Going Greyhound

No matter what needs the person traveling has, taking a bus can be an efficient method of getting where they are going. In my life, I have had many cross country bus trips. My first ride was at age 19. I took a Greyhound from my current home in Las Vegas, NV to return to San Antonio, TX. This was a place where I lived for a couple of years to be near my mother and brother. I remember I just wanted to take off from a hectic lifestyle to be family for a bit. While I could spend extra money to fly, I looked forward riding out into the desert and into the Texas plains area. Going for a long distant ride like this one can be relaxing and affordable.

There are always some pros and cons to consider when trying to decide which way to travel. Think about the extra time it may take your trip by going on ground verses going by air. I never had any obligations of time of arrival. A person taking a business trip may need a short travel time. However, most of the people I have met on the bus aren't in any rush either. Most trips going cross country can take between two to six days minimally.

I have had some trips go smother than others. On of the worst conditions of the Greyhound line is that most of their buses are outdated. I was shocked on my last trip in July from San Francisco, CA to Arlington, TX to find myself sitting on old tattered seats. Janitors step on every few stops to mop the metal lined floors and clean out trash from passing riders, but nothing like age can give this bad of an impression. I even made a complaint to their hotline over a bathroom door being stuck. It took me half an hour to get out the small port-a-potty style room, due to the sliding metal door not opening.

Taking a bus can surely save you money. An average round trip ticket that goes at least the distance of the country, but actually circles and travels half way both directions will cost around four hundred dollars. Most airlines charge upwards of twice or more that amount. With added stops in the form of lay-over it's nice to have time to get out and stretch or have a quick meal. With the holiday season around the corner, traveling to see family will consume hundreds of thousand Americans. Greyhound offers a unique novel travel experience