A bus that’s built for business?
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Move over Greyhound, now there’s something classier!
DC2NY claims to offer express bus service between New York and Washington, with “clean restrooms,” modern buses, and — here’s the kicker — free onboard wi-fi.
With roundtrips taking four to four and a half hours, with the wi-fi feature, and with a roundtrip fare of $40, this could be a serious competitor to Amtrak and the shuttle. $40! And no TSA!
What it’s missing: Frequency. Five buses on Mondays, for example, but only one a day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. For now, that’s the Achilles’ Heel. That’s simply not enough frequency to appeal to business travelers. But the company is expanding, so we’ll see if frequencies improve.
In New York, the bus stops at Penn Station. In DC, two stops: Dupont Circle, and 14th & I.
There was a time in the early 1990s when I regularly traveled between New York and Washington via bus, and I grew to be a fan of the Peter Pan service. (I haven’t used them since 1993, so don’t take that as an endorsement today.) I only did Greyhound once, which was enough. Their incredible filth did it for me: My hand slipped between the seats when I got up to grab something from the overhead bin, and my fingers slipped into a gelatinous goo, warmed slightly the body heat of my grungy cowboy-hat wearing seatmate and myself. With no bathroom on the bus, and pre-Purell, my sticky fingers remained filthy until we arrived in the nation’s capital. I need to remind myself to think of that bus the next time I bemoan the lack of airplane cleanliness.
If a bus company can be reliable, cheap, clean, safe, and offer free wi-fi, I’d put it on my short list. But it will take more frequency for the bus to displace the train or plane in the DC-NY route.
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October 9th, 2007 at 1:25 pm |
There are many companies running NY Chinatown DC Chinatown for many years. They have very good frequency. I think the price is $20 OW and $35 RT. Google “new york washington chinatown bus”.
October 9th, 2007 at 2:30 pm |
Sure, but Chinatown buses don’t have free wi-fi.
October 9th, 2007 at 3:05 pm |
I know its not just NYC-DC but I think for the LA area a site called megabus should be mentioned. I haven’t taken them yet but their bus fares are well priced and are a good solution to the lack of public transportation in LA.
I think the website is Megabus.com
October 9th, 2007 at 3:42 pm |
Megabus, which started off with a Chicago hub, and has been expanding nationally, is indeed cheap. I actually posted about them briefly during one of my stints at consumerist.com. Link:
http://consumerist.com/consumer/travel/get-on-the-bus-1-tickets-in-the-midwest-246036.php
But, like the Chinatown buses, Megabus is still “just” a bus. What drew me to DC2NY is the wi-fi, which, to me, sets it apart.
October 10th, 2007 at 5:56 am |
I’ve never been on a Greyhound without a bathroom, and I’ve been on dozens since the early 90’s. You sure about that detail?
I’m pretty much all about any bus service, and Greyhound is not excluded from that. I wouldn’t wish goo on anyone, but it seems strange that a travel blogger would a) complain abou the “filth” of Greyhound…most of the undeveloped world is “filthier” than a Greyhound bus, and b) write off a transport business based on a single negative experience likely out of immediate control of the proprietors.
I mean, I could leave some goo for someone to find on a DC2NY bus, and if you find it before the operators, then what?
October 10th, 2007 at 6:48 am |
Kevin,
Re: bathroom on Greyhound, I’ll be honest, I don’t remember if it didn’t HAVE a bathroom, or if it was out of order. All I remember is that THAT bus didn’t have a bathroom that functioned. This was an OLD bus, too. Not the modern ones you see today.
Re: buses being filthier in the less developed world than they are on Greyhound, I sure hope that’s not the standard by which our public transport is judged. Yes, I’ve been on windowless buses without bathrooms, with wooden slats as floors, bouncing along dirt roads while passengers tried to hold on to their small livestock. And that was a fun experience, under the conditions. But that’s not a “bus built for business” in the developed world.
Re: the condition of the bus not being the responsibility of the bus company, the goo was illustrative, not the sole example of onboard filth. Sure, you can’t control every passenger, but you could sure try to tidy the vehicle up between trips. (This was the start of the trip, so a cleaning had supposedly occurred.) There were papers and crumbled-up paper bags from fast food restaurants scattered throughout the bus. One woman complained that she had gum stuck to her pants.
At that point (1993), the Peter Pan and Greyhound experiences were worlds apart, and there was no incentive for me to go back. Why bother, when there’s a superior competitor?
In the years since, I know that Greyhound has tried to improve its image, including new buses. That’s good, but I was seriously turned off to them at that point. I hope they’re better now. But I haven’t had a good reason to travel by Greyhound or any of their long-haul bus competitors since 1994.
October 10th, 2007 at 1:04 pm |
The bus travel industry is one to watch as travel becomes more and more of a hassle for short distances. Personally, I won’t fly anywhere that drive time is
November 19th, 2007 at 10:27 pm |
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