Amtrak vs Greyhound

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Just wondering if anyone has any experience with these two (in the USA). In the US for a while, and without access to a car or money to pay for flights, trying to work out the best way to travel around.

I read in a Lonely Planet (I think it was) that Amtrak can be a bit unreliable at times, and of course buses tend to go to more places, however my preference is certainly for trains over buses.

The prices seem fairly similar, so in the end it comes down to the reliability of them, and comfort of travel. If anyone has any thoughts on these, would love to hear

 

Depends on where you want to go, I guess. Last Thanksgiving I went to my friend's house in New Jersey, going by Greyhound and coming back by Amtrack, and I would recommend Amtrack.
The Greyhound bus was late by an hour an 40 minutes from the start, as well as my first connecting bus. After I got to my last station, I heard that my last bus had left already because it was on time. Plus, the whole trip was really uncomfortable, since the seats were smaller than on Amtrack. Many of the stations are somewhat dirty as well.
Amtrack, on the other hand, was right on time, had a very pleasant trip, and I don't have anything to say against them. Just pack a decent lunch if your trip is going to take awhiile

 

I used Greyhound and never had any problems... except the chatterbox next to me that never shuts up. Regardless of which bus it was, or where I sat... there ALWAYS was a chatterbox sitting next to me.

 

I'd recommend Amtrak only for long distance trips...like traveling across two or more states. For in-state trips, go with Greyhound.

The commuter trains here wouldn't even be close to Europe's even if our government poured several billion dollars in to renovations and upgrades.

 

I rode a Greyhound bus from Utah to Vancouver once. NEVER AGAIN! It was uncomfortable, there were too many stops, too many small children whining, and far too many smells. I can't speak for Amtrak never having used it. However, Rotku, I'd recommend finding a friend with a car!

 

I'd go with Amtrak if it services the area you're going. I was at least reasonably comfortable on the train, as opposed to any bus I've been on.

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

Rotku, do you realize the distances we are talking about here in the US? The bus rides I know about (either I or a family member have done these):

Salt Lake City, UT to Portland, OR: 19 hours.
Los Angeles, CA to Phoenix, AZ: 9 hours.
Chicago, IL to Dallas, TX: 20 hours.
Washington DC to Chicago, IL: 40 hours.

These are the minimum times. Often, as mentioned above, the bus is delayed or there are a lot of people waiting for the next bus (it's first come, first served on the bus) and you need to wait for the next bus -- some cities have hourly service between stops, some daily. The DC to Chicago trip actually took over 60 hours with delays (but it was just after 9/11). Cross-country on a bus will take several days. And the seats are "economy" meaning they are small and poorly padded.

The train is a bit better for time and comfort, but it is nearly as expensive as flying. Check out pricing on Southwest Airlines -- often they have good prices (but are not listed on web sites such as Orbitz).

 

Yeah, T2. I know the times are huge. Have no plans in travelling right across the country in one trip though. Lots of small trips are the way to go with any sort of travel. Thanks for the suggestion about Southwest Airlines though