Riding the Bolt Bus

[bjarvis]

Bolt Bus is an inter-city bus service run under contract by Greyhound. I've known they go from DC to NYC regularly but until today, I've never had the occasion to take it. My perception is somewhat mixed.

The fares are great: $10 one way from DC to NYC. Fares vary depending on the demand (which is a function of the time of day) for a seat so tomorrow's return fare goes up slightly to $17.

Sadly, there isn't a mobile phone app, unlike MegaBus. Their web site is mobile-friendly, but you have to fake purchasing a ticket to find out what your scheduling options are. I'd be much happier if they'd display their daily schedule separately.

The bus was spotlessly clean and very new. The downside is that the seats were relatively narrow and one's butt can't possibly rest on the faux leather surface so I was somewhat uncomfortable the entire tip, never being able to hold a proper posture without slippage & slumping and being crowded by my oversized seatmate.

There is onboard free wifi. It's not great speed or bandwidth (0.5 Mbps download, 0.08 Mbps upload), but it was enough for email and web browsing with my mobile phone. There are no seat-back service trays as one finds in an airplane however so use of a laptop --especially when there's no elbow room because of the narrow seats-- is damn near impossible. There are electrical outlets, a nice feature.

The next time I head up this way, I'll try the MegaBus for comparison.

Comments

[tinman11201.livejournal.com]

I've taken both and far prefer MegaBus over Bolt, but MegaBus rates have risen and their customer service is nil.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

The problem with the bus is that it's *the* cheapest way to get to DC/NYC/BOS. Consequently, the people who ride it can often be… questionable.

[weekilter.livejournal.com]

BoltBus is available for travel between Seattle and Portland as well as Seattle to Vancouver. I've not taken it yet, but as I understand it on each trip there's at least one "bargain" fare of $1. I don't know how you luck into one. As I understand it the Bolt Bus doesn't leave from a "station" but rather from a city street though that I've heard that in YVR they do depart from Pacific Station (the rail station) on Station Ave. Pricing to YVR is normally between $13 - $16 depending on time of day you travel. It's a considerable discount from what CanTrails (Canadian Trailways) charges that being $25 each way.