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Greyhound vs Amtrak: Budget Travel Across the US as a Student

Started by AlexCrossCountry · 4 mars 2025 · 6 replies · 📖 Read as Guide
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AlexCrossCountry
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Joined: Jun 2020 Posts: 343
4 mars 2025 #1
Just finished a 3-week Amtrak/Greyhound trip across the US on a student budget and have strong opinions about all of it. The Amtrak long-distance delays are REAL (6 hours on the California Zephyr) but the scenery is unreal. Full breakdown with actual prices I paid in the article.

Pour aller plus loin, découvrez destinations dog-friendly en France.

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SophieNYC
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Joined: Feb 2020Posts: 65
March 06, 2025#2
The Northeast Corridor Amtrak Regional is genuinely great. Clean, on time, WiFi works, and if you catch a Saver fare it's barely more than the bus. Cannot say the same for anywhere outside the NEC.
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JoshRoadwise
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Joined: Jun 2024Posts: 53
March 08, 2025#3
Flixbus from LA to SF was $22 for me last month. Comfortable, new bus, WiFi worked the whole way. Hard to argue with that for a 7-hour trip.
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TaylorBudgetUS
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Joined: Sep 2021Posts: 112
March 10, 2025#4
The Wanderu tip is gold. Found a route combination that saved me $35 vs booking directly. Always check aggregators first before going direct.
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NinaInterrail
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Joined: Feb 2020Posts: 157
March 12, 2025#5
Coming from Europe where trains actually run on time, the Amtrak long-distance delays were a genuine culture shock. 9 hours late into New Orleans. But the observation car on the Sunset Limited made up for a lot of it.
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MikeChicago
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Joined: Jan 2019Posts: 72
March 15, 2025#6
One thing not mentioned: Greyhound bus stations in some cities are genuinely sketchy. The Chicago station especially late at night. Worth mentioning to anyone unfamiliar with the US.
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AlexCrossCountry
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Joined: Jun 2024Posts: 105
March 17, 2025#7
Valid point Mike — added a note about staying aware in bus stations. The Chicago and LA stations particularly. Normal urban awareness but worth flagging for international students who may not expect it.
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