Traveling my way…the easiest way

Traveling my way…the easiest way

At the end of August I decided to try something that I had never done before, I decided to travel back to Churchill by bus and train. Of course my number one reason for doing this was cost! I scored big as it does pay to book early and book fast. My bus ticket which would take me from Edmonton to Thompson was just over $100 including taxes. Now before you scratch your head and wonder how I managed that it is important to remember that most modes of transportation have some sort of “deal” at your disposal granted the time of year. My bus ticket was very reasonable (despite the length of time on the bus) because I took advantage of the 21-day advance purchased ticket. Of course having said that it is very important to read the fine print, this ticket was NON-REFUNDABLE! Having said that if you have never taken the bus before here are a few of my tidbits that I’d like to share as I have learned many lessons from many trips on the bus over the years.

#1 It can be very LONG and at times (depending on where you’re going and what time of year) it can be busy. I have traveled throughout various times of the year and have been the unfortunate one experience almost everything under the sun. 

·         Layovers- Time wasted. “I could’ve been there already if I drove”

 If you have ever flown it is very similar on the bus. I have experienced layovers consisting of arriving late at night with nothing open to which I have always found it best to pack water and snacks for the journey. Speaking of snacks and busses this brings me to bus depot food- I have noticed with the exception of a few bus depots most have one or no restaurants and if they don’t then you are forced to eat what’s left in the vending machines or for those depots that have restaurants the food is either overpriced or just plain crappy. An example of this was arriving in Saskatoon, Sask where I ordered a cereal cup with milk and a muffin along with a bottle of water and it came to a total of almost $8. It’s moments like this that I already miss Tim Hortons! Which brings me to my next tidbit; location.

·         Location- Seeming to always be placed in the most inconvenient sketchy places in towns.

Having travelled on a bus throughout British Columbia and Alberta I have noticed that most if not all (again with the exception of a few eg. Prince George bus depot) are incontinently placed down town with no decent restaurants or fast food joints, ie Tim Hortons, McDonalds (despite hating it I would still eat there if I was hungry enough.)

However having said that taking the bus is not all negative because if it was then I would never take the bus in the first place which is the opposite of what I usually do. So I do have a few positive outlooks on taking the bus and here they are.

·         Cost- If you are looking to save a few dollars and have some spare time take the bus. Knowing when and where you are going helps with booking and finding the cheapest prices.

·         Coverage- Greyhound buses pretty much go everywhere or are at least close to your desired destination. Unlike flying taking the bus is easier unless you are going overseas because even now Greyhound is offered throughout the United States.

·         Time: Like with trains, short-haul trips can be faster when you don't have to travel to the airport, wait two hours, and then sit on the tarmac.  Yes you do have waiting while taking the bus but it usually isn’t too bad.

·         Air travel may once have been glamorous and efficient, but it certainly isn't any more and bus travel has come a long way over the years to become more efficient for its customers.

 

Right now with the cost of gas on the rise it’s defiantly more cost efficient to ride the bus. If you are like me and can enjoy the beauty of different landscapes that Canada has to offer across the provinces then ride the bus. I myself love driving however when you are the one behind the wheel you miss out on a lot that is around you which is one of my main reasons why I enjoy taking the bus. An example of this would be this morning before arriving in Saskatoon I woke up briefly ad saw the most amazing sunrise stretching across the prairies.  

Of course at night there isn’t much to see so be sure to take a blanket and possibly a pillow and take advantage of not having to do the driving yourself and get some sleep! Okay now this may be easier said than done. Sleeping on the bus is very doable however it’s not the most comfortable place to try and get a few zzzz’s. I have never had a problem sleeping in any mode of transportation for me I curl up with a blanket and pillow and maybe some music in my ear (to drown out any unwanted notices) and close my eyes. In the end if you do manage to get some sleep it won’t be the most amazing 4-8 hours of sleep but if you have a long bus ride it is better than nothing. And if you are one of those sound sleepers that once you’re out you’re out you won’t have to worry about missing you destination because between the constant stopping in every little town and the driver’s introduction to every town you won’t miss much. Personally I use these minor interruptions as an alarm clock to check the time, see where we are, and just double check on my things.

Now about the constant stopping in every little town this will either be a hit or miss with most people. For many of my journeys and in particular this one from Edmonton, Alberta to Thompson, Manitoba I had never driven or been this far across Canada before so for me it was nice to see more of the country. Seeing the different towns- most of which are either unique or similar in their own way I found interesting. For some people the stopping means that it is just going to take longer to get to your destination; so if this is the case for you I would suggest either stay sleeping or just try to enjoy it remember the whole idea behind taking the bus is to SAVE MONEY!!

By committing to taking the bus you will not be able to check out the “sights” and this is for two main reasons; the first being that by the time you arrive into a town or city ie if you are arriving into Edmonton at midnight chances are you are not going to see West Edmonton Mall and the second is layover times. Most places (especially in cities like Winnipeg and Edmonton) you will have a longer layover mostly due to connections and transfers and therefore you could be looking at long layovers. The longest layover I have ever had was about 5 hours but that was during the Christmas rush and a lack of bus drivers. Otherwise most layovers are usually between 1-3 hours wait but it all depends on where you are going.

One last thing to mention about layovers, transfers and connections when taking the bus it’s important to realize that if you have a long wait before your connection ie with a train or plane you may want to put some cash aside for a motel room. From Edmonton to Thompson I was on the bus for almost 30hrs and by the time I arrived in Thompson which was at 0730am my connecting train did not leave until 1700 so I had a few hours to kill. Now unless you call and make prior arrangements most accommodations do not offer day rooms. This is a downer especially if you want a room to shower and catch a few hours of sleep.

My justification for getting a room when I needed was because I had saved money by choosing to take the bus from Edmonton to Thompson I was able to extend my expenses and have a nice warm shower and get a few extra zzzz’s before boarding the train.

In total my trip from Edmonton to Thompson was 1day 6hrs. The total amount of hours I have spent on the bus would take me ages to calculate so believe me when I say I have taken it enough times to know what I am talking about. Some buses have a bad reputation but what mode of transportation doesn’t.