Taking A Bus In Montana Is WAY More Expensive Than You Think

Across-the-state bus fare in Montana is not cheap.

Have you ever taken a bus in Montana? Not like a school bus, but a motorcoach such as Greyhound or Jefferson Lines? I did. Once.

My experience was not entirely pleasant or the fastest, but I remember it being fairly affordable. If I recall, my need for bus fare was due to a broken vehicle and a need to get from Billings to Bozeman.

Billings to Bozeman on a bus now costs $75. Missoula to Bozeman is $83.

It's interesting that for just $14 more you can ride from Billings to Seatle. We explored bus fare around Montana at Greyhound.com today and found a few shocking prices. We used the travel date of March 1, 2024. Not all routes are daily to all cities and there may be seasonal routes we're not aware of.

The most expensive bus ride in Montana is $320.

If you want to take a bus from Glendive to West Yellowstone, MT prepare to shell out an eye-popping $320. To be fair, this route takes you to Salt Lake City first.

Billings to Great Falls on a bus is spendy too.

One of the pricier cross-Montana bus trips is Billings to Great Falls. This 3.5-hour car ride takes a whopping SEVEN HOURS on a bus, with a transfer in Butte. It costs $155.

Whitefish to Billings is nearly $200.

We can't imagine anyone from Whitefish riding a bus to Billings. Perhaps their private plane was in the shop? This 450-mile drive is long in a vehicle, but you can double the time to a mind-numbing thirteen hours and forty minutes on the bus.

Get our free mobile app

The best deal on bus fare in Montana.

Some deals exist, typically on routes between cities that are relatively close together. For example, a bus ticket from Helena to Butte is just $39 (plus a $3.99 service fee on all tickets).

Here's a tip that could save money. We recently spoke with a Jefferson Lines bus driver who told us you can always get off the bus at an early stop and nobody cares. For example, let's say you're trying to go from Billings to Missoula. If the ticket to Seattle is cheaper than a ticket to Missoula, buy it and just don't get back on the bus in Zoo Town.