Greyhound Bus Lines

Nothing else I can say but it is gross! It makes Los Angeles’s bus terminal look nice!

«Standard»
I would hate to arrive to this bus station after sunset. This place is the epitome of sketchy and i do not see it changing any time soon. Also, there is weird smell and nasty fried meat smell. Isn’t fried food supposed to smell delicious.
My recommendation: If you can upgrade, take the train into Albany.

Greyhound has monopoly for bus travel to Canada, which gives them the luxury not to care in any way about what we think, or about whether their trips are safe or comfortable. Unless you consider travelling by plane (more expensive) or the train (much slower), your are stuck with Greyhound. So why make anything better?

You know, it is a bus station. It was a perfectly good bus station. The bus was on time, the place was orderly and they had a restaurant where I got a decent tuna sandwich and coke served by a friendly guy who was working hard cleaning, serving people and doing closing chores I think. But here is the best part: After arriving in New York City at 1 am and at my buddy’s apartment at 3 in the morning I suddenly realized I did not have my BRAND NEW 200 dollar coat which I bought maybe a week ago!!! I took it off while waiting in the station and left it hanging on the back of the bench I was sitting on. Hopeless, I called the terminal at 3 a.m.
A woman named Gail answered the phone and said she had the coat because she noticed it there for a long time. She wrapped it in plastic and put my name and number on it and put it on a shelf where I can get it. That is as good as it gets in my book! Go Gail. Go dude in the restaurant, Go Greyhound, actually Trailways but you get the idea. I wouldn’t have gotten the coat back in an airport! And please people, it is a bus station. It is not Donald trump’s Limosine Parking Facility or the place where Bill Clinton lands his Lear Jet. You don’t have to be afraid. Nothing will happen to you in the bus station. The scary poor people will not harm you. Actually you are much more likely to get ripped off at the airport where you feel safe and secure. You rich people kill me.

The girl that helped us at the front desk was nice but told us to see a lady in the side office to print out our tickets. She was very rude and condescending. She reminded me of a bridge troll. I couldn’t believe someone would speak to a customer like that. I’m not your kid lady… Don’t treat me like one.

The bus line is ok but the Albany terminal is gross. I come into Albany through this terminal very often and I’ve never seen the bathroom cleaned. Very dirty place.

This place is a hair… well…scary. I don’t know how else to say it. I always hate coming through here. I’ve made a few trips, with Albany being my connection between New York City and Saratoga Springs, but I’m usually with another person. On my most recent trip, I was alone, and the vibe was a little off-​putting. The food court at 9:30 p.m. was welcomed yet sad. There was not enough seating for all customers by a long shot; about half of us had to stand. Some people came in and out of the station that definitely weren’t traveling via bus anywhere. Despite signs such as «Montréal» or «Boston» to denote were the next buses are leaving from, line structure isn’t always clear. My bus to Saratoga Springs had a final destination of Montréal, yet there were two lines for Montréal buses, the drivers not making it clear which one we should be standing in until the very last moments before departure. One was express, and one was «local» (stopping in Saratoga Springs and Plattsburgh prior to Montréal). Though my French is pretty good and I love that city, I think I would have been a hair pissed if I ended up there instead. Haha.
I’ve experienced better, and this place works well enough, but… I really don’t like it.

Absolutely the most terrible traveling experience I have ever had. The staff here is not at all knowledgable about the schedules and give an attitude when questions about the schedules are asked. The front desk person always seems to be on extended breaks and on multiple occasions would not stop to answer a question if asked while he is walking around outside. On occasions I see him answering rudely while walking away from people as if he knows that he is being rude and wanting to get away before someone calls him on it.
Please avoid if you can!

Bought a ticket for 8:30 pm and arrived at 8:25 only to be told that the bus was full. Apparently even if you bought a ticket for a later time, if you came earlier (which is apparently what happened in this case), you could board an earlier bus anyways. They specified that it was important to read the fine print before purchasing a ticket but I’m standing here reading the fine print and it’s saying that «tickets are valid ONLY for the schedule, date and time for which purchased».
When I went to try and find out what happened I was met with exasperated employees shaking their heads and making snide remarks at my carelessness for not reading the «fine print» plus was served a lecture from the front desk to boot. I guess they were a little on the defensive mode because everyone was pretty upset but still sucks to have to wait longer because greyhound sells more tickets per bus than they can hold.
On a last note, it is certainly a little misleading having «time» options on the website when, in the end, it doesn’t even matter anyways.

Oh Greyhound. What could I say about you? There isn’t anything good I can say about you at all. You brought back some nostalgic memories when I had to wait in line for the bus this past weekend. For four years I’ve been in and out, and you haven’t changed a bit.
Your PA system is still shotty as hell.
Your still super dirty and the bathrooms are dimly lit and suspicious as fuck.
And your workers are still rude and aren’t the least bit knowledgeable at all.
If you weren’t the only ones that could get me to where I need to be, you best believe we wouldn’t have a relationship at all.

Not always a fan of the ticket prices, but it is was more affordable than traveling by plane or train. This bus terminal needs a bit more sprucing up. The women’s bathroom was thankfully clean. The snacks on sale were a joke in terms of selection and price. No thanks! Greyhound is a well-​oiled machine from beginning to end. I was especially nervous considering that I was traveling from NYC to Canada, but it was a smooth ride to and fro. The drivers gave clear instructions to avoid any unnecessary delays going through customs and put everyone at ease. I loved my bus driver (too bad I forgot his name), who was very professional with subtle humor here and there. The wi-​fi was not the greatest, but the outlets behind each seat came in handy.

This place is absolute dust. If I could give it zero stars, I would. Unbelievably cramped, the washrooms smell like chemical warfare, and the food offerings consist of two vending machines.
Crowd control is the least effective thing I’ve ever seen, and getting on the bus requires shoving everyone around you as hard as you possibly can. People yelling absolutely everywhere, and just a general feeling that you’re about to contract any one of many communicable diseases from the proximity to the people around you.
Bus travel itself is probably the worst way to get around — it’s often overpriced, it magically seems to take longer than driving yourself, it stops at inconvenient locations, and there are invariably a handful of screaming babies sitting in the row behind you. Avoid this like the plague.

Other than employees, I will have to proclaim myself as the most regular traveler here. Seriously. The money I have spent on greyhound the past 16 years should qualify me for their black card if ever there was one.
The staff themselves are generally knowledgeable and adequate with answering any inquiries you may have. Buying a ticket is a pretty straight forward process.
Always pay attention to the announcements. So many people here would be doing themselves a huge favor if u only paid attention. You know the situation. When one doesn’t pay attention, that person goes out of turn and messes up what should be an efficient process. And when one person messes up, you can be sure there are more following right behind. If it wasn’t for that, this place would be a bit more pleasant.
The food joint here is not bad at all. The burgers are surprisingly decent as are the fries. Can’t speak on anything else regarding the food because I’ve never tried anything else. The self service soda station is generally very clean every time I buy something.
They also have vending machines for food, snacks, and bottled drinks. As you can expect the prices are pretty high ($ 2.50 for a soda?), or maybe I’m a cheapo.
Now if you want a comparison to Port Authority in NYC… Well this is like going to a 5 star hotel. The bathroom here is like a godsend if you’ve ever been to the ones at Port Authority. Your overall experience cannot be worse here. Guaranteed. The number one rule of being respectful is highly valued here unlike Port Authority. «Please» and «thank you» go a long way here.
Good luck and safe travels people.

I have now used this particular bus station twice for Boston-​Albany travel.
THE PROS:
–MUCH faster service to Boston than Amtrak. Amtrak goes from Boston to Albany once per day at a very inconvenient time (leaves South Station at noon) and takes 5 – 6 hours to complete the trip. The same is true for the return trip, which departs Albany at about 3:30 daily… when it’s on time (which it never, ever is). Conversely, buses travel between Albany and Boston several times per day. Depending on your particular route and traffic, it will take you between 3 – 4.5 hours to travel between the cities. I made it in less than 3 today. Hella better than Amtrak.
–Cheap. My last minute one-​way ticket was $ 37. It would have been twice that on the train, if it wasn’t sold out.
–Vintage Helvetica throughout the station. Made for a nice Hipstagram on my iThing.
THE CONS
–The location: It’s gnarly. It’s really, really gnarly. Don’t hang out in this neighborhood alone at night. I’m from Albany, and every time I pull into this station I think, «ah, yes, now I remember why I couldn’t wait to leave this city!»
–The smell: Smells like an old-​school McDonald’s. You know, before they «cooked to order» and had to post the number of calories every item has on the menu. This smell permeates the entire station at all hours due to the activities of an on-​site «restaurant.» Really, it has no name– it just has a generic sign that says «Restaurant». Huh.
–The confusion: Am I in the right line for the right bus? Who knows? The loudspeaker is wholly unintelligible– I second the comment about Charlie Brown’s teachers being in charge of announcements. You can’t be shy here– ask an employee if you have a question.
THE VERDICT:
Not a bad option for Boston-​Albany travel. For Albany-​NYC travel, I would highly recommend Megabus (leaves from a spot near the Amtrak station across the river) or just plain ol’ Amtrak, as overpriced and slow as it may be. For Montréal-​NYC travel, take the train. Or suck up to a person with a car. The choice is yours.

Like Marshall said last month, my experience from Boston to Albany was pretty good. Bus left on time. pausing in Wooster for 10 minutes for a nice bathroom break and arrived a little early. Yes the station is outdated and definitely sketchy. However, you got here. you leave here. there you go.

Judging by the other reviews, I may have just gotten lucky. BUT my greyhound experience going from Boston to Albany and back was great. Yes, the Albany terminal is pretty shitty, but it serves it’s purpose just fine, and customer service was actually helpful.
The buses themselves left *exactly* on time — something I was worried about after reading these reviews. Both trips were not overcrowded, and I got my own row of seats each time. Clean, leather, with electrical outlets. Bus drivers were adequately professional, and even offered to photocopy my printed ticket when I asked.
Maybe I got lucky — it was not a holiday weekend — but overall a very good, affordable alternative to train/​rental car options.

I travel between Albany and Boston fairly consistently to visit family in New York. This station and the buses that leave it are always by far the worst part of my trip. When I was dropped off in front of the station three weeks ago, I was instantly greeted with a man and a bus driver arguing loudly in front of the entrance, with the bus driver screaming that the man spit on him. Meanwhile, a methhead with no teeth and wearing socks with crocs was screaming «WHOOP HIS ASS!» Not sure who she was talking to, and I don’t think she was either.
Inside it consistently smells like a wet fart. I never bother sitting or going into the terrifying restaurant area, which is where I’m pretty sure mad cow disease was first discovered — I just get in line no matter how early I am. Who knows what kind of bugs are crawling around? The one time I used the bathroom was some sort of Silent Hill nightmare. They’re often announcing things over the loudspeaker, but I’m pretty sure the only person using it is a cross between Charlie Brown’s teacher and Helen Keller — it’s just a mishmash of static and consonants.
I don’t think the bus has EVER left on time — it’s fully boarded for people and scheduled to leave at 4pm, but we’ve never left before 4:20 without any sort of explanation as to why we’re not moving. I never have the issues I do leaving from Boston, and there’s like three bajillion buses leaving from there constantly — why is the Albany station in such disarray? The building needs to be leveled as theatrically and explosively as possible, most of the employees inside (and methhead lady while we’re at it; I’m pretty sure she was BORN in there) and started from square one.

This is NY Port Authority station’s evil twin little cousin. I take the bus down to Baltimore a few times a year, and try to avoid this place to late into the night. I actually feel safer at the NY terminal, and that is a low bar to slide under!
One of my early learning oppurtunities with this place consisted of a person at the bus stayion threatening to shoot a fellow passanger. Where the !@$# was the police or security?
I will say the bus drivers know this iis not a great place, and will usually stop at rest stop or McD near by if time allows.

Bahahaha the reviews for this place are hilarious and spot on. Here’s a review I found that I had written on my phone a few months ago during an «epic fail» on greyhound’s part.
I travel with greyhound about 5 times a year. This experience has been a joke. The bus leaves late, the driver decides to make an additional stop to pick up food for himself and make us wait some more. Bus driver ignores requests to turn on the heat so were all freezing (his only response was to tell the five of us to sit back down). At the refuel station the driver states there’s a problem and we’ll need to wait for another bus. Two hours later a replacement shows up. The driver sat testing it for another while, threw our luggage around (violently abused our luggage, not just a light toss) and then told us we’d have to wait for another replacement bus, one again no timeline or details to leave us feeling understanding at 3 am in the middle of nowhere. He was unapologetic and unnecessarily hostile the entire time. While sitting in the terminal waiting we got to witness an oversold bus that showed up late rejected over 20 passengers who had been waiting more than two hours (really though?). We also got to witness a driver laying his hands on a passenger for no obvious reason and then refusing him entry back onto the bus for being «confrontational» (aka telling the driver he will be filling a complaint and asking him to get out of the way so he could get back on). He was unjustly escorted out by police because he was being refused his bus service for no reason other than the fact that he was pissed the driver pushed him, which he had every right to be. As we have been here a few hours I went to ask one of the staff when the restaurant would open. Was I greeted with a «hello»? A «yes?»? Nope, the security guard’s word for word greeting to me was «what’s your problem?», and not in a caring way, in a he-​looked-​like-​he-​was-​going-​to-​punch-​me way. Muscular 6’7 black security guard vs 5’8 whispering blondie. When I quietly asked «what time does the restaurant open?» His response as he swore and walked away was «830 or something go fucking check the clock yourself». I had asked him because there were no hours of operation posted. So at this point I’ve been sitting in the Albany bus terminal for 3 hours. You might assume that I’m just some random whiney customer, but ask the driver who brought me down to NYC three days ago (Friday December the 13^th 2013 scheduled departure from MTL at 11:15am), you can tell him that cupcake girl said this. He called me cupcake because on Friday before my bus I brought cupcakes in for your montreal terminal staff, I try and do little things for nice people when I can. I’m not exaggerating, this is just horrendous service.
Sincerely, Reboarding number 223.

If there was a zero star option that is what this bus line deserves. My bus left an hour late and there was no heat on the bus. A. c blowing the whole time in the middle of winter. Unreal they would put people on a bus like this. It’s 40 degrees my feet are numb I can see my breath, I missed my reserved pick up. The china bus is better then this. What a joke company. And o yea. The handicap door isn’t even closed. I took a picture you can see the gap. They need to be reported to dot.