Gas Busters Bus Battle Round 2: Los Angeles to San Francisco

Passing on the gas bill to the bus operators is a smart look for travelers this summer: Even if you live in Hollywood.

And, West Coaster commuters now have more options than Greyhound for a cheap route—$45!—when they travel the 382-mile, six-hour sojurn between Los Angeles and San Francisco. That’s due in part to intrepid bus entrepreneur Kazuhiro Nakagawa, who founded the California Shuttle Bus in 2003.

The underground popularity of the California Shuttle Bus, whose niche includes the option of catching a bus at one of several popular area hotels, such as a Hilton in Glendale and two area Holiday Inns (IHG), has slowly spawned lower prices and even more competition— Chinatown bus—recently entered the market—which is a win/win situation for travelers.

So which service is the best deal? On Yelp.com, a consumer site where people can rate products, including bus lines, user Nancy Y. praised California Shuttle Bus. “This service is awesome, on the fly, any day, head on up or down between LA and SF,” posts Nancy. “Make a call, grab your carry on, and you're on your way for $45 bucks.”

California Shuttle Bus is also expanding its service. “Beginning on June 23, 2008, California Shuttle Bus will have departures at noon and midnight between Los Angeles and San Francisco," Nakagawa tells MainStreet. (The bus line had previously made only one trip per day.)
Chinatown bus offers travelers another alternative. And given the BoltBus’ recent venture on the East Coast, it may only be a matter of time before their service (complete with wifi access) hits the road as well. One thing is for sure: Even if gas prices continue to go up, the cost of bus travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco is on its way down.