Public Transportation
Most major US cities have two forms of public transportation: buses
and trolleys. Trolleys are also known as the subway, underground,
streetcars, metro, or
light rail, depending on the region of the country. (Not all trolley
systems use underground tunnels or overhead powerlines. The
distinguishing characteristic is buses are wheeled vehicles, and
trolleys travel on rails.)
Public transportation tends to be fairly reliable, with buses arriving
within about 5 minutes of the scheduled times. We recommend getting a
system map and the map for your local route, as the routes will be
confusing until you become familiar with them. (Bus routes often
overlap, so there is a possibility that you will accidentally get on
the wrong bus until you learn the routes.) Some cities use numbers to
identify routes, some use letters, some use colors, some use the name
of the community or street at the end of the line, and some use a combination (e.g.,
"D Riverside" in Boston is part of the "Green Line"). The route number
will be displayed in or above the front window and side window of the bus.
Bus fares range from $1.00 to $2.00 for a one-zone ride, depending on
the city. If you need to change buses, transfers can be purchased for
25 cents in most cities. You give the transfer to the driver on the
second bus instead of paying a second fare. Transfers can be used for a return trip, if
you will be returning within the time limit (typically three hours). Bus drivers do not carry change, so you will
need to bring exact change with you when you get on the bus. Most
cities also sell monthly bus passes, which provide you with unlimited
travel for a set fee. Bus passes will save you money only if you take
the bus every day. Bus passes can usually be purchased from the local
grocery store or supermarket.
Some subway systems use tokens or farecards, which
are sold at the station. Subway fares may depend on the time of day or
the distance traveled. For example, the Metro system in Washington,
DC, uses farecards, with higher fares during rush hour. (Rush hour is
the peak period during the day when most people travel to or from
their place of employment.)
Some cities have you pay as you get on the bus, some when you get off
the bus, and some depend on the time of day. Some will have different
rules depending on whether you're headed inbound (to the downtown
area) or outbound (away from downtown).
If the bus driver puts his hand over the pay box as
you enter, it means that you should pay when you get off the bus. If
you're confused, ask the driver.
Just before the bus reaches your stop, you should alert the driver by
activating the "stop requested" signal. Otherwise the driver may skip
the stop. You can activate the "stop requested" signal in most buses
by pulling on the horizontal wire above the windows. Trolleys don't
have such a mechanism because they stop at every station.
Intercity Buses and Trains
If you need to travel from one city to another within the United
States, there are four options:
- Flying an airplane.
- Driving yourself using your own car or a rental car.
- Taking an intercity bus.
- Riding the train.
Taking a bus or a train is usually much cheaper than taking a plane,
and much less stressful. However, it also takes much longer. For every
hour of non-stop air travel, the corresponding road trip will take
about five hours.
For intercity bus timetables and fares, call
Greyhound at 1-800-231-2222 or
send email to
faresandschedules@greyhound.com.
Greyhound offers
Ameripass
to international visitors for unrestricted travel on
Greyhound. Prices range from $179 for a 7 day pass to $539 for a 60
day pass.
For information on Ameripass, fax 1-212-967-2239 or send email to
intlameripass@greyhound.com.
For train schedules and fares, call
Amtrak
at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or send email to
amtrak_p@ix.netcom.com.
Ask about the USA Railpass and All Aboard America fares.
Amtrak gives a 15% discount to students with a Student Advantage Card
($20 from 1-800-96-AMTRAK or 1-800-962-6872).
Train travel in the US is not as high quality as in Europe, although
it can be more comfortable than traveling by bus.
The Amtrak web site includes a list of
international sales offices.