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2008's Best Travel Newcomer Is...

For years the East Coast has had more cheap buses than it knows what to do with, from Fung Wah to Megabus. But until 2008, hardly anyone was willing to take low-budget rides between Boston, New York and DC, fearing accidents, boarding chaos or the sort of horror that can only befall the perennial punch line that is Greyhound.

But 2008's Best Travel Newcomer, BoltBus, made taking a coach classy, with clean seats and bathrooms, on-board WiFi with the power plugs to match and ingenious branding to lure an iPod generation. (That gas was over $4 a gallon this summer helped BB's triumph, too.)

At a time when you can't even check a bag for free, it's a thrill that a bus company will ferry us from NYC to Philly for less than the price of a beer.

Related Stories:
· First Person Bus Reviews: BoltBus [Jaunted]
· Fare Wars: Buses Battle for Your Stripper Money [Jaunted]
· BoltBus Doing DC to NYC for a Buck [Jaunted]

[Photo: ursonate]

BoltBus / Megabus / Budget Travel / Buses / → All Tags

Adventures of Link: More BoltBus, More $1 Seats

The cheap-but-classy coach line BoltBus will now start stopping in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, connecting it to New York seven times a day. Buses will stop at the Cherry Hill Mall, about 20 minutes from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station.

Since the route was just announced today, there are still plenty of $1 tickets available. Meanwhile, there's lots of other cheap bus news out there.

Related Stories:
· The Walkmen "Bus a Move" [NY Press]
· Megabus: The Cheap Seats to Chicago [Star Trib]
· Bus Travel Grows as Fuel Soars [AP, via WaPo]
· BoltBus and Megabus Hog the Street [City Paper]
· A BoltBus Bathroom Briefing [Jaunted]

[Photo: kenudigit]

BoltBus / MegaBus / Buses / Budget Travel / Bus Reviews / WiFi / Free WiFi / Deals / → All Tags

First-Person Bus Reviews: Megabus

Megabus is riding high with new double-decker coaches and lots of new passengers thanks to $4-a-gallon gas. But is service on the super cheap bus up to snuff? Sort of!

One recent Megabus rider wasn't looking forward to her trip. Said an Ohio University student:

No one wants to take the bus, but driving and flying are so expensive.

Why wouldn't anyone want to roll Megabus style? Probably because of what another rider experienced:

The scene on 31st Street was TOTAL CHAOS. People lined up on the sidewalk for different destinations. We left about half an hour late, but smooth sailing the rest of the way, and I sat up front with no one next to me. The bus driver had NEVER driven to Boston before, so I had to help him out.

Still... It's only a dollar! Doesn't matter to people in LA: The car-lovers out west never got on board.

Related Stories:
· Distance Bus Travel Revives [Columbus Dispatch]
· You Mostly Get What You Pay For [The Doree Chronicles]
· Buses coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Sung Sook]

BoltBus / MegaBus / Buses / Budget Travel / Bus Reviews / WiFi / Free WiFi / Deals / → All Tags

Megabus Planning to Ride High

Super-cheap coach line Megabus may not be as slick as BoltBus, but the company's about to introduce something pretty cool.

Megabus says they'll be the first outfit to offer double-decker rides between Boston and New York; the service is scheduled to start sometime in the next four months. As it turns out, folks in the Midwest have already tried the two-teired coaches. A St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter gave one a go in late May:

Except for a few bug splatters, my front row seat on the upper level of the double-decker Megabus gave me a sweeping view of the Missouri countryside. The guy sitting across from me, Dick Williams, agreed: "You get the panoramic view--it's the best seat in a thunderstorm."

Related Stories:
· Megabus Launches Double-Decker Service [Boston Globe]
· 10 Hours on a Double-Decker Bus [St. Louis P-D]
· Buses coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Sung Sook]

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Greyhound CEO Promises to Save the Day as Buses and Stock Prices Crash

It's been a rough month for Greyhound. The bus line has been hit with multiple accidents, stranded passengers and money problems. Meanwhile, Greyhound CEO David Leach says that his company is going to be A-OK despite a plunging stock price and rising fuel costs--because the recession is a good thing for bus travel. Leach also thinks Greyhound has nothing to worry about despite rising competition from low cost rivals because he's got a "secret" new marketing strategy.

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Cheap Bus Travel: A BoltBus Bathroom Briefing

We've covered BoltBus, MegaBus, and even the new NeOn, but never before have we been fortunate enough to get a full-on review of what really matters. Thankfully, word of all these cheap buses has spread across the pond, and the UK Times reveals the beauty that is the BoltBus lavatory:

I step inside the cubicle and shut the door. It's pitch black. I pat the walls, searching for the switch. Nothing. This'll be fun ... Suddenly, the door swings open and, as I turn to shut it again, I see a sign saying "Lock for light". I do, and am illuminated ... Aaaah, that's better. The bus lurches and I pee on my shoes.

There's no sink, but there is a dispenser of waterless detergent, the kind you get in hospitals, which feels strangely tingly on my hands. As that's the only nod to hygiene, though, and it's not bolted down, it might be an idea to pack some wet-wipes.

If you're up for this type of adventure, then BoltBus is clearly for you. Coaches now stop in New York, Washington, Boston and Philadelphia. Just remember to hit up the loo before you hop on.

Related Stories:
· Greyhound Buses Get a Makeover [UK Times]
· Buses coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: kenudigit]

Buses / Fare Wars / BoltBus / Megabus / NeOn / Greyhound / Budget Travel / → All Tags

Bus Travel: The $1 Fare Wars Continue

You know about Megabus. You know about BoltBus. But now Greyhound wants a piece of the $1 promo fare action, too. And not content to just offer short hops for a buck, the bus company is selling tickets between Toronto and New York for as little as $1 each way. Crazy.

We know what you're thinking: I wouldn't spend nine minutes on a Greyhound bus, let alone nine hours. But these special NeOn coaches will be tricked out with video entertainment, power plugs and free WiFi. One would hope the bus bathrooms will be working, too.

Obviously, this is a promotional price, though from May 22-25 every seat is going for $1. If you book in a hurry, you'll still be able to lock in fares as low as a buck for departures later this summer.

Related Stories:
· NeOn Booking Page [Official Site, via]
· First Person Bus Reviews: BoltBus [Jaunted]
· Fare Wars: Buses Battle for Your Stripper Money [Jaunted]

BoltBus / Buses / Budget Travel / Bus Reviews / WiFi / Free WiFi / Deals / → All Tags

First Person Bus Reviews: BoltBus

The much-hyped BoltBus starts its Boston service tomorrow, and in advance of the debut, the Boston Globe has a lengthy story about what makes the cheapo bus line worth riding.

Reporter Nicole Wong, who hated on Skybus in February, notes the similarities between the 'buses:

BoltBus said it got the idea of offering at least one seat per bus for a buck from Skybus, which priced at least 10 seats per plane for $10 until it went bankrupt and shut down this month. BoltBus doesn't view Skybus's demise as a warning...All 51 seats on all 12 daily buses scheduled through Sunday will cost $1 each, plus a 50 cent online booking fee.

Though the tickets are cheap, the service isn't, says BoltBus honcho David Hall. The company's flashy coaches feature an on-board safety video and toilets that actually flush with "blue swirly chemicals" and boarding is handled Southwest Airlines-style in groups.

All that said, early reviews have been mixed.

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BoltBus / Megabus / Buses / Budget Travel / Fare Wars / → All Tags

Fare Wars: Buses Battle for Your Stripper Money

Earlier this month, Boltbus announced its WiFi-enabled bus service from DC to NYC to Boston, promising fares as low as a dollar. But since there are so many cheapskates and college kids in all three of those cities, Megabus wants a piece of that action, too.

The primarily Midwestern bus line will fire up service between Boston and New York sometime before June. Like its competitor's, Megabus tickets start at $1 and escalate in price as your departure date approaches--and as seats sell out.

Of course, the one thing Megabus won't offer is plugs at every seat and wireless Internet. Still, you gotta love fare wars that'll have you getting four-hour rides for a single.

Related Stories:
· Megabus Heads to Boston [Boston Globe]
· BoltBus Adding Boston [Jaunted]
· Buses coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Sung Sook]