Buses from chicago to toronto?

Question

Hey guys! me and the boyfriend are trying to get from chicago to Toronto and back again by bus the first week in september...we also want to head down to Niagara falls for a night or two. I know greyhound service these routes but are they the cheapest way to go? any suggestions at all would be helpful. we were planning to stay at Niagara for a night and then bus to chicago from there on the way back after visiting Toronto

Answer 1

Yes you can take a bus from Chicago to Toronto, but there might be a better way.

For starters, the bus from Chicago to Toronto takes about 12 hours and costs between $175 (non-refundable) and $192 (refundable). Most trips have a couple of stops along the way. (This is from a sample trip I composed leaving on September 26 and coming back on Sept. 30)

But you might also want to consider taking the train. Amtrak takes a bit longer (about 14 hours) to get to Toronto, but costs the same as the bus ($192) for the same period.

I prefer the train myself (I have taken this trip before). The train has more room, plush seats, it's a smoother trip and it has a dining car where you can get snacks or a sit down meal. You can even freshen up in one of the many bathrooms on the the train. And I find the people on the train are less "weird".

The bus, to me, is cramped, uncomfortable, bumpy, seems to take longer and has people with weird smells. And if I have to use the bathroom on a bus, I'll hold it in all the way to Toronto. And you have to bring your own food or hope there's something open if you make a stop somewhere. That is, if you have time.

The train does have its drawbacks. When you get to Buffalo, you have to switch to another train and there is a BIG gap between trains. For instance, the train going to Buffalo arrives at 9 a.m. and the connecting train to Toronto doesn't leave until 3 p.m. And coming back, the train from Toronto gets into Buffalo at 1:30 p.m. and the one leaving for Chicago doesn't leave until almost midnight. That's a lot of time to kill.

So the advantages of the bus are than it takes you directly there. The disadvantages is it's a long, bumpy, boring ride with weird people. The advantages of the train is the roominess, the dining car, large selection of bathrooms and a smooth ride. The disadvantage is the waiting time between the train from buffalo to Toronto. Both are about even in price.

But there is one third option and it's the one I'm going to use in a few days when I go to toronto. I am flying there. I found a roundtrip ticket from Chicago to Buffalo here on Yahoo travel for $167 round trip. YOu have to book it far enough in advance to get that price, but as you can see it's worth it. From the buffalo airport I will ride a Buffalo city bus from the airport to their downtown transportation center. That bus costs about $1.50. Then from there I am riding a Megabus (http://www.megabus.com/us/index.php) from Buffalo to downtown Toronto for $25 (roundtrip). The total cost is $193, about the same as the bus or train and I get there in a few hours. I just did a search for the first week in September and there are flights for as cheap as $175 per person. Not bad, but you have to jump on it NOW.

Since you also want to go to Niagra, that involved a little more planning, but it's not impossible. There are buses that go from Toronto to the falls that usually leave from the major hotels downtown. From Niagra, you can get a bus to the Buffalo airport. Not sure of the prices, though.

anyway, check out the airlines on Yahoo travel or priceline. If you can avoid the bus, by all means do it. I'd go for the train or plane.

Answer 2

Greyhound...or if you want you should consider taking the amtrak...just a suggestion.

Answer 3

You can get on a charter bus but it will cost more.  Greyhound is about as cheap as it gets.