Students who don’t have cars at Iowa State often need to find other means to travel.

Some have discovered Greyhound Bus Lines, 836 N. Second St., to be a good alternative.

Dick Carter, terminal manager, said students provide about 60 percent of Greyhound’s business in Ames, despite the growing trend for students to have cars at school.

“The number of students who use the bus service hasn’t changed much over the years,” said Carter, who has been at the station for 25 years.

He said price is an important advantage for students who use Greyhound.

“Probably the biggest reason [students use Greyhound] is that it’s a lot cheaper,” Carter said.

There are no overnight stops, so hotel fees can be avoided, he said.

Sandy Johnson, sophomore in chemical engineering, rode a Greyhound bus to the Twin Cities for the holiday weekend.

“I don’t have a car, and it’s fairly cheap, for the most part,” she said.

Carter said he suggests purchasing tickets as early as possible to get the best prices.

“A one-way ticket to anywhere in the United States is $59 if purchased 21 days in advance,” he said.

Carter said traveling by bus is a lot like traveling by car.

“You get to see where you’re going,” he said. “Every three hours there is a 15-minute break and every six hours there is a meal stop.”

Greyhound has been in Ames for 60 or 70 years, Carter said. He said the bus line attracted more customers before U.S. Highway 30 was reconstructed to go along the south edge of Ames.

“Until the ’60s, Highway 30 used to be the main drag [through Ames],” he said. “We got a lot of business that way.”

The number of riders often depends on the time of year, Carter said.

“Christmas is definitely the busiest time by far,” he said.

Carter said destination points also may influence the amount of business.

“Chicago is the most popular, but there are also a lot of people going to Des Moines, Iowa City, Minneapolis and Kansas City.”