A Little Off Topic...

[ANN2626]

just wondering if anyone has taken a greyhound bus before.
i am leaving to go see my s/o for thanksgiving and its 4 hours away but my bus ride is 8 hours. i have never taken a bus, i have always flown or drove...i am getting my s/o's car so thats why im taking the bus but im a little nervous....
if anyone has taken one let me know so i know what to expect or see if its that bad...
thanks
ann

 

[E-beth]

I haven't been on one since I was about three, but my stepsister took one over the course of about 12 hours from Ohio to Maryland. She came back with lice.

I suggest taking some sort of personal listening system and some books on tape/CD and some music. And stuff to read. My mom has taken them to see my sister and she said she always puts her carry-on on the seat beside her so no one sits there unless it is absolutely necessary.

My mom has had no complaints about taking the bus. She enjoys having time to listen to books on tape while she leaves the driving to them.

 

[PurpleBunny]

just wondering if anyone has taken a greyhound bus before.
i am leaving to go see my s/o for thanksgiving and its 4 hours away but my bus ride is 8 hours. i have never taken a bus, i have always flown or drove...i am getting my s/o's car so thats why im taking the bus but im a little nervous....
if anyone has taken one let me know so i know what to expect or see if its that bad...
thanks
ann

Ooh, I am the Greyhound QUEEN... I take the bus across the Canada/US border at least once a month.

My biggest piece of advice is to pack all your things in carry-on if possible. Greyhound is pretty bad for losing luggage. Other than that, though, it's usually a pretty smooth ride (my main hassle is crossing the border, which takes forever, but I'm guessing you won't have to endure that).

I would also suggest not sitting near the bathroom at the back 'cause they have a rather unpleasant smell... every time the door is opened you get a whiff of chemical toilet.

And don't sit in the very front row--you're not allowed to unless you're over 65 or physically disabled in some way. I think they think you'll try to kill the driver. I prefer to sit about 3 rows back so I can see the road and whatnot. Oh, and if your bag fits, sit it between your feet on the floor... that way you can easily access things like books or CD players.

Bring a pillow... the window isn't a comfortable pillow at ALL. But don't have it in a white pillowcase--if it's leaning against the window it'll get kinda dirty.

That's all I can think of for now!

 

[bliz]

Some people will take a sleeping pill or some alleregy and cold medicine to make themselves drowsy so they can sleep away a good part of such a trip. Of course, you could always wake up having left a puddle of drool on a traveling companion's shoulder...

Take some tunes and a good book or two...

 

[SoulFly51]

I haven't been on one since I was about three, but my stepsister took one over the course of about 12 hours from Ohio to Maryland. She came back with lice.

 

[Maeyken]

I've had a lot of good experiences on busses. Most of the trips have just been a little over an hour though... between my parents' place and school. Definitely bring something along to read or listen to... it can get a little boring, unless you like staring out the window!

 

[Tuffguy]

They're ok. Realize what buses are. They are for people that can't afford to fly so you get exactly that group of people. I've only been on them a couple of times and alot of the people on them are scary.
One time i saw a guy carry on a huge sack of dirty potatoes and carry them on his lap for a 5 hr trip. Odd.

 

[PurpleBunny]

They're ok. Realize what buses are. They are for people that can't afford to fly so you get exactly that group of people. I've only been on them a couple of times and alot of the people on them are scary.
One time i saw a guy carry on a huge sack of dirty potatoes and carry them on his lap for a 5 hr trip. Odd.

They're also for the people who don't have a car or don't like using the highway and are travelling too short a distance to justify taking the bus.

 

[AveMaria]

The suggestions for taking books, magazines, or music are excellent - in fact, music if a great one, because headphones can help you tune out noisy children or nearby travellers who snore loudly or who won't shut up!

I'd also suggest a little bottle of instant hand sanitizer (like Purell) or several alcohol wipes - You'll be around lots of germs in an enclosed environment! On that note, a small package of kleenax.

I've never taken Greyhound, so I don't know if you're allowed to bring things like bottled water or prepackaged food with you, but I'd also suggest those. And, of course, wear something very comfortable to sit in!