$1.00 fare NYC-DC on Bolt Bus
Apr 27, 2008, 6:07 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Washington DC USA
Posts: 2,571
I just got back from my first trip; as a man of my word, let me offer you a brief trip report.
The buses are brand new and quite clean. One had leather seats, the other had cloth, but both were very comfortable with good seat pitch.
The wifi appeared to be working fine for both PCs and Macs. My seat neighbor spent the entire ride texting people on a Mac.
The majority of seats, but not all, have power plugs - the extreme front and back of the bus did not have them, but most of the middle, especially on the driver's side of the bus, did.
On the passenger side of the bus, about midway back, is a row of accessible seating which offers even more leg room. Look for the seat belt on the wall. These seats are just in front of it.
Both buses left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure. One arrived on time and the other got stuck in horrible traffic and was late (although, to make up time, they skipped the rest-area stop, which was thoughtful).
There are three TVs on the bus. On one trip, there was no movie, which was fine with me as I wanted to sleep. On the way back, there was a movie, but the driver very helpfully announced a schedule at the start of the trip as to when we would be making the rest stop, and that he would show the movie afterward. So, I could sleep early on and still see the movie. And, he let the pax vote on the movie from the 3 he was carrying.
All in all, it was a very good experience and I would put it well above the regular Greyhound or most of the Chinatown lines.
The buses are brand new and quite clean. One had leather seats, the other had cloth, but both were very comfortable with good seat pitch.
The wifi appeared to be working fine for both PCs and Macs. My seat neighbor spent the entire ride texting people on a Mac.
The majority of seats, but not all, have power plugs - the extreme front and back of the bus did not have them, but most of the middle, especially on the driver's side of the bus, did.
On the passenger side of the bus, about midway back, is a row of accessible seating which offers even more leg room. Look for the seat belt on the wall. These seats are just in front of it.
Both buses left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure. One arrived on time and the other got stuck in horrible traffic and was late (although, to make up time, they skipped the rest-area stop, which was thoughtful).
There are three TVs on the bus. On one trip, there was no movie, which was fine with me as I wanted to sleep. On the way back, there was a movie, but the driver very helpfully announced a schedule at the start of the trip as to when we would be making the rest stop, and that he would show the movie afterward. So, I could sleep early on and still see the movie. And, he let the pax vote on the movie from the 3 he was carrying.
All in all, it was a very good experience and I would put it well above the regular Greyhound or most of the Chinatown lines.
Jul 24, 2009, 8:33 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2
Bolt Bus is awesome, you should check out BusJunction, it's a search engine for cheap bus tickets and includes Bolt, Megabus, Vamoose, and some others.
Beware of BusZoo, it's a Chinatown line. A lot of the Chinatown bus lines will masquerade under several names to increase their exposure. Pretty sketchy.
Beware of BusZoo, it's a Chinatown line. A lot of the Chinatown bus lines will masquerade under several names to increase their exposure. Pretty sketchy.
Sep 25, 2009, 4:13 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
How long in advance does BoltBus open it's ticket sales? With Megabus it is always the same number of days, but on the BoltBus-website there's no such info and the customer service didn't reply to my e-mail.
I want to use it from NY and back during the first week of 2010. And I want the 1$ fare. :-) When can I/do I have to book?
TNX
I want to use it from NY and back during the first week of 2010. And I want the 1$ fare. :-) When can I/do I have to book?
TNX
Last edited by sokolov; Sep 27, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Oct 27, 2009, 7:45 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, USA
Posts: 5
I've used Greyhound, Peter Pan, BoltBus, Megabus, and Amtrak to travel between Boston and New York many times. My reviews:
Amtrak and its express Acela are alright, but expensive and break down more than I like. Oddly, I find the Acela uncomfortable. The streamlined design means tighter seating. Ick.
Re: Buses:
When Greyhound and Peter Pan were the only options I'd always use Peter Pan. Their buses were much nicer than Greyhound's. Then the companies started to codeshare (maybe 15 years ago?) so I could buy a Greyhound ticket and use it on Peter Pan, saving money and getting better service) less crowded etc)...
I remember when Fung Wah started service and it was alright IF you weren't worried about comfort, safety and where you were picked up and dropped off. When Boston cracked down on Fung Wah and other companies they all moved to South Station and were subject to a bit more regulation. But still, their drivers had little training, poor customer service, and the buses were poorly maintained. This led to hair raising driving and frequent breakdowns with little hope of rescue.
Eventually Greyhound and Peter lowered their fares but still the lines for Fung Wah, Lucky Star etc were out the door. Then Vamoose tried to operate between Cambridge and New York but they didn't have permits to operate in Cambridge so I'm not sure they ever operated at all. Ooops.
Then Megabus announced its service on new buses starting at $1.00 each way plus a stupid service fee (50 cents). Well, their buses are great and the drivers are alright. They had and have a few problems like drivers getting lost and buses being late. This happens to all companies but Megabus has little phone service and likes to leave passengers guessing.
A little later Bolt Bus came along (owned by Greyhound and Peter Pan). It had the same hiccups as Megabus but seems to be working great these days.
Now Greyhound is rolling out a fleet of new coaches in the Northeast and their prices are decent BUT still not as low as BoltBus and Megabus. So my ruling is:
BoltBus is best
Megabus a close second
Peter Pan is alright
Greyhound is ok IF I'm making connections
I still won't touch the Chinatown buses. I've traveled more than 100,000 miles by bus and my vast experience makes me wary of their poor customer service. If you have a problem with Fung Wah etc you're out of luck.
BTW: Yes, I have traveled roundtrip between NYC and Boston for $2.50. Not always, but a few times.
Amtrak and its express Acela are alright, but expensive and break down more than I like. Oddly, I find the Acela uncomfortable. The streamlined design means tighter seating. Ick.
Re: Buses:
When Greyhound and Peter Pan were the only options I'd always use Peter Pan. Their buses were much nicer than Greyhound's. Then the companies started to codeshare (maybe 15 years ago?) so I could buy a Greyhound ticket and use it on Peter Pan, saving money and getting better service) less crowded etc)...
I remember when Fung Wah started service and it was alright IF you weren't worried about comfort, safety and where you were picked up and dropped off. When Boston cracked down on Fung Wah and other companies they all moved to South Station and were subject to a bit more regulation. But still, their drivers had little training, poor customer service, and the buses were poorly maintained. This led to hair raising driving and frequent breakdowns with little hope of rescue.
Eventually Greyhound and Peter lowered their fares but still the lines for Fung Wah, Lucky Star etc were out the door. Then Vamoose tried to operate between Cambridge and New York but they didn't have permits to operate in Cambridge so I'm not sure they ever operated at all. Ooops.
Then Megabus announced its service on new buses starting at $1.00 each way plus a stupid service fee (50 cents). Well, their buses are great and the drivers are alright. They had and have a few problems like drivers getting lost and buses being late. This happens to all companies but Megabus has little phone service and likes to leave passengers guessing.
A little later Bolt Bus came along (owned by Greyhound and Peter Pan). It had the same hiccups as Megabus but seems to be working great these days.
Now Greyhound is rolling out a fleet of new coaches in the Northeast and their prices are decent BUT still not as low as BoltBus and Megabus. So my ruling is:
BoltBus is best
Megabus a close second
Peter Pan is alright
Greyhound is ok IF I'm making connections
I still won't touch the Chinatown buses. I've traveled more than 100,000 miles by bus and my vast experience makes me wary of their poor customer service. If you have a problem with Fung Wah etc you're out of luck.
BTW: Yes, I have traveled roundtrip between NYC and Boston for $2.50. Not always, but a few times.
Nov 1, 2009, 7:51 am
#23
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, USA
Posts: 5
How long in advance does BoltBus open it's ticket sales? With Megabus it is always the same number of days, but on the BoltBus-website there's no such info and the customer service didn't reply to my e-mail.
I want to use it from NY and back during the first week of 2010. And I want the 1$ fare. :-) When can I/do I have to book?
TNX
I want to use it from NY and back during the first week of 2010. And I want the 1$ fare. :-) When can I/do I have to book?
TNX
NB: Even 31 days in advance I don't see any $1.00 ticket on BoltBus from BOS - NYC. I guess they really do sell out that quickly?
Apr 15, 2010, 8:44 am
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,584
Jun 9, 2010, 11:30 am
#27
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 165
I've managed the $1 fare on megabus from PHL to NYC and PHL to Was. I don't know how many seats are available at this rate, but I have definitely booked at least 2 at the same time. I check the sites daily and as soon as the dates get extended, I book my fare. If I end up not traveling I'm only out $2.50 on Megabus so no worries.