Victory Liner is one of the more reliable bus companies around. Traveling by bus has been a bit scary because of news of the companies' negligence in making sure that their passengers are safe and secure, but I have never encountered anything on Victory Liner being a dubious and neglectful company, so that's always good. Though their buses are great and well-maintained, I have a lot to say about the state of their bus terminals.
A friend and I had to catch our bus to Tabuk (Kalinga) from the Kamuning cor. East Avenue terminal along EDSA, and it was just jampacked with waiting passengers. There isn't enough seating and some of the areas near their concessionaires are cordoned off and are not for sitting if you are not buying anything from their store. The waiting area is not airconditioned, and is exposed to the smoke and the pollution from EDSA, making the long wait for our bus unpleasant. It wasn't even a holiday and there wasn't a mass exodus from Manila but the bus station was inexplicably packed to the rafters. The bathrooms are gross (how dare they charge a fee), and the entire place just needs a major facelift. I hope Victory Liner gives us a better waiting terminal. Their Pasay waiting terminal for north-bound buses is not even marginally better, if not worse.
I still love Victory Liner, though. It is always so convenient to just hop on and go on a worry-free trip to Baguio, Pampanga, Tarlac, and most places in the North. I don't think they stop at La Union or Ilocos, though, and they should because their buses are nice, well air-conditioned and are in good shape, and the drivers are careful, though they get you there on time. I also appreciate the student discount, which enables me to save quite a lot. read more