More Hitting the Road -- by Bus

Looking for an inexpensive way to reach your vacation destination this summer?

Travel expert Peter Greenberg says more and more people are taking a second look at buses!

Fares are remarkably low, he says, and bus companies have upgraded the interiors and services of their vehicles.

On "The Early Show" Monday, Greenberg gave some examples of how much less expensive bus travel can be as opposed to flying or taking a train. He also talked about some of the new, low-cost bus lines that have popped up in recent years, and describe the amenities now offered by buses, such as leather seats, more legroom, and free Wi-Fi.

In the U.S., he says, 774 million passengers travel by motor-coach every year, outpacing domestic commercial airlines and Amtrak COMBINED. Motor-coaches carry more passengers in two weeks than Amtrak moves in a year!

In the last quarter of 2008, intercity bus traffic increased 10 percent, while air traffic in early 2009 declined 10 percent. So clearly, more people are showing interest in bus travel.

On short trips under 400 miles, Greenberg notes, the bus is the most inexpensive way to travel. In the Northeast corridor, taking the US Air or Delta shuttle between New York City and Washington, D.C or Boston can run you more than $400 roundtrip, while bus fares average $40 each way. And in some case, bus tickets are actually being sold for $1!

Here are some price comparisons (prices are round-trip):

BOSTON-NEW YORK
MegaBus: $20
BoltBus: $30
Peter Pan: $65
Amtrak $98
JetBlue $149

MINNEAPOLIS - DES MOINES
Jefferson Bus Lines: $88
Amtrak: $300
Delta: $305

CHICAGO-MEMPHIS
Megabus $45
Delta: $288
Amtrak: $294

Granted, it will take you longer to reach your destination via bus versus flying. But for many folks, the savings might make this inconvenience worthwhile. There are about 100 intercity bus carriers nationwide that interconnect with each other, and easily another 150 that operate their own independent routes. So you really can get just about anywhere you need to go in the country on a bus!

The next big objection that travelers may have is that buses are quite simply just "ew."

"As many of us experienced in the past," Peter said, "the stereotypical bus trip involved an old, smelly vehicle, with passengers ranging from drifters to the great unwashed, with a high likelihood the passenger sitting next to you was sleeping on your shoulder, drooling ..."

Not anymore! Bus lines across the country such as Greyhound and Peter Pan are upgrading their coaches, and more and more offer amenities like power ports at each seat. Increased competition in the Northeast means passengers here have even greater access to competitive fares and nicer buses. Several companies have popped up in recent years.

Greenberg pointed to these new, low-cost lines:

Megabus, one of whose buses was on "The Early Show" plaza, serves the Northeast and the Midwest, and tends to offer the lowest prices of all. As a matter of fact, each trip offers at least one fare for $1! The earlier you book, the less you'll pay.

Boltbus is another new, popular bus line that at the moment only serves the Northeast. Each seat row has its own power port making it easy to work or watch movies on your laptop. Plus, the buses offer free WiFi. Another bonus - each seat has three more inches of legroom than a standard motorcoach because some seats have been removed.

LimoLiner - the other bus we'll have outside - is truly luxurious. You'll pay more than you would on the other lines, about $89 each way, and at this point the buses are limited to trips between NYC and Boston. But you've likely never seen a regular passenger bus like this! There are only 28 seats on each full-size bus. The seats are leather, and you can reserve specific seats in advance. Trips include pillows and blankets, super-clean bathrooms, high-speed Internet access, clear cell-phone reception, power ports at each seat, meeting tables at the rear of the vehicle, snacks and beverages, video and audio entertainment, and complimentary glass of wine on departures originating after 5:00 PM. You can think of LimoLiner as a sign of things to come it bus travel!