Greyhound Bus Lines

Usually I opt for Amtrak when I visit friends in Washington DC, but on a whim I decided to try the bus on my last trip, and am so glad I did. I purchased a round trip ticket on Bolt bus for $ 20 three weeks before my travel date. Boarding at Newark Penn Station I discovered the Greyhound/​Bolt bus waiting room (which I didn’t even know existed — entrance is by the McDonalds) fairly easily. There were employees there for Greyhound, but they can also answer questions for Bolt passengers because both companies are owned by Greyhound. In fact, my bus going down to DC was a Greyhound bus with a Bolt sign in the window. The greyhound bus had seatbelts at each seat (who knew?), cup holders, and working power outlets at each seat. My 8 AM bus was not crowded, I didn’t have to sit next to anyone, and we reached DC on time, at about 12:30 PM.
For the return I had an actual Bolt Bus, This bus did not have seat belts, and the power outlets did not work, but on the plus side the seat was a little bit more roomy and comfortable. My return bus departed around 5:30 PM and arrived Newark 11 PM. Both buses made one stop in Baltimore, and my return bus made a stop at a rest stop on the NJ Turnpike.
Over all, the bus is slightly more inconvenient than Amtrak, but the costs savings are impressive. A normal Amtrak roundtrip ticket is $ 160-​$ 200 on the NE Regional and takes 3.5 hours. Bolt Bus cost me $ 20 and took an extra hour and a half each way. That’s a pretty good deal. Next time I go to DC I may splurge and get a $ 35 ticket on Greyhound to have seatbelts.

Let’s face it, the reputation of this company couldn’t get any lower so when I was told the antique item I purchased on eBay was being shipped by Greyhound my expectations were in check, as in low, even still I can say I was surprised out how much lower I should actually take down my expectations. Its hard to actually put your expectation in the number scale into the negatives. So like the rating here on Unilocal is 0 to 5 stars… they never considered a company like Greyhound, we need to go down at least to a negative 2. The 2 is the two times I called Greyhound giving them my name to check on my package being told they had no record, the negative of course is that they were charging me 5 dollars a day for storage while denying possession of my item. I now owe Greyhound $ 20 because my package was shipped by an inept shipper I engaged b eBay who with their equally negative intellect felt that Greyhound (as in cheap) would be the best option for shipping my purchase. I would pay Greyhound 100 times my storage fee to shut down their lame shipping business all together. The CEO of this company should be fired.

It’s crazy that Greyhound and Boltbus are owned by the same company. I bought a ticket for my relative from Nwk to Charlotte. I booked it online but when I tried to change the date, I was told that I would have to take the ticket to the greyhound office to change the date (plus it’s an extra 20 $!). You have to pay in cash, no cards allowed. I just think it’s crazy that I can buy a ticket online, receive my confirmation in an email, but have to go all the way down to the office to change the date. It’s just so inconvenient, especially considering Boltbus allows you to make changes over the phone (and only charges $ 4!).

Greyhound Newark Penn to Boston: Oct 13, 2014 — Horrible experience with the Operator. Newark to NYC, and then from NYC to Boston (Bus No. 86 054 departure from Newark at 3.50 pm). The company must know who is this driver (Ms. Demus, who drove from Philadelphia to New York on this day). Do NOT take Greyhound please! Employees of the kind I met today, must not be employed, and must be reprimanded for their total lack of professionalism (politely said, their rude and arrogant behavior).
Hi Alex P. (The Grey Hound Manager listed at the end of these reviews)!, Get this message to your decision-​makers, and have this driver removed from operating the bus. I see no good reviews for Newark stop. I wonder who is really reading this to make improvements to the service.
I dropped off my college senior with a confirmed seat and a ticket in her hand. I saw the driver not letting her on the Bus. I asked for the reason– the Female African-​American driver (why I mentioned the race and gender? Perhaps to identify the driver further, if the name given to me by the ticket agent at the Newark window, is inaccurate, and therefore I do not wish to discredit any other person named Ms. Demus associated with Greyhound, just in case) gave me a reason that my daughter had an attitude. Whereas I saw my daughter crying, because this woman held the door by her feet, and would not let her on the bus, even though she was there along with other passengers, and her luggage was already loaded by the Greyhound staff. This driver went back to the ticket counter, had her luggage taken off the bus by the staff, and did not listen to me at all. Two NJ transit cops seeing this whole incident tried to stop her, and yet she shut the door and took off. Now, I was stuck there with no other option but to get my daughter to NYC somehow, because this bus makes a stop in NYC, on its way to Boston. The cops took information from us, being very helpful in trying to get the matter resolved. However, with this experience, I will not suggest anyone taking Greyhound, at least not from Newark-​NYC area from where a large college bound passengers travel. With whole lotta stress of traveling by Bus/​public transit, and the no-​fun ride on a busy I-​95 corridor, the last thing you want traveling back-​and-​forth from home to your University, is to get mistreated by someone who is illiterate (and have no desire to be some body, anytime in his/​her life), and does not empathize with you, the passenger/​customer, who should be their first priority. The cops were astonished to observe her behavior as well, as they watched the incidence and yet could not stop her to at least speak with her for what went in her head. They did their fact finding themselves with the ticket agent, and came back with nothing against me nor my daughter, and simply left watching the whole episode. What I learned from this incidence though, according to the NJ Transit cops, a driver can refuse to let any passenger on the bus (no questions asked). I do not know how true it is… It seems to be the case, as this woman was so confident and adamant about her decision. She totally ignored my calm demeanor, when I tried to request and reason with her explaining that she has her confirmed seat, and the ticket in her hand, plus the rush to catch the bus may have presented an anxiety to get on the bus, so as not to miss it. If it took her a few seconds extra to get her photo ID, there was no reason for the driver to be impatient or rude. The whole incident took a good 7 – 8 minutes. I was terribly disappointed seeing that my kid has used Greyhound for almost 4 years, but never had met a driver like this one. If you have similar experience (s), do not let it go. You are the customer, and if you follow the rules, no one should have the right to jerk you around. You know the power of you, and the social media such as Unilocal,Trip Advisor sites to get the message out.
I am in the process to collect more data, and file a formal complaint, as this incidence is also been reported to the NJ transit Police. If anyone reading this also witnessed the episode, please comment, and if anyone made a photo/​video, feel free to share. This driver must not get away with her actions.

Every time I or a family member take a Greyhound bus something always goes wrong. Today the air-​conditioning broke on the bus in route from South Jersey to Newark. Yet again. They need to make this a free bus for all the inconveniences to its patrons.

Purchased a round trip ticket from Newark to Binghamton NY which was about $ 60 roundtrip in a day. The bus broke down about 10 minutes outside of Newark due to engine failure. The busses are not maintained sufficiently for their mileage, and I wonder if/​when they last checked the oil? The driver would not even let us leave or return to Newark, hence I was given the option to either disembark all the way at Scranton in order to turn around, or go the long way up to Binghamton for an appointment that I had already completely missed, just in order to catch my prepaid roundtrip home. Even though we were 3 hours late when the replacement bus arrived, we still maintained our rest stop and local service schedule instead of becoming an express. Some of our passengers were going all the way to Toronto which would have been quite a trying ordeal for them.
To recap, my trip was supposed to get into Binghamton at 11AM and I was to leave at 4PM. Instead of a 5 hour lunch and appointment in town I was treated to a less than 2 hour excursion which was just about long enough for me to wave hi and goodbye to my friend and then leave. I still went because what other option did I have? If I tried to stay up in NY for a later bus, I would be making my long day unnecessarily worse, and risk being held up again on my way home.
I sent a letter to customer service and they gave me a 50% credit however it was for future bus credit, not a cash refund. I think they should have given me 100% back since the trip was a complete waste of my time but Greyhound’s policy is to not give refunds for any reason — they are never at fault because your travel is at your own inconvenience. They don’t guarantee anything about the time you will get there. I am not even sure if they would have guaranteed that my bus would have made it to NY in time for my return trip, then!
During the Hurricane Irene event I was forced to return to this Greyhound station because no trains ran through NJ for several days as the high floodwaters were still receding. My bus was very late arriving at Newark to pick me up due to traffic in the NY tunnels being greater than usual. Customer service provided somewhat sufficient information about the delay, but due to Greyhound’s reputation I kept worrying that my bus would never come, and the agents seemed less concerned than I was about what was probably just another routine delay. They arrived about 75 minutes late due to traffic delays.
The curb that all the busses use to pull over to pick up passengers is on a very crowded street. Trucks and transit police vehicles were further blocking access to the area which was already very limited. This further disrupted the busses from staying on schedule.
Greyhound’s subsidiary
now uses Newark Station which is a HUGE +1 star positive because their prices are discounted and their busses are cleaner and more reliable. However, I am still very wary to select the «greyhound express» option from the origin/​destination screen of
because we all know there is nothing fast about a greyhound bus. Their «express» prices tend to run a little higher and their online schedule is confusing and much less customer friendly when booking than regular greyhound. (You get fewer options to choose from, which make the same stops, and cost a few dollars extra.)

Ive booked with Greyhound twice, and it’s a nightmare!
All customer service on the phone are Indian, which I hate.
I called because my credit cards (pleural!) were being declined. every time this happens, you have to fill out half of your information again.
I called two numbers, and was told that i couldnt book because the web fares werent valid and I had to choose the advanced fare and not the web fare. I told him i chose my 10% off fare (with advanced fare), and he said the same thing. they hadnt updated the system.
then i tried again without the 10% and with the advnaced fare, and it still didnt work.
wow. great. I cant even book my ticket.
they dont have a customer service link so you can complain. I WONDER WHY!
and dont get me started on the chaos and confusion that ensues at the bus station.
hey, why not label things with departure times and places?
boo to greyhound. boo!!!

Holy idiots batman! It is a shame that such a large company like greyhound can employee people with such low IQ’s. Not all Greyhound stations are bad, but Newark is probably the worst I have ever dealt with.
If you don’t believe me try giving them a call. I’ve called 3 times this morning and each time been put on hold for 40 minutes! Still haven’t gotten through.

Actual greyhound dogs must cower in shame when they see their bus counterparts sucking at life.
It took me about 12 hours to get from Newark to Boston and that’s not right. I think it’s great that people can jump onto another bus if they miss one. but that totally messes up counts. Also, they definitely informed us that a bus had been canceled when it was actually sitting outside. Needless to say it left without me. Then another bus broke down. Blahh diddly blay. a 5 hour trip turned into a 11 hour night ta tha mare.
I must admit. I do enjoy the convos. My favorite «overheard in Newark» moment: «I don’t care if she’s dead. tell her to get to the bus station right now!»
UPDATE: I found an actual log of mine! lol
8 AM — Go to the Newark Penn Station (Bus). ask the guy when my bus leaves. he says 9:25. At 8:40 :Loudspeaker: bus leaving for NYC: end of announcement: SIR! Was that our bus? No? Our bus is at 9:25? Just checking…
9:25 AM — Wait. so I missed the 8:40? You told me. but where’s the. what? You didn’t mean to say 9:25. the next bus is at 10:30. uh okay…
10:30 AM — Sir. where’s the 10:30? What do you mean you didn’t mean 10:30? THE NEXT BUS IS WHEN? 10:55? ** grin through teeth ** FINE.
10:55 AM — UM SIR? Where’s the 10:55? It BROKE DOWN? When’s the next bus? 11:30. um. okay. Aside ~ no dad. I don’t wanna drive to NYC.
11:00 AM — I see a bus. but the bus driver says it’s for special people. I’m not sure if he meant special needs or VIP. so I don’t get on. wait till 11:30 AM
11:30 AM — A bus comes. Doesn’t load until 11:45. Only has 13 spots. I run onto the bus without my luggage instead of waiting with my luggage like everyone else. When the bus is full I tell the guy that they forgot to load my bag. being mischievous was the ONLY way to get on. me sorry.
12:15 PM — Missed the connecting bus.
1:15 PM — Got on the 3^rd bus leaving for Boston
7 PM — FINALLY Get home