Really long bus rides

[BlackDiamond]

The other day I was watching this video by Steve Marsh about a Flixbus run from Rovaniemi Finland near the Arctic Circle to Krakow Poland, a 2000 km trip that takes about 40 hours. Technically they do get off one bus at Helsinki, ride the Ferry to Tallin Estonia then board a different bus to Krakow but it is all ticketed as one trip.

I wonder if there are any bus runs (on the same bus) that re longer than this. Perhaps one of the Greyhound runs across the Western US?

 

[railiner]

The other day I was watching this video by Steve Marsh about a Flixbus run from Rovaniemi Finland near the Arctic Circle to Krakow Poland, a 2000 km trip that takes about 40 hours. Technically they do get off one bus at Helsinki, ride the Ferry to Tallin Estonia then board a different bus to Krakow but it is all ticketed as one trip.

I wonder if there are any bus runs (on the same bus) that re longer than this. Perhaps one of the Greyhound runs across the Western US?

I don’t know of what is currently operated, due to the difficulty of finding timetables nowadays, but at one time, Greyhound and Trailways ran many thru buses from coast-to-coast, and border to border (and beyond), over lots of routes, and with multiple frequency.

Examples, include Boston or New York or Miami to San Francisco; Portland, ME to Miami; San Diego to Vancouver, BC; etc…

 

[Willbridge]

I don’t know of what is currently operated, due to the difficulty of finding timetables nowadays, but at one time, Greyhound and Trailways ran many thru buses from coast-to-coast, and border to border (and beyond), over lots of routes, and with multiple frequency.

Examples, include Boston or New York or Miami to San Francisco; Portland, ME to Miami; San Diego to Vancouver, BC; etc…

9½ years ago, I rode GL from Denver to Las Vegas. The bus was on a twice daily NYC<>Las Vegas run and there was a wheelchair passenger who was riding from Newark to Los Angeles.

Denver was a major servicing point, and the passengers had to wait in the Denver Bus Center until after midnight while the bus went to the garage and back. Here's a photo, taken at 12:01 a.m. There's only one trip a day on the route now.

 

[allanorn]

Scott from Planes, Trains, Everything did London to Sofia and that was 50 hours by bus:



He also did Land's End to John O'Groats at 53 hours, but I don't know if that was all in one go.

 

[MARC Rider]

The longest bus ride I ever took was a charter ride from Philadelphia to Chicago (and back again). We were Scouts going to Philmont. Bus from Philly to Chicago, Denver Zephyr to Denver and another bus to take us from Denver to Philmont. Pretty much nonstop, except for a meal break at the Denver Service Plaza on the Turnpike east of Harrisburg and another rest stop in Elkhart. We had actual breakfast at the Harvey House in Chicago and got a bus tour of the city before we boarded the train. I was only 14 at the time and not fully grown, so the eats seemed roomy enough. The real problem was that back in 1968 the tunnels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike were all single tubes with 2 lanes, which meant at least 3-5 sections of stop and go traffic while 2 lanes of traffic tried to fit into one lane. I think there was construction, too, as they were double tubing the tunnels (and actually removing a couple of them.) On our return trip, one of the buses broke down, and we all had to wait for couple of hours by the side of the road while they got a replacement for us.

 

[Traveller]

In early February 2002 rode all Greyhound for 6 days with just one night in a hotel. Zig zagged west-east starting in Boston to end up in Phoenix. Buses were busy as 911 was very fresh in peoples memories at that time, many who would usualy fly rode LD buses. I also remember there was often very tight security at the larger bus station entrances, armed guards who would need to see ID and tickets before you could enter.
Interesting times.

More recently Ushuia to Buenos Aires Argentina over 10 days again via off direct route places, maybe 5 nights in hotels. Argentina buses are just superb, a level of luxury on most routes that can only be dreamed of elsewhere.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Longest Bus ride I ever took was LA to NYC when I was transfered from the West Coast to the Subbase @ Groton,Conn.

SInce I wanted to see the Country, I would have taken Trains, but the Fare was more than the Travel Allowance.

5 days and 4 nights!

Second longest was Edmonton,Alberta to Austin,Texas when Greyhound had one of those $99 Unlimited riding Pass Deals going on.

4 days/3 Nights.

 

[west point]

Back when Greyhound operated several east coast to Laredo bus routes. Many times several extras going thru ATL usually destination marked express that would not pick up locally. The dog and trailways stations were adjacent in ATL as well as their service garages. Almost all passengers had to vacant their bus in ATL for servicing and or substituting for a broken-down bus. Food was not great but a cut above normal dog food.

Passengers could even ticket thru ATL from one carrier to the other with the separate assigned routes only by the ICC.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Longest bus trip I ever did was Orlando to Montreal, with us changing buses at New York City. Greyhound had issues then, but it wasn't in the shape that it's in now, so that tells you how far below the spectrum the Hound has fallen. I recall those coin operated TVs were still working at the Orlando Greyhound station in the mid 1990s. When I found out years later how old those things were, that was a reality check for me.

Those were introduced under the Gerald Trautman regime, which began in 1966. His leadership with the company allowed Greyhound to flourish. No one has been able to achieve what he did with Greyhound since he retired in 1982.

 

[rspenmoll]

From 1957 to 1976, Albert Travel operated a bus service along the Hippie Trail from London to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata), taking 50 days to complete the trip. It was essentially a tour bus service, but operated on a regular schedule.

 

[railiner]

9½ years ago, I rode GL from Denver to Las Vegas. The bus was on a twice daily NYC<>Las Vegas run and there was a wheelchair passenger who was riding from Newark to Los Angeles.

Denver was a major servicing point, and the passengers had to wait in the Denver Bus Center until after midnight while the bus went to the garage and back. Here's a photo, taken at 12:01 a.m. There's only one trip a day on the route now.
View attachment 39339

View attachment 39340
View attachment 39341

Noticed two different numbered G4500’s…did they change them along the way ? Or was those photos of different trips?

 

[railiner]

The longest bus ride I ever took was a charter ride from Philadelphia to Chicago (and back again). We were Scouts going to Philmont. Bus from Philly to Chicago, Denver Zephyr to Denver and another bus to take us from Denver to Philmont. Pretty much nonstop, except for a meal break at the Denver Service Plaza on the Turnpike east of Harrisburg and another rest stop in Elkhart. We had actual breakfast at the Harvey House in Chicago and got a bus tour of the city before we boarded the train. I was only 14 at the time and not fully grown, so the eats seemed roomy enough. The real problem was that back in 1968 the tunnels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike were all single tubes with 2 lanes, which meant at least 3-5 sections of stop and go traffic while 2 lanes of traffic tried to fit into one lane. I think there was construction, too, as they were double tubing the tunnels (and actually removing a couple of them.) On our return trip, one of the buses broke down, and we all had to wait for couple of hours by the side of the road while they got a replacement for us.

I worked for Continental Trailways from 1968 to 1971 in NYC, and again from 1974 to 1979 in Denver, so am very familiar with both ends of your journey.
An interesting story about that…
The Burlington (CB&Q), had a very active passenger sales department prior to Amtrak day, and vigorously developed group sales to the BSA (Boy Scouts of America). They would arrange the entire transportation part of the trip for scout troops, including the charter buses, and over connecting railroads.
By the late 60’s, service on the Penn Central was in such a state, that the “Q” would no longer use them to reach Chicago, hence the long bus ride from places like Philly.
We also worked with then rival, Santa Fe, whose patrons could go to Raton before a shorter bus ride to the Philmont ranch.
Both of those railroads had a long heritage of ownership, and relationship with former Continental Trailways lines.

 

[Traveller]

After reading this thread I found a YouTube Greyhound journey that I watched last night, if it is your sort of thing it's worth watching all the way through. He (Noel) seems to have had a run of bad luck with the buses he used and with some of their staff. Up to and including last year my experiences were rarely this bad, most were surprisingly good.
Noel's comments at the very end are telling...

 

[railiner]

Longest Bus ride I ever took was LA to NYC when I was transfered from the West Coast to the Subbase @ Groton,Conn.

SInce I wanted to see the Country, I would have taken Trains, but the Fare was more than the Travel Allowance.

5 days and 4 nights!

Second longest was Edmonton,Alberta to Austin,Texas when Greyhound had one of those $99 Unlimited riding Pass Deals going on.

4 days/3 Nights.

The longest I ever took was from New York
City to Fairbanks in 1970, although I did stay
overniight in a hotel in Montana…

New York City to Cheyenne, WY, Cheyenne to Billings, MT, Continentall Trailways on my annual pass;
Billings to Great Falls, and Great Falls to Sweetgrass on Intermountain Transportation Company on a trip pass;
Coutts, AB (adjacent to Sweetgrass), to Calgary, and Calgary to Edmonton on Greyhound of Canada on a trip pass;
Edmonton to Dawson Creek, and Dawson Creek to Fairbanks on Coachways System, on an “employee rate” ticket.
Followed by the ARR AuRoRa train down to Anchorage, then WAL to Seattle. Wanted to use the Alaska Marine Highway ferry, but connection’s required too much additional vacation time. Took Continental Trailways back from Seattle via San Diego and St.Louis.

A very memorable trip!

 

[railiner]

Longest bus trip I ever did was Orlando to Montreal, with us changing buses at New York City. Greyhound had issues then, but it wasn't in the shape that it's in now, so that tells you how far below the spectrum the Hound has fallen. I recall those coin operated TVs were still working at the Orlando Greyhound station in the mid 1990s. When I found out years later how old those things were, that was a reality check for me.

Those were introduced under the Gerald Trautman regime, which began in 1966. His leadership with the company allowed Greyhound to flourish. No one has been able to achieve what he did with Greyhound since he retired in 1982.

Agreed. He continued what his predecessor, Frederick Ackerman started in the early sixties…diversifying into other businesses with better returns on investment. Unfortunately, they did not treat the core business well in later years, especially under later leadership, and today we see the results of what it became, after several changes of ownership.

 

[railiner]

Agreed. He continued what his predecessor, Frederick Ackerman started in the early sixties…diversifying into other businesses with better returns on investment. Unfortunately, they did not treat the core business well in later years, especially under later leadership, and today we see the results of what it became, after several changes of ownership.

Similar fate for the Penn Central RR…except the government stepped in with the creation of Conrail, which was a success…

 

[railiner]

Almost all passengers had to vacant their bus in ATL for servicing

When they service a bus on long schedules, passengers are usually having a meal stop at major terminals. It is easier to clean the interior with no one aboard, and if the bus is being refueled inside a garage, it is illegal to have passengers aboard (it’s okay outdoors).