NY to Philly-- Amtrak or Bolt/Megabus, etc?
 

Is there one of the newer bus lines that offers a better passenger experience than the others?
Thanks

I believe Bolt Bus and Mega Bus are pretty comparable (perhaps others have had more experience).

If you are looking for the fastest way to get to Philly, then Amtrak is the way to go.

If you are looking for cheap, then the buses will suffice and will get you there in a decent amount of time unless the traffic is bad.

There are also the Chinatown busses, but personally I would avoid them with their questionable safely record.

If you want quick and comfortable, go with Amtrak. It's not even close.

Bolt/Mega are basically the same thing. If you go with a bus just take the cheaper option that works with your schedule.

You could also take NJ transit to Trenton and connect to Septa to downtown Philly. May take a little longer than the bus, depending on traffic but should be more reliable and comfortable. You also wont have to adhere to any set schedule since walk up fares dont differ from advance purchase fare.

Having experienced this many a time (for a while, I was living in NYC while my now-wife was in Philly), I would pay the extra money easily for the convenience of Amtrak - it's at least an hour faster, and you don't have to worry about getting stuck on the NJ Turnpike in traffic. If you do want to go on the bus, personally I felt the best ride was on the upper deck of a Megabus. I got lucky once and had the entire bus to myself for a trip back (due to traffic causing buses to get misaligned) - I enjoyed the front of the upper deck all alone immensely! That said, the difference between Bolt and Megabus is virtually negligible. Either is preferable to the crummy Greyhounds out of the Port Authority. They are also both quicker than taking NJT to SEPTA (transferring in Trenton) - and if you get screwed with one leg being late, you could miss the connection and end up sitting at the station in Trenton for 30-40 minutes waiting for the next train. Not worth it.

Thanks. The comments from Injera and PsiFighter37 were exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to see what the seasoned passengers on the route recommended.

I take that route a few times every month. PsiFighter37 is pretty much spot on.

I avoid the NJ Transit / SEPTA connection. It just takes too long compared to Bolt / Mega.

If speed, comfort, and reliability are your priority, go with Amtrak, although I find their fares for that route to be ridiculous.

If price is your priority, go with Bolt or Mega. They are fine. They are, however at the mercy of traffic.

I'm cheap. I usually take the bus.

I prefer Bolt. The low ceilings on the Mega Bus double deckers make them feel claustrophobic to me.
Bolt also runs some Phila. buses from 6th Ave. and Grand Street which is very convenient for me.

I would do Amtrak (advance purchase on a Northeast Regional), as the best value.

I would take NJ Transit and SEPTA over the bus. Trenton-NYC is usually on 2-story trains and particularly on the upper level, it's a smooth, comfortable ride.

Bus, in NYC-area traffic? No way.

What I liked about NJTransit -at least, during weekdays - was the presence of quiet carriages.

What I didn't like...it wasn't always enforced.

Re: buses, can't say the wifi was always a given, and it can take a breathtakingly long time to get into the Lincoln Tunnel from the Javits Center...though off-peak, the ride has taken as little as 1 hour and 40 minutes.

(It still amuses me that the northernmost exit of the high line is the megabus boarding area.)

But keep in mind that the NJ Transit two story trains have little to no space for luggage storage.

Thanks for all the useful insight. I was set to go Amtrak, but now realize that thinking light traffic for a mid-day Saturday trip might make the bus nearly as fast.

I have done the bus from Philly to NYC before. It's not a bad ride. It only took a little over 2 hours. If price is your concern, I would take Megabus or Bolt (although I only had experience with Megabus).