Busing from D.C.

A Boltbus turns a corner onto H Street in Northwest Washington.

By Elisabeth Grant

D.C. is a great place to be, but sometimes you’ve just got to get away. And with all those holiday presents sucking wallets dry, traveling cheaply is more important than ever this time of year. What’s a starving college student/young professional/person living in this economy to do? How about take the bus?

While perhaps not the most glamorous way to travel, taking the bus is an easy and affordable option. Let’s look at the perks, shall we?

1. It’s Cheap!
We’re talking prices for one way or round trip tickets that range between less than the cost of a cup of coffee (regular coffee! not even the fancy kind) to about what you’ve pay for a nice dinner out. That’s right, a bus ride out of D.C. will cost you between $1 and $35. Do you even need any other perks?

2. Buy Tickets at a Moment’s Notice
Many of the hassles that come with other types of travel aren’t a worry when you ride the bus. For the spontaneous traveler, its no problem buying tickets the day of (or even a few hours before). Buses come pretty much every hour.

This sign advertises the Far East Bus in Chinatown

3. Quick Departure
There’s also no need to show up hours before departure. Most of the bus lines recommend that you show up at least 15 minutes in advance so your seat isn’t given away to walkup passengers. And while it’s smart to observe this, many a passenger has been seen sprinting down the streets of D.C. to catch their bus with minutes to spare. No backups at security here.

4. Free Wi-Fi
Whether you’re trying to get some work done, or just catching up on CuteOverload, travel with BoltBus or MegaBus to partake in their free Wi-Fi.

5. Non-stop or one stop
One of the downsides of car travel is all the stops. Stopping for gas, stopping for restrooms, stopping to eat. With bus travel there’s a bathroom on board and driver focused on the destination.

Now that you’re totally convinced that bus travel is the way to go, let’s check out your options:

Chinatown Bus
The Chinatown Bus is grandfather of bus travel in the area. For years if you were looking for a cheaper alternative to Greyhound, the Chinatown Bus was the way to go. However, there isn’t exactly one Chinatown Bus. Rather, there are a few bus lines that go from Chinatown D.C. to Chinatowns in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.
Cost for one-way: $1 to $35
Destinations: Philadelphia, PA; Atlantic City, NJ; , New York, NY; Boston, MA
Departs D.C. From: H St. NW, between 7th and 8th
Nearest Metro Stops: Gallery Place-Chinatown and Metro Center

BoltBus
The BoltBus is actually a collaboration between the Greyhound and Peter Pan bus lines. Along with it’s competitor MegaBus it offers free Wi-Fi to passengers. It also offers power outlets at most seats (a feature MegaBus is still working on on many of its buses).
Cost for one-way: $1 to $25
Destinations: New York
Departs D.C. From: 10th St. & H St. NW (North of 700 10th St. NW at the Old Convention Center parking lot)
North of 700 10th St. NW at the Old Convention Center parking lot Washington, DC 20005
Nearest Metro Stops: Gallery Place-Chinatown and Metro Center

MegaBus
MegaBus is BoltBus’ competition. It too has Wi-Fi. It too has fares that start at $1. It’s slightly set apart in the fact that many of MegaBus buses are double-deckers. This allows for more riders, which can be a good or a bad thing.
Cost for one-way: $1 to $25
Destinations: New York
Departs D.C. From: 9th Street & H Street, NW, parking lot
Nearest Metro Stops: Gallery Place-Chinatown and Metro Center

Vamoose
Vamoose has fewer frills (i.e. no Wi-Fi) than MegaBus or BoltBus. And while it doesn’t offer $1 tickets, its $30 price is comparable to what you’re likely to get on the other buses. Some riders will also prefer Vamoose’s pickup locations, in Arlington at the Rosslyn metro, and in Bethesda, Maryland.
Cost for one-way: $30
Destinations: Bethesda, MD and New York
Departs D.C. From: 1801 N Lynn St., Arlington VA
Nearest Metro Stop: Rosslyn

Now sing it with me! The wheels on the bus go….