Anyone here taken a Greyhound bus from Vancouver to Seattle?
Replies: 21 - Last Post: Feb 16, 2013 9:48 AM Last Post By: hami01
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Anyone here taken a Greyhound bus from Vancouver to Seattle?
I'm trying to find a cheap bus fare for April 2nd from Vancouver to Seattle. So I went to Greyhound's website and I was a bit blown away by the prices that I saw.It's $14 for an advance purchase, $17 for web-only fare, and $15 for a standard fare. What are the differences between these fares? I can't seem to find the difference on Greyhound's website so I called them today.
Unfortunately Greyhound's call center is outsourced to some company in Colombia in South America. I can barely understand the person on the other side of the line. What I did understood was that it's $31 for a fare if I were to book over the phone. So it does seem like it's a no-brainer to book online, but the problem is that Greyhound's website isn't secure. It doesn't have a valid security certificate so both Internet Explorer and Google Chrome are warning me not to put in any sensitive information.
So what should I do guys? Is Greyhound's website even reliable? I'm also afraid that the ticket that I book will somehow be invalid on the date of travel. It does seem a bit too good to be true. Have anyone here taken the bus from Vancouver to Seattle with Greyhound? It is much cheaper than Quickshuttle so that's why I'm thinking of taking Greyhound. Where do I take the bus in Vancouver and where will it drop me off in Seattle?
Thanks for the help in advance guys!
2
Looks like they're running some fare sales for advanced purchase. And the cheap standard fare for the 7 PM departure is because you're getting into Seattle at 11 PM.Where are you now? Your profile is blank, so not helpful. If you're not willing to enter cc info, you may be able to use their featured pay cash at Seven Eleven option.
The site has the location addresses for each stop / station. Here is the link to the Washington station list, from which you may select Seattle.
http://www.greyhound.com/en/locations/locations.aspx?state=wa
And here's the link for British Columbia staion list, with many options for Vancouver
http://www.greyhound.ca/en/locations/locations.aspx?state=bc&name=British%20Columbia
3
Not sure if you mean Vancouver, Washington or Vancouver BC. In either case, the AMTRAK train serves both, but it costs about $45 one way from Vancouver Washington to Seattle and about $40 Vancouver BC to Seattle.5
Exactly Bob, We get folks here all the time who just say Washington or Rochester or Vancouver and don't realize there are more than one of each of those destinations.Can't really help if we don't know which one you're referring to.
6
Hey there! Greyhound is legit. I've bought several tickets online. It's so cheap because they have to compete with the train route, which others here have explained is far more convenient, comfortable, interesting... I've done both. If you're tight on cash, putting up with Greyhound weirdos, poor scenery, constant stops, and frequent boredom isn't so bad. If you have an extra $30, it's well worth it to take the train.I didn't go to their website explanations for fare categories, but from what I remember, "advanced" = 14 days. If you selected it, and tried to book, it would say you were too late.
Good luck with your trip!
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I know laketraveller, and then there's Vancouver Island to add to the mix, but Vancouver BC (the city) isn't on Vancouver Island.The road sign on highway 14 outside of Vancouver, Washington says, "Vancouver USA" obviously to clarify which Vancouver you are entering.
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Only one of those Amtrak trains between Seattle and Vancouver, BC is a train. The others are buses which are no different from the buses that Greyhound uses. And in Seattle, the Greyhound is more centrally located than Amtrak.It's been a few years since I've travelled between the two cities but I assume the process is the same. Drive to the truck/bus border crossing (hopefully the , stop for 20 minutes at duty free, have everyone go through immigration/custorms, drive on.
I bought a ticket on the Greyhound website a few months back. Seemed secure to me. And legit, whatever that means. Tickets are typically only valid for the date/bus purchased. And arrive ahead of time as it's first come, first on the bus.
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Wonder how OP knows it was Colombia. Is that country now stealing jobs from India?Visa and Mastercard today reported a possible security breach putting customer info at risk, so the supposed problems of Greyhound's Web site may pale in comparison. I guess the solution for OP is to pay on the spot, or at least after arriving in the country (eg., at a Greyhound depot).
12
Wonder how OP knows it was Colombia. Is that country now stealing jobs from India?In fact that is exactly how global capitalism works. Investment goes where labour is cheapest ... Chinese and Indian workers get a but uppity? Head off to Vietnam or Columbia where you can pay 50c a day less. But Columbia makes sense for Greyhound ... presumably a fair slice of their client demographic speaks Spanish.
I thought it was very funny the OP asked if the Greyhound website was legit - they are an enormous company. "Relax man" - if these things bother you, open a PayPal account and keep only a few hundred dollars in it, and use a password completely different from your bank ones. But they shouldn't bother you really - as soon as you use the Internet, the forces of darkness know all about you.
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#8: there are now two Amtrak trains per day in each direction between Vancouver & Seattle.See the schedule in the link below:
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Route_C&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241245667297
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Yes, it seems the Cascades runs twice a day. I would still pick a bus (Amtrak/Greyhound) over a train since there are fewer chances of a delay. Yes, you could run into traffic but at least the bus starts/ends in Seattle/Vancouver not somewhere else.I find it interesting that the Amtrak website reminds you that you're crossing the border and will need to provide info. Nothing was said by Greyhound.
