BoltBus launching service: Baltimore to NYC for $1
Travel is becoming so competitive in Baltimore. Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival on year-round cruises. JetBlue vs. Southwest vs. AirTran for BWI-Boston supremacy. And now, BoltBus is arriving to challenge MegaBus.com for road rights from Baltimore to New York.
BoltBus, a division of Greyhound, will offer seven daily roundtrip schedules between Baltimore and New York beginning May 7. Pickup is at the MARC Penn Station, just south of E. Lanvale Street, on St. Paul. Buy tickets in advance or from the driver. One-way fares start at $1 plus a booking fee of 50 cents. The highest fares will adjust based on demand, so booking early saves you money. Every seat on every schedule is available for $1 for May 7-10. BoltBus offers extra leg room, power outlets, free WiFi onboard and loyalty discounts for frequent travelers.
I haven't been on BoltBus, but I've read some reviews and most travelers seem to be pleased - for the price. Boltbus has been operating routes from DC for the past year or so. And I'm told folks in Baltimore won't have to climb over DC passengers to get to their seats. The route begins and ends in Baltimore. (For now - a company spokesperson says BoltBus may add a stop in College Park at some time in the future.)
Comments
Fantastic news! The best part of this new service is the pickup location. The Greyhound station could not be in a more inconvenient spot from a mass transit / walking perspective.
Posted by: Phil | April 30, 2009 3:50 PM
Any idea on if the route is just Baltimore>NYC>Baltimore or does it stop in Philadelphia like the other buses do? $60 dollars for a one way train ticket from bmore to philly is just impossible for me!
Sorry, Jen, no stop in Philly as of now. -MDZ
Posted by: Jen Mussari | April 30, 2009 5:12 PM
Great news. Megabus stops impossibly far from the actual city of Baltimore. MVP bus is generally reliable but at 37.50 round trip boltbus is looking like a good option : especially with free WiFi.
Posted by: Liam | April 30, 2009 6:19 PM
(it should also be mentioned that megabus hardly has road rights between Baltimore and NY. that's more like MVP bus turf right now).
Posted by: Liam | April 30, 2009 6:22 PM
Just booked a ticket for a saturday in june for $20.50 round trip. I have been a huge fan of Megabus from living in the UK where they're based, but getting to White Marsh, and paying the toll, was a pain.
Posted by: pigtown | May 1, 2009 10:18 AM