We recently created Bus Vs Plane, a tool for travelers where they can easily compare the costs and time associated for particular trips. Am I better off saving money by taking the bus or do I value my time more than what’s left in my wallet?
Being the curious travelers we are, we wanted to see how advantageous or disadvantageous the bus really is. We randomly selected 10 routes from 50 of the most popular trips in the United States & Canada. From there, using the BvP tool and double checking on Google Flights, we analyzed those ten routes. Here are the results.
In this micro-analysis, we also calculated the time and cost associated with taking an Uber to the station/airport and from the station/airport to the destination city’s downtown core.
Here are the routes we analyzed.
1. Los Angeles to Las Vegas
2. Portland to Seattle
3. Dallas to Houston
4. Boston to New York City
5. San Antonio to Houston
6. Los Angeles to San Francisco
7. Minneapolis to Chicago
8. Toronto to Montreal (Canada)
9. Boston to Philadelphia
10. Seattle to Vancouver
1. Los Angeles to Las Vegas
This popular route for Los Angelinos comes with its fair share of options. Las Vegas is easily accessible by car, bus and plane from LA. However, opting for the bus won’t cost you much, with the average bus ticket from Los Angeles to Las Vegas being around $41USD (with the Uber costs included) but it will take you roughly six and a half hours to complete.
Opting for a flight will cut travel time by half. The average flight lasts a bit over an hour but the wait in the airport and the time to get to and from the airport will set you back another two hours.
A flight from LA to Las Vegas is 160% more expensive than taking a bus from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
2. Portland to Seattle
The average price of a flight from Portland to Seattle is $141. The average bus ticket from Portland, Oregon to Seattle is $33 (with the Uber costs included), roughly 78% cheaper than a flight. The bus takes 31% more time than a flight.
3. Dallas to Houston
The average price of a flight from Dallas to Houston will cost you roughly $151, however there are some tickets as low as $127. The average cost for a bus ticket from Dallas to Houston is $43 (with the Uber costs included), roughly 66% less expensive than a flight.
4. Boston to New York City
The average price of a flight from Boston to New York City is $147, however there are some tickets as low as $84 if you land in Newark. The average bus ticket from Boston to New York City is $53 (with the Uber costs included). The bus takes 28% more time than a flight but will save you between 38% to 60% of the costs.
5. San Antonio to Houston
The average price of a flight from San Antonio to Houston is $199. The average bus ticket from San Antonio to Houston is $34 (with the Uber costs included), roughly 83% cheaper than a flight. The bus takes 14% more time than a flight but will save you approximately 83% on your travel costs.
6. Los Angeles to San Francisco
The average price of a flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco is roughly $134, however there are some tickets as low as $95. Taking the bus from Los Angeles to San Francisco will cost you $44 (with the Uber costs included), which is 44% to 65% times cheaper than catching a flight. However, the bus is 59% slower than a flight. If you value your time, catching a flight seems like the better option but if you’re on a budget, the bus is the obvious choice.
7. Minneapolis to Chicago
The average price of a flight from Minneapolis to Chicago is $82. The average bus ticket from Minneapolis to Chicago is $26, add the Uber costs to the station and downtown and the total adds up to $41, which is still 60% cheaper than catching a flight. However, opting for the bus is 58% slower than a flight.
8. Toronto to Montreal
The average price of a flight from Toronto to Montreal is $132. The average bus ticket from Toronto to Montreal is $28, add the Uber costs to the station and downtown and the total adds up to $48, which is still 58% cheaper than catching a flight. However, opting for the bus is 60% slower than a flight. If you’ve got a new book that you’d like to read, the bus is the better choice.
9. Boston to Philadelphia
The average price of a flight from Boston to Philadelphia is $151. The average bus ticket from Boston to Philadelphia is $33, add the Uber costs to the station and downtown and the total adds up to $47, which is still 70% cheaper than catching a flight. However, opting for the bus is 47% slower than a flight. We suggest bringing these 10 products if you plan on traveling by bus.
10. Seattle to Vancouver
The average price of a flight from Seattle to Vancouver is $134. The average bus ticket from Seattle to Vancouver is $42, add the Uber costs to the station and the total adds up to $50, which is still 63% cheaper than catching a flight. However, opting for the bus is 48% slower than a flight. The bus seems like the obvious choice for this trip.
As we can see, the bus often provides the best bang for the buck. However, the bus is indeed much slower than catching a flight but if you’re willing to stick out in a bus for a couple of more hours, the savings you make can be substantial.