The word is out-the least expensive technique to get from one major U.S.  City to another is on the’Chinatown bus’.  In recent times this has become transportation option of choice for budget travelers in new york, Washington DC, and Boston, and more latterly on the West Coast.  Students, backpackers, [...]]]> A Guide to the Chinatown Bus

The word is out-the least expensive technique to get from one major U.S.  City to another is on the’Chinatown bus’.  In recent times this has become transportation option of choice for budget travelers in new york, Washington DC, and Boston, and more latterly on the West Coast.  Students, backpackers, and an array of other savvy travelers have long loved the rock bottom prices that these bus companies offer.  Notwithstanding the popularity of these bus lines it can still be tricky to find information on Chinatown bus service. 
What exactly is a’Chinatown Bus’?  Read on and you’ll have the near track on this great budget travel option. 

Chinatown Bus history

The Chinatown bus phenomenon commenced in the late 1990s when an entrepreneur in the Big Apple’s Chinatown started running daily bus service from Chinatown in new york to Chinatown in Boston.  The service was aimed at Asian immigrants who wished to shop or visit family in either town and required inexpensive and convenient transportation.  The service was bare bones-no advertising, customer service, or bus stations.  Customers simply went to the bus stop, waited for the bus ( or van ), and paid the driver upon boarding.  For those willing to do without frills, they offered nearly the same service as standard bus companies at a substantially lower cost.  Before long, the word spread and all sorts of folk began using the service.  It became especially well liked by students, budget travelers, or people for whom the service was simply more acceptable. 

soon more bus firms copied this model and began offering service in other towns.  Now you’ll find this type of bus service in Philadelphia, Virginia, Baltimore Washington DC, L.  A.  , las vegas and San Francisco.  At this point the term’Chinatown bus’ is used more loosely to describe this type of low-cost/low-frills service.  Many if not most, of the companies don’t have Chinatown as their main location and may not minister to the immigrant population at all .  These operators are also occasionally referred to as’curbside’ operators. 

How can tickets be so cheap?

$15 between New York to Boston?  $25 from las vegas to Los Angeles?  It seems hard to fathom.  Chinatown bus companies may be able to keep costs low because they operate in an essentially different way from normal carriers.  Foremost, the service is very basic.  There’s little in the way of client service or comforts.  Most of these operators don’t have formal stations, picking up passengers at bus stops instead.  They eschew traditional advertising in favour of personal recommendation.  Further, plenty of the operators play a very hands-on role in the operation-you won’t see idle middle management at a little independent bus company.  Finally, these operators confirm they fill their buses.  That’s why Chinatown bus operators customarily only operate on heavily trafficked routes.  Indeed some companies only run buses at peak times.

Are they safe?

When these companies first started operating, concerns were raised about safety standards.  There is still controversy in the bus industry about whether these newcomers are complying with the same regulations as the conventional companies. However a task force set up by the federal government to take a look at safety issues found that Chinatown bus companies did not perform good or bad than other types of bus companies ( ie.  Charter, tour buses ).  All bus firms operating in the U.S.  Must go through the same inspection standards and must comply with the same rules.  Realistically there’s probably a variety of quality among Chinatown bus carriers.  Some are fly-by-night operators making an attempt to make a fast buck, while others are legitimate entrepreneurs who plan to grow and operate a long-term business. 

What you need to expect

• No frills service-the driver could be the ticket collector ; there will not be lots of purchaser service.
• Comfortable buses.  Regardless of the low fares buses are sometimes quite nice.  Most buses are analogous to Greyhound and many are basically more deluxe.
• Communication challenges.  Drivers are legally required to speak enough English to help passengers in the case of emergency.  In reality this is often sticked to rather loosely.  At the least, expect your driver to have an accent.
• Possible delays.  Many of those bus routes are on highly congested roads.  When the roads are busy, expect delays.
• Rest stops.  Buses will have a lavatory on board but there is customarily a 10 or 15 minute lavatory break on trips over four hours.  Don’t be late returning to the bus, the driver won’t count heads before leaving at the allocated time.
• Full buses.  Buses definitely sell out at peak times ( weekends and evenings ).  Book ahead or get there early if you’d like secure a seat.
• Plastic Bags.  A strange little idiosyncrasy on Chinatown buses is that each aisle seat generally has a plastic grocery bag tied to the arm.  I guess they find this is the best way to keep the buses clean.

How do I find the Chinatown Bus?

Again,’Chinatown bus’ is a term used to describe a sort of operator and not an individual bus company.  Many unrelated bus firms fall into this class.  Since most Chinatown buses don’t spend money on advertising it can be tough to find out details about schedules and bus stop locations.  Lots of the carriers are becoming savvier about the web and a few have websites with info.  Usually an internet search will yield links to bus service to your destination.  There are several directories,eg chinatown-bus.org that include links for most Chinatown bus companies and the author’s employer, GotoBus.com, is a centralized booking site that has schedules and sells tickets online for most Chinatown bus firms. 

The Chinatown bus is not for everybody.  If you need an orderly system with American style customer service, you should likely stick to standard carriers.  However if you know what to expect and come prepared with a feeling of adventure and humor, you must enjoy the trip fine.  You’ll also enjoy the cash you save!

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