USA Tour will start in Boston (Lone Traveller)

Hi all,

I鈥檓 20 Years old and live in Yorkshire England. I am currently in the process of

Planning a coast to coast USA Trip. My journey will last from April 29th to

May 20th and will take me from London to Boston then to New York,

Washington D.C., Orlando, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles,

San Francisco, Seattle back to London. Various nights in each place.

I have got a 21-day Greyhound coach Pass; ive heard this might not be

the best option but for me its the cheapest. Just after some advice if anyone

has done anything similar or even a long haul coach trip in America. Any

safety tips? and am I wise in doing this. Even though 80% is booked still

can%26#39;t help feel nervous!

P.s. I have hotels booked in every city. so just have to get there on time!

Thank you.

USA Tour will start in Boston (Lone Traveller)

Hi lukey01,

What a trip that will be for you! I just wish you were traveling with some one else, that%26#39;s the only thing about it that makes me a little leary lukey01! It%26#39;s just that the world we live in now is WAY too creepy, you know what I mean? Don%26#39;t get too friendly and too talkative with strangers and if they are way too friendly? Get up and move away from them and sit near the bus driver! If the bus driver is way too weird? Get up and move away from him/her to the middle of the bus and talk on your cell phone a LOT!

Make sure you program in the State Police #%26#39;s for every single State you%26#39;re going to be in! Go online right this minute and get that information before you leave. This is one time when you need to make sure you have your cell phone with you at all times! Do you hear me! I%26#39;m not kidding you either. This world and our society we live in now is WAY too weird! Do NOT trust any one on this trip you%26#39;re taking.

I have two friends that did this exact trip by bus back when we were all in our 20%26#39;s and they had the best time of their lives. It was a little different world back then though. They came home with stories that we heard in to the night for days! It%26#39;ll certainly be a trip that you%26#39;ll never ever forget, that%26#39;s for sure. One thing with my friends though? To this day? They won%26#39;t get on a bus, they absolutely refuse! The only reason they won%26#39;t travel by bus any more is because back in the 70%26#39;s the buses weren%26#39;t as comfortable as they are now, at least now you can recline the seats and you have a little leg room in some of them, more than others!

Enjoy your trip and have a great time! Take a lot of pictures and remember, I%26#39;m serious when I say these things you know about using your cell phone a LOT! I might sound like a nut to you, I%26#39;m NOT I%26#39;m an AUNT with nieces and nephews your age! One thing you have to have is street smarts if you%26#39;re going to take a trip like this around the USA, especially in this day and age! You know I even think you should probably pack a can of mace and have it handy at all times! Look for it and pack one and make sure you can get it in a second! I%26#39;m serious and be careful when you fall asleep on those buses, make sure you know where your backpack is all the time! You should probably just pack very light so you won%26#39;t have to worry about a lot of things in case you have to rush away from any thing OR any one!

These are some important things you need to consider if you%26#39;re going to travel this way across the USA. Check back here before you go from time to time may be you%26#39;ll see more safety tips here to think about!

Enjoy yourself just the same, you%26#39;re certainly going to be in some fantatic States! It%26#39;ll be a trip that you%26#39;ll never ever forget!

Make sure you let us know how your adventurous trip was when you get back!

NOMO01

USA Tour will start in Boston (Lone Traveller)

I%26#39;ve done several long-haul bus (and train and road) trips... most when I was alone and in my 20s. I always had a ball! I never had any of the problems that keep people from taking buses, though sometimes the neighborhoods where the bus terminals are located can get a little dodgy in some cities. Be prepared to take an occasional taxi... some of your destinations are sprawling cities where terminals might not be close to your hotel, and public transportation may be less efficient than you might be used to. If you tell your Greyhound driver where you%26#39;re staying, they%26#39;ll sometimes make a ';courtesy'; stop to drop you closer to your hotel than the terminal is. I think it%26#39;s ';against the rules';, but drivers have saved me HOURS of unnecessary transit times by dropping me off at unauthorized stops on the route. It%26#39;s worth at least asking the driver if the terminal is within walking distance of your hotel as you approach your destination.

ATM machines are EVERYWHERE, so you won%26#39;t have to carry much cash. In the larger cities, even cabs take debit or credit cards.

I do agree that a cell phone is a ';must have';. If you don%26#39;t have one, you can get a ';pay as you go'; phone quite cheap at many convenience, drug or grocery stores. Personally, I might put ';911'; on speed-dial, but the idea of pre-programming the phone number of every state%26#39;s police department made me chuckle... and carrying mace without a permit is illegal in many places. That was about the worst suggestion I%26#39;ve ever seen in this forum!

As it gets closer to your trip, keep posting questions!

Hi Lukey01 again,

Go to this site...

homesecuritystore.com/pepper_spray_mace.html

It IS a good idea to have mace/pepper spray

for this adventure you%26#39;re undertaking AND

this is NOT the worst suggestion on this site. End of discussion.

Not only is Mace illegal or requires a permit in many jurisdictions, it is banned from airports and most public/government buildings. (As it is in your own country) You%26#39;ve got plenty of time to check out the legal and practical implications before your trip.

This website is extremely good to read before you go, it%26#39;s good to know and read about the statistics of crime that%26#39;s going on across the country and also why you need to be aware no matter who doesn%26#39;t agree with this situation now in our society.

http://mystunguns.com/peppersprays.html

What an exciting trip. I hope you enjoy it! I%26#39;d suggest getting a good map of each city you will be visiting, and put in some planning time so you know what you want to see, and what areas you want to avoid (i.e. bad neighborhoods).

In many states you do need a permit to carry mace. Personal decision. For safety I like a portable marine horn - earsplitting sound that will chase off most of the baddies. Most muggers are lazy and opportunistic. In other words, they don%26#39;t want to have to work too hard for a chance at your money and/or person - so stay alert and aware! (I%26#39;m also a mom and an auntie with kids your age).

You should definitely know how to get a hold of the authorities in whatever area you are traveling. 911 works almost everywhere, but still has not come to some small, rural areas. I think you can dial *SP for the State Police in many areas - any know if this system works?

Good point made about the location of bus terminals, especially in larger cities. Boston may be the exception here. South Station is well lit and well set up, very convenient downtown location.

Travel safely!