After a short 3 day stint in Kansas City, KS and in MO in October 2022, I headed north towards Des Moines on a private coach bus. It's pretty awesome that there are alternatives to road tripping other than in a private or rental vehicle. Prices are pretty affordable too versus airline tickets, depending on your final destination.
I found Jefferson Lines as a means of transportation from Kansas City, MO to Des Moines, IA on a one way express on the morning of October 27, 2022. I learned months ago during planning that Kansas City and Des Moines do not have direct service line by Amtrak and it would take longer if I had to do Amtrak than a direct service thru a coach bus service. Didn't plan on renting a car, so I found Jefferson Lines as the best ideal method of getting to my destination the best way possible. I booked my bus ticket a month or so prior to departure online. The seat was a good deal, valued at around $60 with applicable taxes and surcharges. Upon arrival on an Uber from my hotel that morning, I arrived at the bus station on Troost Avenue here in Kansas City. The Bus station was not the best, since it just seems like a commuting station for those who just want to get out of the city and onward to other places. There are restrooms in the facility, but didn't need to go at the time. There is plenty of seats and a small fast food restaurant for those passengers who needs food for their travels. I'm sure the bus station is cleaned daily or at least at regular intervials, but at the same time, it just looks like it has seen better days.
The overall experience here at the Jefferson Lines was good as it can be, I suppose. I got to where I needed to be - at an affordable price. The experience at the4 bus station seemed to be an interesting experience, not that I haven't seen before, but just different. Once the time came for my departure, those who were bound for Minneapolis via Des Moines lined up, myself included. After checking in with the bus driver, I managed to get a good seat with a power outlet. These buses tend to come with a power outlet these days and it was nice to have that amenity on board while cruising thru Missouri north bound into Iowa. The bus itself seem clean and there was restrooms in the back of the bus, which I did not use. Our bus driver said that there will be two stops along the way to Des Moines, which I was delighted to know that there was restrooms at these rest stops. Ended up getting a large drink at a Subway restaurant near a small, small town in Missouri before crossing state lines. The ride itself was fairly smooth and I was wearing a face mask, since majority of the bus was occupied. Didn't want to get sick during my ride there and have to suffer for the rest of my trip. The ride was uneventful and seemed to be the next best thing besides driving there yourself. The only problem with these kinds of coach buses is that there are set times of departure, versus getting a rental car. It's cheaper, but it depends on whether you need the rental car after your arrival destination or not.
This Jefferson Line trip started from Kansas City, MO to Des Moines, IA. The bus station is located on 1101 Troost Avenue. They accept major credit cards, if you are booking your ticket online. If you decide to arrive in person and buy tickets, they should have a ticket window to purchase with cash. As far as parking goes, there's probably parking in a local parking lot nearby if you're doing a day or overnight trip. What I did was arrive in an Uber here and went cross state lines on Jefferson Lines. Everything seemed straight forward here. Know where you want to go, book it, and get then get on the bus when it's your time to depart. After booking your ticket online, they give you a confirmation email with your e-ticket. Just got to check with your bus driver upon departure and you'll be okay. While flying may be faster than sitting on a commercial bus, it probably just depends on price and whether or not you're in a rush to get somewhere, I guess. I enjoyed my time riding the Jefferson Lines and hopefully you will too. I don't think they have wifi on board, but they do have power outlets.
4.0 stars for the overall experience. 4.0 stars for the service and 5.0 stars for having rest stops with restroom facilities. 4.0 stars for a clean bus with air conditioning.
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