Bad US travel advice given to European visitors.

[Isaac-1]

I was in New Orleans for a few days last week, and while there I found myself in a 15-20 minute long conversation at a Street Car stop with two couple from London who were traveling together. They were in New Orleans preparing to board a cruise ship the next day, traveling on a pre-packaged travel agenda, but not in a larger group, that they had bought from some so called professional travel agency in London. As they were telling me about their trip so far, I could not help from visibly wincing. Their travel agenda was fly into Nashville, spend 2 nights at a hotel in Nashville, take a Greyhound Bus from Nashville to Memphis, spend I think 1 night in Memphis, then take the Amtrak train from Memphis to New Orleans, then 2 nights in a major chain hotel in New Orleans near the French Quarter. The travel advice they received back home told them that Greyhound was a great way to see America, while probably technically true, for those Europeans reading this, it is the way to see the parts of America you don't want to see, Greyhound is slow, stops in a lot of towns and cities, the Stations are almost always in the worst part of towns, and the people that ride Greyhound are generally people that can't afford to travel any other way. Surprisingly enough they said the Amtrak train from Memphis to New Orleans was rather nice. The cruise they were going out on, was on one of the nicer cruiselines, and they had previous experience with a number of cruise ships. The big questionable thing in their itinerary was the 5 hour 200+ mile Greyhound Bus ride from Nashville to Memphis. On top of this they were given no advice on things to see / do in any of the cities, and were pretty much dumped on their on regarding places to go / not go.

 

[LarsMac]

The Nashville to Memphis bus ride is part of the AmTrack deal. They do a lot of connecting between their train routes by Bus. The DW and her sister road around quite bit on AmTrack tours.
IT wasn't a terrible way to travel back then.

 

[Contributor]

Sounds like they were enjoying themselves. What other way is there to get to from Nashville to Memphis? I don't think there are any direct flights.

Looking at the Greyhound station in Nashville, it looks like it's in a very convenient location close to downtown. Maybe somebody more familiar can chime in.



The Greyhound at Memphis also looks well located for hotels and the airport.

 

[Isaac-1]

I am not sure about location on the bus station, they just described it as being in a very rough area, which is what I would suspect for most cities.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

To many Americans a bus or train ride is anathema, but both are common transport in Europe. I doubt if those visitors were as appalled as you obviously are. As for being dumped without any local guidance, that's simply a cost factor. The more local services provided, the greater the tour price. And some people enjoy being on their own moreso than a guided itinerary.

 

[DutchmenSport]

At first, when I read your post, I though ... wow! So many different modes of travel. Reminds me of the movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles."

But then, after thinking about it, it must have been rather exciting for the London Couple.

You and me, well, we jump in our cars, take off, hit the first interstate and drive till we get there, driving down a, pretty much, boring, dull interstate, where at the most, you might see a tree or two along the way. Or jump in an airplane and fly 3000 miles and the only thing we see is the fat guy sitting across the aisle snorting and coughing his lungs out.

The way they traveled, they saw parts of the USA we'd never see or experience. They were closer to the real America than most of us ever want to consider. Seeing ONLY the glitzy tourist trap areas is not the true America. So, I think their experience and the way they traveled was probably more rewarding than most of us would like to admit.

I think this is the reason we do not patronize the hot tourist attractions or the "must see" locations that are nothing but commercialized tourist traps now.

Selecting State Parks that are not near the hot tourist locations affords us to see the "true" America. We meet real people in their real habitat living a "real" life. Not a bunch of glitz and glamour or an artificial persona they have to maintain in order to attract YOU so YOU part with your money!

No, those folks from London probably had a fantastic time. They saw the "real" America.... exactly the way it really is!

 

[Oldgator73]

I would suggest tourist, well anybody, stay away from stations.

 

[Old_Crow]

I used to like riding the bus. You meet interesting people...heck, I met my wife on a bus and I was married to her for 44 years.

 

[LMHS]

Europeans travel differently than we do. Think "hostel".

 

[darsben]

Wow does your prejudice show through. For short distances Greyhound can be the best way to go.
In this case You have people not used to driving on right side of the road so car rental may be harrowing.
Bus takes about 3 and 1/2 hours costs about $40.00
Airplane lets see you have to be at the airport 90 minutes before the flight so you do not save time and non stops are very limited 2 per day otherwise minimum 3.5 hour flight with a stop somewhere. fares run about $150 one way.
Take a bus somewhere sometime then give an opinion

 

[Wasillaguy]

Any local is going to see the tourists as sheep. Here in Alaska, we see them come in on the cruise ship, transfer directly to the cruise company train car, dropped at the cruise company hotel isolated from local businesses so they eat at the cruise company venues, then bussed through Denali on cruise company buses, and back to the ship.
They see Alaska, but just the scenery, not the culture.

 

[Isaac-1]

I have been in Greyhound bus stations in cities, and know what part of town they tend to be located in. I still don't think it is the sort of situation one should drop tourist from another country into.

 

[LarsMac]

I have been in Greyhound bus stations in cities, and know what part of town they tend to be located in. I still don't think it is the sort of situation one should drop tourist from another country into.

Well, I've traveled around in Europe, and seen some fairly dodgy train stations. I'd put the average Bus station in the US up against European train stations any day.

 

[jackiemac]

Europeans travel differently than we do. Think "hostel".

I think that's mostly younger folks. I've never stayed in a hostel.

 

[John From Detroit]

I have been in Greyhound bus stations in cities, and know what part of town they tend to be located in. I still don't think it is the sort of situation one should drop tourist from another country into.

for several years I worked on the 2nd floor of a building.. 1st floor was the Greyhound station.

 

[Oldgator73]

Our bus station in Dover, DE is the 7-11 parking lot next to the Red Roof Inn. Most bus terminals I’ve been in are havens for drugs and human trafficking. Our daughter used to take the bus from San Antonio to Big Spring, TX. The SA terminal was terrible. I made our daughter stick close to me and not make eye contact with anyone.

 

[Larry N.]

The travel advice they received back home told them that Greyhound was a great way to see America, while probably technically true, for those Europeans reading this, it is the way to see the parts of America you don't want to see, Greyhound is slow, stops in a lot of towns and cities, the Stations are almost always in the worst part of towns, and the people that ride Greyhound are generally people that can't afford to travel any other way.

Quite a few years back it wasn't nearly so bad, but like so many things in recent decades conditions are often worse now. I can recall (I was young) some fairly long bus trips, and it wasn't bad travel at all, including most stations. Even today the stations in small towns aren't as bad as those in the bigger cities.

 

[Oldgator73]

Quite a few years back it wasn't nearly so bad

The situation I mentioned in my other post(daughter taking bus from San Antonio) was 30 years ago.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Yeah, most big city bus terminals are is shabby neighborhoods. Given the way Americans shun bus travel, there is no incentive (and no funds) to modernize or create new bus stations. No gov't subsidies either, as there often is for encouraging train travel with enhanced facilities.

 

[Isaac-1]

Gary, my take on it is that most people that ride inter city buses in the US are people that can't afford cars, so the bus stations are located in the parts of town where they tend to live.

p.s. in my small town of 10,000 people the bus station is currently at the gas station next to the Wal-Mart parking lot, which is way better than where it used to be located at a bail bonds office next to the local jail.