over it by riding overnight. There's an option for everybody with this new route structure.
BTW, it's 2x daily New York-Los Angeles, but supported by 1x daily New York-Denver and Denver-Los Angeles, so it's really offering lots of flexibility. I'll probably start a new thread when I get a list of all the new routes. Basically, think of it as a "hop-on hop-off" tour bus across America, not as New York to Los Angeles transpportation.
