Whether they are grandparents going to see grandchildren or adult vacationers seeking comfortable routes at good prices, more boomer and senior leisure and business travelers are taking advantage of growing numbers of cheap bus service between New York City and the Washington, D.C. area.
Especially with airports chronically crowded, flight charges increased, and delays often reported on air carriers and trains, bus service is multiplying in the northeast corridor.
Tripper Bus Service
Tripper, an independently owned and operated company, offers tickets for as little as $1 each way between New York City and either Bethesda, Md. or Arlington, Va. The regular fare is $25 each way.
Tripper also offers a free ticket for every four tickets purchased at its $25 one-way rates, in order to build loyalty to the line. In Bethesda, the pickup spot is 4801 Edgemoor Lane, at the corner of Old Georgetown Rd in front of Crossfire Restaurant. In Arlington, the bus stop is between McDonalds at 1823 N. Moore St. and 1801 N. Moore St. The Metro Rosslyn station is very close by.
Vamoose Bus Service
Vamoose is another company offering rides between Bethesda and Arlington and New York City’s Penn Station area. The outfit charges a flat $30 per trip. In downtown Bethesda it picks passengers up at 7490 Waverly St between East-West Hwy. & Montgomery Avenue. In Arlington, Vamoose picks people up near the Rosslyn station at 1801 N. Lynn St. between 19th Street North and Wilson Boulevard.
Vamoose is playing up gift certificates as a means of getting new passengers, and it too offers a free ticket after four are purchased at the regular price. DC2NY Bus Service The DC2NY bus bills itself as a “affordable luxury,” with the convenience of downtown DC pickups and drop-offs. The fare is a flat $50 roundtrip for nonmembers, or $46 for members of its loyalty program.
Pickup spots are Dupont Circle and 14th St. NW between H and I in front of the McPherson Square Metro station. In New York, pickups are made on West 34th Street across Famous Footwear between 7th and 8th Avenues.
Eastern Travel to and from Rockville Md.
New York City-bound bus travelers who live in Rockville, Md. can choose Eastern Travel, which runs low-cost routes that also leave from and return to Baltimore and Philadelphia. The fare is$ 25 one-way or $45 round trip.
All these low-fare or affordable bus services sell tickets online and require a credit card advance purchase. Many but not all accept walk-on passengers paying in cash if there is room for them. Like Megabus (which covers upstate and midwest too) and Bolt, these lines offer wi-fi on board, as well as restrooms.
Grace Lichtenstein - I prefer "seasoned" to "senior" but whatever term you use, I have been an outdoor adventurer for most of my adult years. I am a cycling ...
