i am gonna be travelling around the world with a mate starting in New York. We have booked a 60 day greyhound ticket because we have 3 months to get from New york to LA! was this a bad move? should we have used another method of transport? and any ideas about what route we should take? SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo excited! EHEM.
thanks.
Are greyhound buses really that bad?
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Smallfaces1
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Are greyhound buses really that bad?
"Do you remember rick astley? he had a big fat hit it was ghastly, he said i'm never gonna give you up or let you down, well i'm here to tell you that dick's a clown"
that's exciting!!!!!
i don't have any words of wisdom, other than maybe get a US road map, and listing of greyhound routes, to plan the trip.
feel free to drop a note if you think you're coming to Boston.
if you're going to indonesia or nepal, i might be more helpful.
have fun! what a great thing to do.
i don't have any words of wisdom, other than maybe get a US road map, and listing of greyhound routes, to plan the trip.
feel free to drop a note if you think you're coming to Boston.
if you're going to indonesia or nepal, i might be more helpful.
have fun! what a great thing to do.
... name the stars and constellations,
count the cars and watch the seasons....
count the cars and watch the seasons....
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A rope leash
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Take a train
First off, let me applaud your adventurous bravery.
Greyhound busses are generally loaded with people from the lower economic classes. You might experience some olfactoral dissonance.
It's a good thing you have a lot of time, because you can ride some, then visit some. On a bus, the trip would be about five days, so you have plenty of time to goof off. I hope you have lots of money.
I would opt for the southern route, but the fastest way would be the middle trail, Interstates 40, 44, and 70. (or vice-versa) That way you can stop and see Oily Slick and Pip, and maybe me, and RedShoes and SoLike Candy.
In any case, I'm an experienced USA road warrior, so if you need any advice, let me know. Have fun out there!
Greyhound busses are generally loaded with people from the lower economic classes. You might experience some olfactoral dissonance.
It's a good thing you have a lot of time, because you can ride some, then visit some. On a bus, the trip would be about five days, so you have plenty of time to goof off. I hope you have lots of money.
I would opt for the southern route, but the fastest way would be the middle trail, Interstates 40, 44, and 70. (or vice-versa) That way you can stop and see Oily Slick and Pip, and maybe me, and RedShoes and SoLike Candy.
In any case, I'm an experienced USA road warrior, so if you need any advice, let me know. Have fun out there!
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Misha
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I'm with ARL....(can't believe I said that!)
Take the southern route out of NY, go South then hang a right...lots of cool stuff....the middle states are very flat and don't have Mardi Graseseses.
Tip...don't sit at the back of the bus...toilet on wheels...think no great ventilation. Sit in the middle.
Great idea...you can stop everywhere and mess around.
When you get to LA, let me know, I'm good for buying you dinner....maybe we can get Bobster and pull in a movie at the same time!
Have a great time, take a digital camera and go nuts. 
Take the southern route out of NY, go South then hang a right...lots of cool stuff....the middle states are very flat and don't have Mardi Graseseses.
Tip...don't sit at the back of the bus...toilet on wheels...think no great ventilation. Sit in the middle.
Great idea...you can stop everywhere and mess around.
When you get to LA, let me know, I'm good for buying you dinner....maybe we can get Bobster and pull in a movie at the same time!
Have a great time, take a digital camera and go nuts. Where are the strong?
Who are the trusted?
Who are the trusted?
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mood swung
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I rode Greyhound from Cookeville to Knoxville once. A journey that might take two hours by car took 6. But you've got 3 months! You will definitely see America unwashed and hungover, but that's part of the charm. I'd kind of plan a zig-zag route. The southern route is nice, the northern route has great scenery...
Like me, the "g" is silent.
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martinfoyle
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I travelled from Boston to Charlottetown by Greyhound bus back in the summer of 1986. It was ghastly. I was stuck beside the most boring people imaginable. Once they found out I was Irish they insisted on telling me solutions to the 'war' over there. One of them was a creepy old priest. Less said. I arrived in Bangor, Maine at 2:30PM expecting to get a connecting bus at 3PM. It actually was 3AM the following morning. 12 hours in a truly awful place. Dead town centre, ghastly strip malls on the way out town. Still if you're travelling with a friend ,you obviously have time to spare and are prepared to be adventurous, I'm sure it'll be fun. Good luck.
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Smallfaces1
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Ok then so i'm heading south
cool. how much do think 3 months in the usa including hostels and food will cost? I have to be as tight as possible coz then we fly to fiji,new zealand,australia,singapore,bankok and hongkong!
"Do you remember rick astley? he had a big fat hit it was ghastly, he said i'm never gonna give you up or let you down, well i'm here to tell you that dick's a clown"
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Misha
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ALOT!!!! Make friends with the board people and sleep at their houses...
MINIMUM, in a seedy dive 30.00 per night. Your average is going to be at least 50.00 a night if you are sleeping somewhere mediocre.
Sleep on the bus...don't get a hotel or motel, unless you start smelling.
It solely depends on how many nights you need a motel for. If you don't plan on getting them very often, you can make it farther.
Again, make friends with the board members, you can do a board member - to - board member tour, that should get you all over the US.
You could probably eat on 20.00 a day if you tried really hard and became close with Taco Bell.
My suggestion....turn up the accent, use some wily charm and get stuff for free!!!! It will work, trust me!
MINIMUM, in a seedy dive 30.00 per night. Your average is going to be at least 50.00 a night if you are sleeping somewhere mediocre.
Sleep on the bus...don't get a hotel or motel, unless you start smelling.
It solely depends on how many nights you need a motel for. If you don't plan on getting them very often, you can make it farther.
Again, make friends with the board members, you can do a board member - to - board member tour, that should get you all over the US.
You could probably eat on 20.00 a day if you tried really hard and became close with Taco Bell.
My suggestion....turn up the accent, use some wily charm and get stuff for free!!!! It will work, trust me!
Where are the strong?
Who are the trusted?
Who are the trusted?
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miss buenos aires
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Sounds like an adventure. Whatever happens, you guys will come out of it with lots of interesting stories...
When we first met, I didn't like you that much, unh-unh
(I didn't like you that way)
Yeah, you had the charm of a Greyhound bus, uh-huh
(I didn't like you that way)
--Scene Creamers, "Better All the Time"
When we first met, I didn't like you that much, unh-unh
(I didn't like you that way)
Yeah, you had the charm of a Greyhound bus, uh-huh
(I didn't like you that way)
--Scene Creamers, "Better All the Time"
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Smallfaces1
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A rope leash
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Crawling through the USA
Don't forget camping. A small tent isn't that heavy.
You can eat flat meat and Wonder Bread for less than $10 per day. Finding a decent room for less than $30 is going to be a challenge, especially in the east.
If I were you, I really would plan on mooching from board members. They can give you a roof and a meal, and then tell you where to go. Plus, they are scattered pretty evenly around the country, and if you've got ninety days to loiter, you might as well do it with those you "know".
Funny how the idea sounds both dangerous and safe at the same time.
It's like fun to me...everyone should get the chance to travel!
You can eat flat meat and Wonder Bread for less than $10 per day. Finding a decent room for less than $30 is going to be a challenge, especially in the east.
If I were you, I really would plan on mooching from board members. They can give you a roof and a meal, and then tell you where to go. Plus, they are scattered pretty evenly around the country, and if you've got ninety days to loiter, you might as well do it with those you "know".
Funny how the idea sounds both dangerous and safe at the same time.
It's like fun to me...everyone should get the chance to travel!
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spooky girlfriend
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If you come here to Huntsville where I live, I promise you may stay for free. I will even cook for you and your friend.
If not, then have a wonderful time and manage your money carefully. You can always walk through the food court at the malls a few times and take the free samples of food they hand out. Order a kids' meal if you stop at some of the fast food places, since it usually comes with a drink and free refills. Check out a newspaper and/or telephone book in whatever town you're in to find coupons to businesses.
And I'm with Misha. Use the accent. I took classes in college from a British professor who smoked a pipe and had the most wonderful accent. I practically floated to class each day just to listen to him speak. Thank God he actually taught classes in my field of study. Most chicks love the accent. It could get you places. 
If not, then have a wonderful time and manage your money carefully. You can always walk through the food court at the malls a few times and take the free samples of food they hand out. Order a kids' meal if you stop at some of the fast food places, since it usually comes with a drink and free refills. Check out a newspaper and/or telephone book in whatever town you're in to find coupons to businesses.
And I'm with Misha. Use the accent. I took classes in college from a British professor who smoked a pipe and had the most wonderful accent. I practically floated to class each day just to listen to him speak. Thank God he actually taught classes in my field of study.
Most chicks love the accent. It could get you places. 
Ditto on Spooky's offer if you make it down Atlanta way...though with my space I could probably only offer a floor and I don't cook but I can order mean take-out...
A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. Do you think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a fuckin' cross? It's kind of like going up to Jackie Onassis with a rifle pendant on.
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Misha
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SF,
My roommate says it's a go if you come to Los Angeles area. We are about 10 miles from downtown, so you won't be walkin.
Warning, we have four cats, two dogs and toads and fish, so if you're allergic, we may not be the place....
Oh, yeah, roommate warns upper US is frozen right now. So, unless you like it 16 degrees stay away from North Dakota.
My roommate says it's a go if you come to Los Angeles area. We are about 10 miles from downtown, so you won't be walkin.
Warning, we have four cats, two dogs and toads and fish, so if you're allergic, we may not be the place....
Oh, yeah, roommate warns upper US is frozen right now. So, unless you like it 16 degrees stay away from North Dakota.
Where are the strong?
Who are the trusted?
Who are the trusted?
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DrSpooky
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A couple of warnings about Greyhound buses.
I have looked a few times over the past few years at a ride between Huntsville Alabama and Chattanooga Tennessee. Chattanooga is about 125 miles east of Huntsville and the drive time is about 2 hours. If you pick the bus to leave at one time, it is a direct trip and takes about 2 hours. If you take another time, that same trip can take you from 10 to 14 hours taking you as much as 200 miles further west of Huntsville. So be VERY careful when you look at routes.
Also be careful when you get off the bus. In the cities I know where the bus station is, it is not in the best part of town. And from other posts, that seems to be true in other parts of the States as well.
And never, ever buy anything from someone in a bus station. In the best case, it will work but be stolen. In other cases, it could be illegal or an old fashioned scam. In Nashville years ago, they caught someone selling empty TV boxes with bricks in them to feel heavy enough.
I have heard other travel tips about plan on shipping things home that are valuable when you buy them.
I have looked a few times over the past few years at a ride between Huntsville Alabama and Chattanooga Tennessee. Chattanooga is about 125 miles east of Huntsville and the drive time is about 2 hours. If you pick the bus to leave at one time, it is a direct trip and takes about 2 hours. If you take another time, that same trip can take you from 10 to 14 hours taking you as much as 200 miles further west of Huntsville. So be VERY careful when you look at routes.
Also be careful when you get off the bus. In the cities I know where the bus station is, it is not in the best part of town. And from other posts, that seems to be true in other parts of the States as well.
And never, ever buy anything from someone in a bus station. In the best case, it will work but be stolen. In other cases, it could be illegal or an old fashioned scam. In Nashville years ago, they caught someone selling empty TV boxes with bricks in them to feel heavy enough.
I have heard other travel tips about plan on shipping things home that are valuable when you buy them.
Just here to back up the warnings on the bus stations -- though I'm sure they vary greatly from city to city.
L.A.'s bus station has recently been moved and rebuilt (last time I was at our old bus station...well, let's just say that they elevators smelled worse than some of the nastiest bathrooms I've been). However, I believe it is still in one of our very worst neighborhoods -- though actually near some cool stuff, if you're they're during the day.
Also, if you come to L.A. be VERY aware that everything here is very far from everything else. For example, the beach is about eight miles from Hollywood. Hollywood is about 40 miles from Disneyland. Universal
City is about an hour's drive from the beach (though it is close to Hollywood -- close by L.A. standards, which means it's a quick freeway jaunt). Our public transporation is godawful, though it is improving a little. East L.A. is -- both geographically and in most other ways -- very, very far from West L.A. It's the one place you might actually consider renting a car. Downtown is far from everything and mostly just a business district where "no one" goes except when they're working (except for the aforementioned "cool places").
There is, however, a hostel on Hollywood Blvd. The blvd isn't quite a mecca -- in fact, it's barely worth visiting, but it's close to a central location as you're going to get out here! And it's not nearly as dangerous as it used to be (there's a slow Disneyification process happening a la Times Square, but less successful).
If you do come, I unfortunately barely have room for myself in my current miniature residence -- but I'm big with the L.A. info (just ask Mike Boom!)...
L.A.'s bus station has recently been moved and rebuilt (last time I was at our old bus station...well, let's just say that they elevators smelled worse than some of the nastiest bathrooms I've been). However, I believe it is still in one of our very worst neighborhoods -- though actually near some cool stuff, if you're they're during the day.
Also, if you come to L.A. be VERY aware that everything here is very far from everything else. For example, the beach is about eight miles from Hollywood. Hollywood is about 40 miles from Disneyland. Universal
City is about an hour's drive from the beach (though it is close to Hollywood -- close by L.A. standards, which means it's a quick freeway jaunt). Our public transporation is godawful, though it is improving a little. East L.A. is -- both geographically and in most other ways -- very, very far from West L.A. It's the one place you might actually consider renting a car. Downtown is far from everything and mostly just a business district where "no one" goes except when they're working (except for the aforementioned "cool places").
There is, however, a hostel on Hollywood Blvd. The blvd isn't quite a mecca -- in fact, it's barely worth visiting, but it's close to a central location as you're going to get out here! And it's not nearly as dangerous as it used to be (there's a slow Disneyification process happening a la Times Square, but less successful).
If you do come, I unfortunately barely have room for myself in my current miniature residence -- but I'm big with the L.A. info (just ask Mike Boom!)...
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
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mood swung
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Smallfaces1
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e
we fly to new york on march 15th. YAY
"Do you remember rick astley? he had a big fat hit it was ghastly, he said i'm never gonna give you up or let you down, well i'm here to tell you that dick's a clown"
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selfmademug
SF-- great trip!
There are actually some very nice buses, but I'm not sure what routes they tend to be on. The bus from NY to Boston tends to be nice cause it competes with Amtrak and flying-- the seats are comfy, and they often show movies!!
I think reading the schedule carefully as Dr. Spooky and others have advised is key. Try to arrive in the morning if that's an option, and make sure you know how you'll get from bus to hostel or what have you, cause if you're gonna get into a dicey situation, that's where it's likely to happen.
And absolutely you should rely on the kindness of all us semi-strangers, me included.
Bon Voyage!!
There are actually some very nice buses, but I'm not sure what routes they tend to be on. The bus from NY to Boston tends to be nice cause it competes with Amtrak and flying-- the seats are comfy, and they often show movies!!
I think reading the schedule carefully as Dr. Spooky and others have advised is key. Try to arrive in the morning if that's an option, and make sure you know how you'll get from bus to hostel or what have you, cause if you're gonna get into a dicey situation, that's where it's likely to happen.
And absolutely you should rely on the kindness of all us semi-strangers, me included.
Bon Voyage!!