Car-less Travel: Redding to Arcata

Traveling Highway 299 west from Redding to Arcata by car can be frustrating.  The sharp curves, construction work, and often bumpy sections of the road can be challenging for cars.  If you don't own a motor vehicle, then you may think you're out of luck unless you take Greyhound via San Francisco.

But you don't have to do that.  There is a route you can take using a series of regional buses that goes only on the 299.  The advantages over Greyhound are: 

• It costs a lot less.  The regional bus route costs $24.35 one way from Arcata to Redding, while Greyhound costs over $100.

• You meet more locals than tourists.  Since the area of coverage for these buses are small, you often see commuters from the small towns in the area.  I've ridden the route more times than I can count, and I've never once gone without meeting a friendly local along the way.

• The other passengers will not randomly try and stab you.  There have been no combative or hostile passengers when I've ridden the regional buses.  However, every single time I've ridden Greyhound to Portland, fistfights (and more than once, stabbings) have broken out.

Here's a link to transit directions from Redding to Arcata and back:

Redding to Arcata

Arcata to Redding