Backpack and Budget : Cheaper Choices for Bus Travelers

North American bus services that offer a low-cost option to long-distance coach lines now reach from New York to California, Alaska to Mexico.

This summer will be the first full season for the East Coast Explorer, a backpackers’ bus service between New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.

“We’re not the cheapest (nor) the fastest,” said Larry Lustig, operator of the 14-passenger Explorer, “but we provide an economical and educational alternative.”

Four mornings a week, the Explorer picks up passengers--who have made advance reservations--at their hostels or hotels. Eight to 10 hours are spent driving to the destination, with stops at interesting sites and economical restaurants en route. Schedules are flexible depending upon weather and special events.

The Explorer travels from New York to Boston every Monday, returning on Tuesday, for $29 each way; and from New York to Washington every Thursday, returning on Friday, for $32.

En route to Boston, the bus typically visits Gillette Castle State Park and the Mystic Pizza restaurant in southern Connecticut, as well as Newport, R.I. Returning to New York, there are stops in the Pioneer Valley, Mass., and Dinosaur State Park, Conn.

En route to Washington, the Explorer visits the Amish people of Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County; on the return to New York, there are stops at Newcastle, Del., and Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.

There are no age restrictions and only two rules: Passengers must wear seat belts, and no smoking is permitted on board. Stops are made about every 90 minutes.

The service, which started April 1, is scheduled to continue until late November. For further details, contact Wanderlustig, 245 Eighth Ave., New York 10011. Reservations can be made by calling (718) 694-9667 or (800) 610-2680.

*

San Francisco-based Green Tortoise Adventure Travel offers multi-day budget bus service on routes up and down the West Coast and across the United States. Tours take in the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Alaska and Mexico’s Baja California.

Green Tortoise isn’t for everyone. Organizers warn passengers that they may be disappointed if they want such things as daily showers or private berths. Delays and itinerary changes are not only possible, they are expected.

Green Tortoise trips are described as “self-service vacations” oriented toward hiking and swimming at remote natural spots. Passengers sleep in the bus, on sheets fitted over thick foam mattresses placed on window-high platforms and bunks. Everyone contributes to a food kitty; meals are usually fully vegetarian or meatless.

This summer’s trips include seven nine-day round-trips to the Grand Canyon from San Francisco via Bakersfield; cost is $360, including food.

Also leaving from San Francisco, are a pair of 30-day round-trips to Alaska, departing June 29 and July 29, for $1,750; and several six-day tours of Northern California’s redwoods and parks in July, August and September for $250.

Coast-to-coast trips from San Francisco to New York or Boston range from 10 to 14 days, and cost from $350-$430, including the food kitty. There are also commuter trips between Los Angeles and Seattle for $69.

Beginning in November, Baja trips of nine, 14 and 16 days--originating in San Francisco, with pickups in Los Angeles and San Diego--start at $300.

For further details, contact Green Tortoise Adventure Travel, 494 Broadway, San Francisco 94133; tel. (800) 227-4766 or (415) 956-7500.