For students without a car and without much money, Amtrak and Greyhound may be the only key to getting away from the pencils, the books, and even Buffalo for a weekend of traveling and exploration.
Although Amtrak prices are sometimes comparable to airlines when students travel longer distances, they are able to offer somewhat consistent fares, even close to or on the day of departure.
Same day, one-way fares from Buffalo to New York City are as low as $56, according to Amtrak.com, while last-minute plane fares are in the hundreds of dollars.
Riders only need to arrive about 30 minutes in advance and may carry onboard a fair amount of baggage. Carry-on baggage is occasionally and quickly checked at random on the station platform.
Trains offer dining cars and larger seats than Greyhound buses and coach airplanes.
Lisa Garritano, a freshman business major, takes the train home often because she has had bad experiences with Greyhound.
"I don't have to transfer on the train so I get to sleep longer," Garritano said. "The train is in general less bumpy and less noisy."
Amtrak and Greyhound both enforce "be courteous" noise policies but in addition, Amtrak offers quiet cars on many trains.
Greyhound is known for dropping off and picking up riders at more destinations than Amtrak. Buses often make multiple stops in bigger cities, making it easy to get dropped off closer to hotels or venues, according to Greyhound.com.
Buffalo to Toronto service for $16.20 one-way is a popular fare with students looking for a short and cheap weekend trip.
"Sometimes there's a million stops and it can take quite awhile," said Thomas Hughes, a junior accounting major.
To remedy this problem, Greyhound has created express buses that make fewer stops and often run in the morning. Buffalo Greyhound has an express service to Toronto, according to their Web site.
"It's mostly clean and it's cheap," Hughes said. "You can't be picky about travel options when you're short on cash."
