Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
The Downside * USA - Of NY's Low-Cost Buses
New York,NY,USA -The Gotham Gazette, by Graham T. Beck -September 2008: -- On a recent Wednesday evening, Erin Brown waited for the Fung Wah bus to Boston with a dozen or so other people on a crowded Canal Street sidewalk. "It's such a crush - the people, the vendors, the cars, narrow sidewalks, narrow streets. I don't know why they leave from here, but the price is right," she said... Brown is not alone in her sentiment. It often feels as though every inch of Chinatown is jam-packed. Cars clogs street from the Manhattan Bridge to the Holland Tunnel. Sidewalks overflow with tourists, workers and neighborhood residents. Stalls spill out from shops, and lately it seems that every few blocks there is a line of 20 or so people queuing up for an interstate bus... The buses are nothing new. Since 1998, companies like Fung Wah, using spaces reserved for tour buses or agreed upon spots in the neighborhood, have run curbside operations, picking up and dropping off passengers. The recent surge in travel costs, though, has made more outfits see the benefits of such a low-overhead way of doing business... The trip from New York to Boston on Amtrak is $89. By car, at $4 for a gallon of gas, the 220-mile drive costs somewhere about $30, without tolls. The Fung Wah or Lucky Star bus leaving from Canal Street or Chrystie Street respectively is $15, and their upscale neighbor, the Bolt Bus, which departs from the sidewalk outside of Penn Station, is about $20 with a reserved seat and wireless internet. Given the economics, it's no surprise that the bus business is booming... With gas prices high, air fare exorbitant and the expense of Amtrak tickets, the curbside bus boom in Chinatown and elsewhere around the city seems likely to continue, pressing officials and bus operators to come up with ways to keep fares low and streets and sidewalks clear... (Photo by Naomi A.)Labels: low cost buses
CHEAP * USA - Low Cost Buses in America
With fuel prices rising, getting around America can be expensive... Here are some inexpensive bus options that will help you get around the states:
Mega Bus
An offshoot of the hugely successful version in the UK, this bus service services the northeast, Midwest, and west coast. If you book early enough, fares can be as low as one dollar!! Normal fares range between 6-10 dollars one way and are still a great option. This bus service is one of the cheapest around. The seats are a little small but they are comfortable...
Bolt BusBolt Bus mainly operates on east coast of America but is slowly expanding southward. It offers free wifi and electoral outlets for your laptops. You really can’t go wrong with that!! It’s a great way to pass the time. The seats are of average size and the bathroom is kept quite clean. Tickets are usually more expensive than Megabus but you’re paying for that wifi. Book early as this bus lines sells out all of its seats...
Greyhound The largest carrier in America, Greyhound will take you anywhere. Though not generally cheap, Greyhound has lowered prices in the face of stiff competition. It’s still a great deal and will take you to more places than the other bus lines...
Fung WahOperating exclusively in the northeast, Fung Wah (the Chinatown bus) is a dirt cheap option. However, often referred to as the steal cage of death, it has a spotty safety record. The seats are pretty good and the facilities are passable. This bus line is a good option if you need to be dropped off right downtown in NYC and not Penn Station...
Apex BusOperating up and down the east coast, this is another cheap option. It doesn’t offer dollar fares but, besides greyhound, is the only carrier that will take you through the south. The seats and the facilities are on par with the other bus operators...
(From HotelClub Travel Blog (London,UK) -5 July 2008)Labels: low cost buses
Low-Cost Buses * USA - Come to the U.S.
A cursory search of Minneapolis-Chicago, Ann Arbor-Chicago, San Francisco-Los Angeles and Los Angeles-San Francisco for weekend dates in January brought up $1 seats on every route
Minnesota,USA -nobudgettravel.wordpress.com, by poetloverrebelspy -7 January 2008: -- Megabus, a UK company I’ve been meaning to post about since my trip to London, is touting its expanded U.S. service this week in true low-cost travel style with $1 fares between its major-city destinations!... Book now for travel from January 16-March 11. In order to qualify for the lowest fares, enter the promo code WIN2008 when searching. As with all low-cost free offers, there are a limited number of seats available, so book quickly!... Remaining tickets on each route will cost just a few dollars more, with regular-priced tickets (no promo code) running from $10-40, depending on the route. A cursory search of Minneapolis-Chicago, Ann Arbor-Chicago, San Francisco-Los Angeles and Los Angeles-San Francisco for weekend dates in January brought up $1 seats on every route. So there’s absolutely no reason to put off that trip you’ve been planning — you can even take your grandma at these prices!... Labels: low cost buses
New York,NY,USA -The Gotham Gazette, by Graham T. Beck -September 2008: -- On a recent Wednesday evening, Erin Brown waited for the Fung Wah bus to Boston with a dozen or so other people on a crowded Canal Street sidewalk. "It's such a crush - the people, the vendors, the cars, narrow sidewalks, narrow streets. I don't know why they leave from here, but the price is right," she said... Brown is not alone in her sentiment. It often feels as though every inch of Chinatown is jam-packed. Cars clogs street from the Manhattan Bridge to the Holland Tunnel. Sidewalks overflow with tourists, workers and neighborhood residents. Stalls spill out from shops, and lately it seems that every few blocks there is a line of 20 or so people queuing up for an interstate bus... The buses are nothing new. Since 1998, companies like Fung Wah, using spaces reserved for tour buses or agreed upon spots in the neighborhood, have run curbside operations, picking up and dropping off passengers. The recent surge in travel costs, though, has made more outfits see the benefits of such a low-overhead way of doing business... The trip from New York to Boston on Amtrak is $89. By car, at $4 for a gallon of gas, the 220-mile drive costs somewhere about $30, without tolls. The Fung Wah or Lucky Star bus leaving from Canal Street or Chrystie Street respectively is $15, and their upscale neighbor, the Bolt Bus, which departs from the sidewalk outside of Penn Station, is about $20 with a reserved seat and wireless internet. Given the economics, it's no surprise that the bus business is booming... With gas prices high, air fare exorbitant and the expense of Amtrak tickets, the curbside bus boom in Chinatown and elsewhere around the city seems likely to continue, pressing officials and bus operators to come up with ways to keep fares low and streets and sidewalks clear... (Photo by Naomi A.)
