My wife and I are travelling the length and breadth of the Statest this July/August.

We are heading up the west coast, across the north, down the east coast and back round to LA.

We are considering buying one of these special passes for unlimited travel on the train and bus. We are undecided which to go for...I hear that the train is good, but has limited stops and is expensive.

Obviously the coaches are cheaper, but slower and aren't as nice.

What would people recommend? Train or bus?

Thanks

I did something similar in 1995, and for part of the trip I used an Amtrak rail pass. It was great value - the cost of a single train ticket for one of the long trips I did (New Orleans to Los Angeles) was more than the total cost of the pass ! I have also used long-distance buses in the USA and they are terrible. An overnight trip on a Greyhound bus is a bad experience. Bus stations in cities are also often located in unsavoury areas.

Long distance trains in the USA are large and very comfortable ; the coach seats recline almost all the way back. They have lounge cars with observations windows, dining cars and video movies. Tickets are more expensive than the bus, but if you get a rail pass (which comes in 15-day, 30-day or 45-day versions) it works out much cheaper. You can get a rail pass at almost any Amtrak station. Once you have a pass you do not pay extra for reserving a seat as you do in Europe - you just buy a ticket at a station and show the pass instead of paying. However, you have to have a non-USA passport to get a rail pass.

So I would recommend the train. For more info, check out Amtrak's web site : http://www.amtrak.com.

Hey there,

I traveled across the U.S. this summer on a rail pass and it was a wonderful experience. Considering that you will be moving great distances, you will most likely enjoy the train much more. The stops are limited, but you didn't mention where it is that you would like to go. The trains go to all of the major cities.... consider budgeting for small bus trips to less-easily reached areas if you have ideas about out of the way places you want to visit.

Also, note that Amtrak, in some cases, offers a free bus service to certain places... for example, this summer I took a train ride from San Fran to Denver Colorado. I wanted to visit a friend in Boulder, Co. Amtrak put me on a bus for free from the Denver train station to a random street corner in Boulder. On the other hand, when I wanted to get from Louisville Kentucky to Washington D.C., that was a little tricky, the trains only ran once in a while. I just bought a one-way greyhound ticket.

The atmosphere on long-distance train rides is extremely friendly after the first 6-10 hrs. It is unique to itself, definitely not replicated on american buses.

Feel free to e-mail me more specific questions about the trains... bluets32@yahoo.com

enjoy!
zap

Not to start a bus vs. train war ;-) but I have some good things to say about the Greyhound. I went to New York two years ago and then San Francisco last year (both by Greyhound). My sisters have also taken the greyhound many times and we havn't really found a problem w/ scedules or the bus being late (once a bus was full so I had to go 4 hours out of my way on another bus but I got to see allot of great scenery so I was a-ok w/ it)

Though I am sure the train is much more comfortable, I don't mind the bus (I guess my 6-person, long-legged family's treks across the country in a tiny car got me prepared for it) I find all you need is a good sense of humor, a seat that isn't in the back, the smarts to get out and stretch when everyone else smokes, a walkman, a journal, and an anti-acid of choice and you'll be more than fine.

I am going out to San Francisco again this year and working my way up the coast to Seattle and was asking the same question (bus or train). And while the basic route I wanted to take would cost the same on both, Amtrak takes me right through the middle of Oregon (w/ one stop at best), while on the Greyhound I can get off at hundreds of towns on the coast (and the bus goes through any given town allot more than Amtrak)

If you were to buy a Greyhound Discovery Pass, It would cost one person $439.00 (for a 45 day pass), $549.00 (for a 60 day pass).

I don't know how this would work if you want to go allot of places but when my sister and I went to SF we got a Companion Fare (2 for 1), so we got from Iowa to SF and back for just 80 bucks each.

http://www.greyhound.com

Sorry for the long message, hope this helps

The trains are fantastic - see www.seat61.com/Trans-Atlantic.htm for some info, a route map, and photos.

The idea of three days on a bus sends shivers down my spine..!

The Man in Seat Sixty-One...

We've traveled around the United States for 3 months by greyhound. It isn't as bad as a lot of people will tell you, but it's true that traveling by train is more luxurious. The big advantage of traveling by greyhound is that it's cheap and that the bus stops at almost every little village.

We've made a website about traveling around the States by bus. With plenty of information about the fares, advantages and disadvantages.

Usa by bus

good luck and have a great time