need advice on long distance bus travel!!

[NeonLight]

All good advice. :thumbup:

I am also wondering if I am maybe better off driving? Having a car over there does give a lot of flexibility. However, it's a 97 Civic with 165k on it. Safe to attempt? Would a rental car be astronomically expensive given the mileage?

P.S. I am thinking about swinging by Minnesota on the way back (not kidding).

Thanks.

I'd definitely take the 12 year old Civic vs the bus unless you know there is something wrong with it bad enough for it to not likely make the trip. I've done a lot of long distance driving, and love to drive. Much more freedom vs taking the bus, and much much more enjoyable. I usually take a lot of books on tape/cd along to keep my mind from wandering and getting fatigued.

The farthest my wife and I drove in one shot was 2200 miles in 32 hours from western MT to eastern PA. I've done 14-16 hour trips just driving myself several times without any issues. Just know what your limits are, and pick out a few lower priced motels along the way in case you need to stop. Don't overdo it on caffeine while driving, stopping every hour to relieve yourself can really add a lot of time to a long road trip. I could usually make it 4-5 hours and just take a bathroom break when I stopped for gas.

 

[Bob W]

Walking is faster and more comfortable than Greyhound...

Look at it this way, if you car blows up halfway to Tennessee, it was well worth it to skip that much of the bus ride.

Can you take the train?

I traveled around a fair chunk of America on Amtrak once and had a great time.

Unfortunately the trains in the United States are not conveniently placed. If it happens to go from where you are to where you want to be, Amtrak is fantastic. But randomly picking geographical locations A and B, the odds are astronomically against Amtrak servicing either location.

The main problem, everything hubs out of Chicago. You can take the train from Arizona to Chicago, and then either take a train south to Tennessee or north to Minnesota.

 

[batosai117]

I'll tell you one thing, you better be a "sharp shooter" You must master the art of peeing while rocking side to side. A good way to practice this "skill" is to try peeing drunk and not missing the toilet :foot:

In all seriousness, a fully charged iPod should get you there. They are supposed to last 18+ hours if you just listen to music.

Take some trail mix and perhaps something thicker to drink than water. I find that water runs right through you and stuff like gatoraid sits longer.

Stay safe and keep a level head, good luck with the trip, J.