Later this spring, I will probably travel by bus from Mount Pleasant to Iowa City (I'll be arriving by train from Denver).
According to [Burlington Trailways](https://www.burlingtontrailways.com/locations.asp?st=IA), there is a ticket counter at the Mount Pleasant bus stop.
I could buy a ticket in advance for $18.50.
Is it worth booking this ticket in advance?
In general, I can think of two reasons to book in advance:

 * Buses may get sold out.  **Is this a significant risk?**  The complete route is Chicago–Burlington–Mount Pleasant–Iowa City–Des Moines–Omaha.  **How full is this bus, typically?**
 * Tickets may get much more expensive.  The same bus is also listed on Greyhound, but out of *Advanced Purchase*, *Web Only*, *Standard*, and *Refundable*, only *Refundable* is listed.  The total distance is 50 mi / 80 km and the listed price is $18.50.  **Will I pay much more if I book at the counter just before departure?**
 * Thirdly, do I even gain anything?  **Does booking in advance guarantee a seat?**

One argument *against* booking in advance is that I hope to meet someone on the train who's also travelling to Iowa City, and that I can possibly share a ride.  Then I won't need the bus and will be in Iowa City much more quickly (it's five hours between the train arrival and the bus departure — that's good if the train is late, but a waste of time if it's not).  If I book a ticket and not use it, I still need to go through the effort of cancelling it.  Even if I can do this after the fact (that would surprise me), it's likely more effort than buying a ticket just before the bus departs.