I took a Greyhound bus from New York City to Montréal 4 times this year to avoid airports. It’s cheaper and less stressful than flying.

When it comes to cancellations, delays, and lost luggage, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport rank poorly, according to the The Wall Street Journal . More than half of departing flights at these airports have been late, the same source reported. For this reason, in an effort to avoid summer travel chaos, and because buses are considered to be generally more sustainable than planes, according to a 2018 IPCC report , I chose to travel by bus between New York City and Montréal four times this spring and summer.

I booked with Greyhound, a bus line with routes between cities like New York and Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and Chicago to Minneapolis, according to Greyhound’s website . Depending on the day of the week, there’s 46 to 57 available schedules departing from New York City, Crystal Booker, Greyhound’s senior communications specialist, told Insider. Here’s what my most recent ride back to New York was like, and why I’ll gladly take a long bus ride over dealing with airports right now.

For my most recent bus trip, I booked my Greyhound bus ticket online and paid $165. 98 for Economy roundtrip fare that included Wi-Fi and several rest stops. In the past, when I’ve booked far enough in advance, such as two months ahead, I’ve been able to find $70 one-way tickets throughout the week.

After service fees, which are around $6, the total roundtrip ticket on this route might cost as little as $146. In comparison, a flight between New York City and Montreal booked two months in advance can cost around $250, according to Google flight search results. Greyhound has three fare types : Economy, Economy Extra, and Flexible.

Economy includes the first piece of checked luggage for free but are non-refundable. The only difference between Economy and Economy Extra is that you receive priority boarding with Extra. With Flexible, two pieces of luggage may be checked for free.

It’s the only fare that’s refundable, and it comes with priority boarding. Based on my research, there’s generally a $3 difference between Economy and Economy Extra, and a $23 difference between Flexible and Economy Extra. The bus station was quiet when I arrived for my 7 a.

m. ride, full of sleepy-eyed people sitting and waiting to board their buses. For my direct route between Montréal and New York City, there are typically four departure times: 7 a.

m. , 11:15 a. m.

, 5:15 p. m. , and 11:45 p.

m. Sometimes there are additional options that require bus transfers, however in my opinion, the direct trips are more convenient as I don’t need to move all of my belongings to another bus. The bus ride doesn’t come with meals, so I planned to bring snacks with me.

For this trip, I made a quick stop in the station cafe to fuel up. Rest stops are also offered on the way to provide an opportunity to purchase food from delis, gas stations, and fast-food restaurants. When traveling to the US, you no longer need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination if you’re a US citizen, according to Greyhound policy .

However, if you’re a non-citizen, you need to show proof. The first passengers to board had priority tickets. Since I didn’t have that, I waited in line for 15 minutes before I boarded.

I checked my luggage and was initially wary given so many stories of lost luggage right now. However, I felt reassured by Greyhound’s lost luggage policy , which states that if a bag is lost or misplaced, customers place a claim, and arrangements are made to return the item when it’s found. If a customer purchased luggage insurance and the bag isn’t located, they’ll receive reimbursement.

Fortunately, I did not lose my luggage. Seats are not reserved or assigned on Greyhound buses. The bus I was on seats up to 50 people, though Greyhound has four different bus models with different seating arrangements.

I’ve found the seats behind the driver have a decent amount of leg space, and I like that sitting here allows me to quickly jump off the bus during rest stop breaks. Because I often travel solo, being closer to the driver also provides a sense of security. For these reasons, I try to always select a seat here.

While Greyhound policy states face coverings are optional for all employees and passengers inside stations and buses, I heard several announcements from the bus loudspeakers to remind us that masks are encouraged to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. I noticed there were more people wearing masks on this trip than I saw two months ago. Someone had already gotten the window seat directly behind the driver so I settled into the aisle seat.

I was glad to be next to the aisle as I thought it felt like I had more room since I could stretch out my right leg. The seats came with foot rests and can be reclined, so I immediately adjusted mine to feel less rigid and more relaxing. Power outlets were available and Greyhound rides also come with free Wi-Fi, though I did have another recent trip where it didn’t work.

I stashed my backpack below the seat in front of mine for quick access, but overhead space was also above every aisle for larger carry-ons. For my 10-hour ride between Montréal and New York, my bus came equipped with one bathroom at the back of the bus. On my ride, it was small and simple, with just a toilet and mirror.

I think the bathrooms on all of my bus trips have looked clean, but surprisingly, there’s no sink or handwashing station, so make sure you bring hand sanitizer. We left the station about 15 minutes after our scheduled departure time and arrived to the Champlain–St. Bernard de Lacolle Border Crossing about an hour later.

The customs process took about 40 minutes, though it can take up to two hours, according to one of the Custom Border Patrol (CBP) agents. We were asked to exit the bus and only bring our passport and wallets. The CBP agent in the facility asked me where I lived, what I was doing in Montréal, how long I was there for, and again, where I lived.

Afterwards, I was given a ticket stub and asked to sit and in the waiting area, which had two bathrooms. When we were called back to the bus, I gave my ticket to another CBP agent waiting outside, and then boarded. We arrived at 9:15 a.

m. and had 30 minutes at this first rest stop. We were told by the driver this would the only food stop on the trip as the cafe at the rest stop in Albany was closed.

I had already purchased a to-go sandwich from the cafe in Montréal, but I still got off the bus to stretch my legs. We pulled up to our second stop in Glen Falls, New York, at 11:41 a. m.

It was a quick stop — not even 15 minutes. We then arrived at the Saratoga Springs bus station at 12:25 p. m.

and departed five minutes later. These were not bathroom breaks, but rather, quick stops for passengers to depart to their destination or for new riders to board the bus. Back on the road, I loved watching the trees and mountains pass by and I feel better knowing I’m leaving behind a smaller carbon footprint by taking a bus instead of a plane, according to data from the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality .

Greyhound has made efforts to upgrade its buses with emissions-reducing technology, according to their website. In Saratoga Springs, my seatmate departed the bus and I was able to have the whole row to myself back to New York. I moved to the window seat and enjoyed the extra legroom and cup holders.

Despite taking this route several times, I always find this last stop to be tricky. For example, the bus driver told us to wait at gate eight to get back on the same bus. It was actually gate seven.

We were told we’d board at 1:40 p. m. but we actually boarded at 1:55 p.

m. and left Albany 10 minutes later with an estimated arrival into New York of 4:30 p. m.

Almost three hours later after our last stop, I woke up from my nap and saw my final destination in the distance. Even though I’ve seen it dozens of times, I still squealed when I saw the city’s skyscrapers. Returning to New York City after a long trip feels like a homecoming and the magic hasn’t faded for me.

I was relieved to be on a bus that took me directly to midtown Manhattan where I could just head straight to the adjoined subway station and take a train home. I expected the ride to last around seven hours. In reality, the trip took about 10 hours with traffic and rest stops.

But I thought the entire experience was stress-free and I was grateful for the stops to stretch my legs. It might not have been as quick as an on-time flight, but I also didn’t need to wait at baggage claim, worry about lost luggage, or pay for an expensive rideshare from the airport. Next time, maybe I’ll take a bus from New York City to Quebec City or the recently reopened Maple Leaf train from NYC to Toronto.

I’m also waiting for the Amtrak Adirondack train from NYC to Montréal to reopen. It’s great to have access to different transit options, especially if it means taking the scenic route. .