Before reading any further, I don't care about your opinion on USBC, the Open, El Paso as a location for the Open, how unfair that the Open is never close to where you live, that the Open is in Reno too much, etc, etc... 

I'm going to El Paso next year in June to bowl the Open. Although I took a flight to Baton Rouge, I intended to drive to El Paso.


1137 miles, so figure 18 hours +/- of driving time. Car rental would be around $500 (I would never drive my car on such a trip), gas @ $4 a gallon would be $300 +/-. Figure if I didn't stay in a motel, my cost to drive would be around $800.


Then I read this article and it got me thinking of checking it out.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2014/07/13/greyhound-transformation-100th-anniversary/12364103/


I've done the bus travel thing in the past, but like 30 years ago. However, after checking out the details, I will probably make the trip on Greyhound to El Paso.


Ticket cost $133 round trip. Travel time would only be about 5 hours difference. No need for a motel. I would rent a car in El Paso once I got there, but it would knock at least 3 days off the rental period. You can take one bag free, plus $15 for a second bag. If you want to take more, say a four ball box, that would cost you $77.


Seems like a no brainer, the bus has WiFi, you can sleep, and would be stress free unless you got someone's smelly Uncle Fred next to you. A rental car for three days less, same car actually is a lot less expensive than where I live in Stockton, CA. That would be around $250 when considering three less days of rental. I won't need a motel on the way there, even if I get sleepy. No chance of getting caught in a speed trap either. These buss's have WiFi and many have TV.


$800+/- to drive, or $575+/- to take the bus? I think I will go Greyhound.


Anyone have recent experience taking the Greyhound Express service?

Why no need for a motel room is my question.

I remember Dan Ottman used to take a train all the time to nationals before he passed away.

Because I can sleep on the bus instead of stopping and getting a motel if I get too tired to drive. Unless of course, they need me to drive the bus.    I would expect a discount on my ticket though.

Why no need for a motel room is my question.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the OP is referring to not needing a motel for the trip to El Paso.  He's not stating that he is not getting a motel in El Paso and just planning on sleeping in the rental car.

You can spend 20 hours getting reacquainted with your Raiders jersey wearing neighbors on the bus. Let us know how that goes.

Why would you rent a car instead of driving your own?  Cars are meant to be driven.

Yea, no doubt I will cross paths with Raider fan on the trip. Lol

SWA will put you on a jet plane for $340.  4 hours of travel for 340 or 24 hours on a bus.  I don't find a rate as cheap as you did on GH, but I'll take your word for the rate you found as I don't know your actual dates.  But if you are willing to sit on a bus for 2 days to save a couple hundy I can't add anything of value to this discussion.

I hear a lot of good things about Southwest, but they aren't in any of the airports near me.  Do they still allow heavier carry on bags?  That's where a lot of airlines get you.  Reasonable fares, but either won't take 65# of bowling equipment or charge you an arm and a leg for it.  Many years ago (to Reno via Delta) I used the top part of my bag as a (checked) carry on and the bottom part of the roller as a regular checked bag.  My friend on another flight almost didn't make it because the airline threw a fit over the bowling equipment.  I've heard a lot of bad stories over the years about heavy bowling equipment and flights.  UPS and FedEx have become a lot more expensive the last few years also.

SWA will put you on a jet plane for $340.  4 hours of travel for 340 or 24 hours on a bus.  I don't find a rate as cheap as you did on GH, but I'll take your word for the rate you found as I don't know your actual dates.  But if you are willing to sit on a bus for 2 days to save a couple hundy I can't add anything of value to this discussion.

I'm not flying for sure. It's not a money issue, it's just that I have grown to truly hate flying. My experience getting to and from Baton Rouge was a nightmare. Not counting the fact that my bags got lost and didn't arrive until the day after I bowled, but just in time to take them back home with me.


I've already decided between driving and the bus, so just looking at the positives and negatives of each one. My car will make the trip just fine. But it's not a very comfortable car. It's a great commuter, but even for my San Diego trip earlier this year, I rented a larger more comfortable car.




The ticket prices came from the Greyhound site. Under the Greyhound Express tab, round trip from Stockton to LA @ $39.50 and LA to El Paso @ $94.00 leaving June 12th.