How to Find Discount Greyhound Bus Tickets

Greyhound has been providing bus travel services since 1914 and is the largest provider of intercity bus transportation in North America. Buses travel to and from over 2,300 destinations throughout the United States and Canada every day.

Greyhound recently upgraded the buses on some of their most popular travel routes and more will continue to follow as time goes on. The new buses allow for free wireless internet access and offer conveniently located electrical outlets. They have also removed 5 seats to provide more legroom and have optimized each seat for safer travel. The new Greyhound buses were also designed with a more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient engine.

Greyhound bus tickets can be ordered over the phone, online or at a Greyhound Ticket Counter. For travel between some major cities, average bus ticket costs tends to range a few dollars higher than those offered by other bus companies but seem to be getting lower as competition becomes more aggressive. Prices appear to be cheaper if purchased online.

One glaring attribute that sets Greyhound apart from other bus companies is that a ticket does not reserve you a seat at a set time. The down side of this is you must wait in a line to get on the bus which is boarded according to first come first served. The up side is if you change your mind about when to travel or are running late to catch your bus you won't lose your money if you miss it. Note that for $5 extra you do have the choice to reserve a seat and board before the line.

Greyhound offers passengers many ways to save money on bus tickets. When looking into Greyhound for bus travel services consider exploring the list of most common Greyhound discounts below before settling on a regularly priced ticket.

*Buy your ticket in advance
Bus tickets purchased in advance tend to be cheaper than those bought at the last minute. In addition, Greyhound sometimes offers advanced purchase promotions where a discount is applied to your ticket price according to how far ahead you book the travel. Browse the Greyhound website for the Advanced Purchase Online Specials.

*Web Only ticket discounts
Certain Greyhound bus destinations offer Web Only Fares at lower prices. Book your ticket online and save a few bucks.

*Discount Companion Fares
Tickets for certain destinations may qualify for what Greyhound calls the Friends and Family Discount. This ticket discount, also commonly referred to as a Companion Fare, typically allows you to bring a travel companion along on your bus trip for a percentage off of their ticket price. The details of the Friends and Family Greyhound Discount are subject to change as promotional offers come and go but currently your full priced adult ticket will score you up to 3 companion tickets, each at 15% off. Some restrictions do apply.

*Discount Tickets for Children
If you are traveling with children, they may qualify for a discounted fare. Kids younger than 12 but older than or equal to 2 years old can travel for 25% less than one full adult fare. If you are traveling with a child younger than 2 yrs. old who does not require an individual seat, they do not need a separate ticket. Those under age two who do require their own seat will need to have a ticket but you can purchase it at 25% off of the full adult fare. The Child Discount only applies to children and adults purchasing the unrestricted walk-up fare.

*Discount bus tickets for students
Greyhound accepts the Student Advantage Discount Card. Cardholders can save 15-20% on bus tickets purchased online or in person. Student Advantage is a discount program catering to college students. The card costs $20 a year and offers percentage discounts on your final bill at hundreds of online and brick and mortar merchants. For more information visit the Student Advantage Discount Card website or call 1-800-333-2920.

*Military Bus Ticket Discounts
All currently active as well as retired members of the United States Armed Forces and their dependents may travel to U.S. destinations at 10% off the Greyhound Walk-up fare. They are also eligible to travel anywhere in the Continental U.S. for a maximum ticket price of $198. Proper I.D. will be required.

*Veterans Advantage Card Discounts
Members of the Veterans Advantage Program receive 15% off of Walk-up ticket fares to locations all over the United States. The Veterans Advantage Card is similar to the above mentioned Student Advantage Card, only it costs $59.95 for one year of membership and only U.S. Military Veterans, Active Duty Military and National Guard & Reserve personnel are eligible for the program. Veterans Advantage.

*Senior Citizen Bus Ticket Discount
Those who are aged 62 and older are eligible for a 5% discount on full priced unrestricted adult fares. This discount is only available for U.S. Greyhound Bus routes.

*Enroll in Greyhound Road Rewards
Taking a minute to register for Greyhound's free Road Rewards Loyalty Program is well worth the effort. Road Rewards allows you to collect points toward bus tickets and discounted travel fares. It's especially beneficial to those who regularly travel with Greyhound Bus Lines but just for signing up you'll receive a 10% ticket discount. Sign up for Road Rewards at participating Greyhound terminals or online. Make sure that if purchasing tickets online you first login to proceed through the Road Rewards section of the Greyhound website. Greyhound Road Rewards. 1-877-943-3530.

*Use a Coupon Code
When purchasing Greyhound bus tickets online you are presented with the option to enter a coupon code. Coupons for Greyhound bus travel are not always too easy to find but they usually do exist. Try a search with the phrase "Greyhound coupon code" or "Greyhound coupon" (without the quotation marks) and see what you can find. You will probably notice thousands of results returned but few that lead to non-expired coupons. This is a tricky thing to avoid and most often finding a valid coupon code takes a lot of trial and error at the checkout stage of your purchase. If you have a little time and patience though, coupon codes for Greyhound bus travel are worth searching for because they probably are out there somewhere.

*In addition to the most common promotions listed above, Greyhound will likely come out with special offers and deals in the future from time to time that do not fit into any of these categories. Keep watching the Greyhound official website for updates.

The Greyhound contact information for customer assistance and reservations is as follows:

Greyhound Lines, Inc.
P.O. Box 660362
Dallas, TX 75266-0362
1-800-231-2222
http://www.greyhound.com