YouTuber Completes Grueling Cross-Country Bus Trip

Ryan Trahan documents the challenges of taking the longest bus route in America from New York to Los Angeles.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

YouTuber Ryan Trahan decided to take on the notoriously difficult bus journey from New York to Los Angeles, a trip that many have described as a nightmare. Despite facing numerous delays, breakdowns, and missed connections, Trahan completed the over 3,000-mile trek while also attempting a personal challenge to transport a cup of Atlantic Ocean water to the Pacific.

Why it matters

This trip highlights the difficulties and hardships that can come with long-distance bus travel in the United States, where infrastructure and reliability issues can create a grueling experience for passengers. Trahan's journey also showcases the resilience and camaraderie that can emerge when facing such challenges together.

The details

Trahan's trip was plagued with problems from the start, including a 5-hour delay in New York due to a technical issue with the bus, police involvement, a flat tire overnight, and multiple missed connections that forced him to take an alternate route through Denver and Las Vegas instead of the original plan. Despite the setbacks, Trahan persevered, spending nights half-awake in cramped bus seats and dealing with stranded passengers from other broken-down buses being added to his already crowded bus.

  • The trip from New York to Los Angeles was meant to take several days with no hotel breaks.
  • Trahan's first leg from New York to St. Louis was supposed to take 22 hours but was delayed by 5 hours due to a technical issue.
  • In the middle of the night, a flat tire caused another delay that caused Trahan to miss his crucial early-morning transfer in St. Louis.
  • By the time Trahan reached St. Louis, his original connection was long gone, forcing him to be rerouted through Denver and Las Vegas instead of the original plan through Phoenix.
  • After 4 days on the road, Trahan said he had "officially lost the entire concept of a sleeping schedule."

The players

Ryan Trahan

A YouTuber known for unique and sometimes wild travel videos who decided to document the grueling cross-country bus trip from New York to Los Angeles.

Mike

A fellow passenger on the bus trip who said he would "absolutely not" do the trip again "if you had a pistol to my head."

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Absolutely not. You couldn't get me on this if you had a pistol to my head.”

— Mike, Passenger

“I'm tapping out. I'm turning around and going home. I can't take anymore.”

— Mike, Passenger

What’s next

Despite the challenges, Trahan was able to complete the cross-country bus trip and successfully transport a cup of Atlantic Ocean water to the Pacific, fulfilling his personal "oceanic exchange" goal.

The takeaway

Trahan's journey highlights the extreme difficulties and hardships that can come with long-distance bus travel in the United States, where infrastructure issues and reliability problems can create a grueling experience for passengers. However, the trip also showcased the resilience and camaraderie that can emerge when facing such challenges together.