Hi,
I'm confused about commuting from Guelph to McMaster via the bus. I plan on taking summer school next week and I'm wondering which buses I need to take and how the system works. Can someone post a link, I can't seem to find anything. :(

Thanks,
nguyeand

http://www.aboutown.com/northlink/Route8Schedule.php this is the bus that provides direct service to and from.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?saddr=McMaster+U niversity,+Main+Stree t+West,+Hamilton,+ON& daddr=guelph&hl=en&ll =43.481823,-79.94751&spn=0.742349 ,0.98465&sll=43.42699 3,-79.94751&sspn=0.74302 2,0.98465&geocode=FZA dlAIdiIM8-yEcAUNh6gCeOSnBKvdErI QsiDEcAUNh6gCeOQ%3BFe VwmAIdmYI3-ylr-6nD0JoriDFgGyPHKHsDBQ &oq=mcmaster&t=h&dirf lg=r&ttype=dep&date=1 3%2F05%2F01&time=22:3 0&noexp=0&noal=0&sort =def&mra=ls&z=10&star t=0 if you're looking to use GO transit be prepared for a very long commute

so I have two options?
taking the GO, or taking the aboutown?

i know that go transit doesnt have a route from guelph to hamilton. unless they add one in the summer (which i doubt). i think you're best bet would be about town like mentioned earlier

It seems like the aboutown is 18 dollars for a one way from guelph to hamilton, so 36 for both ways. Are there any other routes that are cheaper but don't take as long as the GO route?

For transit, this is pretty much the only option. The only other thing I can think of is if you find one of those sites that pair you with some stranger and you pay them for gas, but there are few transit options available

My friend told me about taking the go bus from Guelph to Mississauga and then from Mississauga to Hamilton and with a presto card one way would cost 11.40. Not really sure how a presto card works and are there any similar routes like this?

Originally Posted by nguyeand

My friend told me about taking the go bus from Guelph to Mississauga and then from Mississauga to Hamilton and with a presto card one way would cost 11.40. Not really sure how a presto card works and are there any similar routes like this?

i think thats the best route taking the go bus, but you might also want to consider the time it would take for you to get from Guelph to mac taking this route.

Originally Posted by nguyeand

It seems like the aboutown is 18 dollars for a one way from guelph to hamilton, so 36 for both ways. Are there any other routes that are cheaper but don't take as long as the GO route?

$36 * 5 days/wk = $180/wk
$180/wk * 4 wks/mo = $720/mo

Sublets are cheap as hell in Hamilton during the summer. You can get them for as low as $250/mo, utilities included. Seems to me like moving to Hamilton would be significantly cheaper than taking the bus twice a day. It can be a difference of up to $470.

Originally Posted by nguyeand

My friend told me about taking the go bus from Guelph to Mississauga and then from Mississauga to Hamilton and with a presto card one way would cost 11.40. Not really sure how a presto card works and are there any similar routes like this?

$11.40 * 2 * 5days/wk = $114
$114/wk * 4 wks/mo = $456/mo

Still significantly cheaper (~$200/mo) to live in Hamilton. Also, you did realize that the GO bus takes about 2.25 hours to make that trip? So that would be over 4.5 hours of your school days spent on a bus.

^ Living in Hamilton makes sense if they are taking a lot of summer class, but if it's only once or twice a week it would probably make more sense to commute

Consider living in Hamilton. Sure there's some expense, but believe me, the experience is worth it. Not only do you gain some independence, you also have the comfort of proximity..

If you're taking more than one summer school class then I'd definitely suggest moving to Hamilton for the summer.

However, if you're only taking one summer school class then commuting is cheaper. I also checked the GO transit site to determine your actual cost. If you have a STUDENT Presto pass then you'll be spending $11.42 per trip but if you do not qualify then you will be spending $12.45. So, if you're coming to class twice a week (so, 4 GO trips per week ) it will come to either: $182.72/month or $199.20/month depending on whether you have a student or adult pass.

Yea, the only days that I will be in class will be Mondays and Wednesdays