Boston is a city within relatively easy driving distance of numerous New England cities, and we have a decent MBTA system to get us where we need to go–most of the time. However, for those of us who don’t have cars or need to venture further than the MBTA can take us, the cheapest way to travel is by bus.
It’s important to consider your options when traveling by bus, especially as a college student. Before I knew about Bolt Bus and Megabus, I used to take Greyhound all the time—and wish I’d known better! So if you aren’t a frequent bus traveler, we’ve created a breakdown of pros and cons of each of the main bus lines that depart from South Station and Boston daily.
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Greyhound Bus Line/Peter Pan takes customers on a first come, first serve basis, meaning that if you bought your ticket for 4pm on Saturday, that really means nothing… except you’re guaranteed to get on a bus sometime on Saturday. If you arrive at the terminal and the line in front of you is super short, there’s a possibility you’ll get on an earlier bus—which is great! However, if the line is very long, there’s a possibility you’ll get on a bus up to two hours later than you intended, which is both annoying and frustrating. However, there is a “Reserved Seating” option for select bus rides (for a slightly higher price), which guarantees you a seat, but only for that bus ride, so don’t be late!
Price range: Varies and can be expensive, but there are Web-Only Fares that are cheaper. A Web-Only fare from Boston to Philadelphia is $30, and a Web-Only fare from Boston to New York is $23. A costlier trip is to Washington D.C., which costs $49. Advanced Fares are also cheaper, and can be purchased up to 3 days in advance.
Destinations: Greyhound is the largest provider of intercity bus transportation, serving more than 2,300 destinations with 13,000 daily departures across North America. bus services go just about everywhere: I took a bus from NYC to Falmouth, Mass., this summer and although I had to transfer three times, eventually, I made it. Once, I took a bus to NYC from Boston with people who had a connection in NYC and a destination of Portland, Oregon. So although you may have to make a couple connections, Greyhound will take you further than any other bus service.
Wireless/Outlets: Some Greyhound/Peter Pan buses have wireless, but I know I have traveled on some that did not—so don’t depend on getting Internet for your entire trip! I also have never seen outlets on any Greyhound or Peter Pan bus so make sure you charge your cell phone before leaving for South Station.
Drop-off: The Greyhound bus line leaves from South Station, and when traveling to NYC it brings you to Port Authority, which is a short subway ride from Times Square—perfect for sight seeing. Check out the website for other destination drop offs!
Rest stops: Depends on the destination…but I wouldn’t count on it.
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Bolt Bus is personally my favorite bus line. The seats are leather and comfortable, I have never experienced major delays, and I’m typically able to access Wi-Fi for the entire ride. The drivers are pretty nice too: Once, a man on my Bolt Bus realized he was on the wrong bus headed to Boston instead of Washington D.C., and the driver let him off near a subway station in NYC.
Price range: Tickets start at $1 (plus a booking fee) and go up from there, but I’ve never seen a ticket between New York and Boston cost more than $23. Tickets from New York City to Washington D.C. this Friday are priced at $19 for the morning hours and $23 after 2pm.
Wireless/Outlets: Bolt buses are all equipped with Wi-Fi (though it can be pretty slow at times) and electrical outlets so your computer won’t die midway through your trip. Win-win!
Destinations: Bolt Bus leaves from South Station, but does not go to as many destinations as Greyhound. It does have services to and from Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Greenbelt, MD and Newark, NJ. However, the only service from Boston is to New York. Once you are actually in New York, you can transfer to another destination—just make sure you are timing your transfers correctly!
Drop off: In New York, the Bolt Bus drops you off by the New Yorker hotel and Tick Tock Diner (8th Ave). There is no formal bus station or stop, the buses just line up on the side of the road, so it can be a little confusing: Make sure to ask the people ahead of you if you are in the right line! Look at their website for more info and destination drop-off points.
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Megabus used to be my favorite bus to take to and from the city because it had services from Back Bay Station in Boston to New York City. However, Megabus no longer leaves from Back Bay and instead leaves from a South Station terminal, like all the other buses. The cool thing about Megabus is that it’s a double-decker bus, and the bottom deck has tables with four seats, so you can sit with a group of friends and face each other, or use the table to do work.
Price range: Prices are typically cheap, as long as you buy tickets in advance (I’m talking two to three weeks early). The first ticket sale for each bus trip begins at $1 and goes up as more seats are bought. Once, I got a ticket on a weekday to New York City for $3—but those results aren’t typical. This weekend, I’ll be taking a bus from New York City to Boston on Sunday, and it will cost me $25.
Wireless/Outlets: All Megabus.com buses have both Wi-Fi and at-seat plug-ins, making it easy to stay charged your entire trip!
Destinations: Megabus.com provides bus services to and from almost 50 cities from five main hubs: New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago and Toronto. Providence, Binghamton, Albany and Hartford are all cities accessible by Megabus, but check out the website to see them all!
Drop off: I have used Megabus to travel to and from New York City and Boston, as well as New York City and Philadelphia. In New York City, the bus picks you up right on 31st Street outside of Penn Station, but drops you off by 7th Avenue and 28th Street, and when traveling to Philadelphia you depart from the same departure spot outside Penn Station, but arrive at 30th St. Station in Philadelphia.
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FungWah/Lucky Star buses are pretty much interchangeable, but I’ve only ridden on the FungWah. While I didn’t have a problem with the ride or the services, I’ve heard a few horror stories from friends and relatives where Fung Wah buses have broken down on the side of the highway. However, they are another cheap bus service between New York and Boston. My friends took the Lucky Star bus to New York City from Boston to visit me while I was on co-op in New York, and they were pleased with the service.
Price Range: Standard $15 – $25 rate, depending on what weekend you travel. For popular holiday weekends, the price will probably be closer to the $25 price. Tickets can be bought online in advance, or at the bus station at South Station.
Wireless/Outlets: Though I haven’t traveled on either a Fung Wah or Lucky Star recently, as far as I know they have neither Wi-Fi nor outlets–so be sure to bring a book or your iPod to keep yourself occupied!
Destinations: Unfortunately, these cheap buses travel only between New York City and Boston.
Drop off: In Boston, the Fungwah and Lucky Star buses drop you off and pick you up from South Station. In New York City, the Fungwah bus line drops off and picks up at 139 Canal Street in Chinatown. There is no bus station, so make sure you either know where you are going or have someone waiting for you. Chinatown is a bit far away from the center of the city, so you’ll need to catch a ride on the subway. The Lucky Star bus line brings you to 55-59 Chrystie Street, which is near the Grand Street subway stop on the B and D train. Again, make sure you know where you are going if you take this bus!
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World Wide Bus is one bus line I’ve never taken. But according to the website, this is how it works!
Price Range: Standard $15 rate
Wireless/Outlets: Yes and yes
Destinations: World Wide Bus services travel back and forth between Newton and Manhattan, and Cambridge and Manhattan. There are only six departure times on Fridays for each line traveling to New York from Boston, so be sure to book in advance!
Drop off: In NYC, buses depart and arrive at 8th Avenue & 31st Street near Penn Station. The Cambridge drop off/arrival point is located at the Alewife Bus Station on the Red Line, and the Newton drop off/arrival point is located at the Riverside Bus Station on the Green Line. While these drop off points in Mass. are convenient for Harvard and Boston college students, us Northeastern women might be more comfortable arriving closer to campus at South Station. Nevertheless, if you can get a ticket for $15 instead of $25, the extra MBTA ride just might be worth it!
*On long weekends, all bus service ticket prices generally rise and are sold fast. So if you plan on traveling on a holiday or long weekend, make sure you book in advance!
Now that you’ve got some extra insight into the many bus services you can take from South Station, go out and go places! Just be sure to always be safe and smart on your travels!