A Less Sketchy Ride to NYC

Photo courtesy of
‘Bolt Bus and Astroturf’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

In pursuit of the cheapest way to get to New York, I’ve found myself trapped on a Chinatown bus one too many times with a non-English speaker driving erratically up I-95 who makes unannounced stops on the side of the road.  Not exactly luxury travel, but you get what you pay for!

We’ve all seen the BoltBus, Megabus, and DC2NY buses around town, offering a new type of service with wireless internet, electrical outlets, and generally more upscale conditions for just $40 round trip.  Now Bloomberg tells us that these buses are attracting a new clientele that typically wouldn’t touch a Chinatown bus with a ten foot pole.  The article points out that many business travelers are considering the bus as an alternative to flying in order to cut down on costs.  Sure, the ride may take a bit longer, but once you factor in airport travel/security time and the lack of internet on airplanes, the bus seems like a pretty good option.

Shannon grew up in the greater DC area/Maryland suburbs, went to Virginia for college and grad school (go Hoos!), and settled in DC in 2006. She’s an urban planner who loves transit (why yes, that is her dressed as a Metro pylon for Halloween), cities, and all things DC. Email her at Shannon (at) WeLoveDC.com!

7 thoughts on “A Less Sketchy Ride to NYC”

  1. I have an amtrak credit card and get so many points with it that I usually just take a (free) train to NYC. But BoltBus is nice – quick, nice drivers, comfortable, and free wifi. Definitely worth the $30-45 it will cost.

  2. Mega Bus, on the other hand, sucks. Both directions were delayed on my last trip (to and from) and in general they are not reliable. Use Bolt Bus instead.

  3. I actually took the Mega Bus for a work conference a few months back. In the past my company has flown me to conferences, but with budget cuts I volunteered to take cheap travel if they didn’t cut my conference. Then again I’m in my twenties and have taken these buses for weekend trips several times before, so I probably fit into their clientele anyways.

  6. I stopped using Vamoose a while ago, after a bad experience. I’ve used Apex/MVP the last couple of times, and they’ve been just fine. For $35 round trip and a pickup location close to where I work, I’m not complaining!

  7. ve been traveling with Vamoose for the last 4 years and my experience was great.