In January I took a trip to Boston. I took Amtrak to Boston from New York City and got back using a bus line called the Bolt Bus. I decided to take both methods of transport to compare the experiences.
Pricing
First let’s see how much it costs to get to Boston and back using various different methods available (Rail via Amtrak, Bus via Bolt Bus and commercial airlines).
Amtrak charged $64 for a seat in coach on their regular train service and $92 or so for the express train (less stops). The difference in time is that the express train gets to Boston 45 minutes faster at 3 hours and 30 minutes versus 4 hours and 15 minutes.
The Bolt Bus charges $8-$15 each way. Tickets are on the cheaper end if you book earlier (a week or two in advance). The ride is approximately 4 hours give or take depending on traffic conditions.
As a reference airfare tickets from NYC area airports to Boston are generally $250-$300 and duration of flight is 1 hour and 15 minutes. However let’s not forget what a hassle air travel is compared to bus/train due to airport security.
I was surprised at how pricey Amtrak was. Sure it’s cheaper than taking a flight but when comparing against longer distances such as NYC to Chicago it’s cheaper a lot faster to take a flight. Also the Bolt Bus is astronomical cheap compared to Amtrak. I’m surprised it’s not more economical to move people in bulk using the rails or Amtrak can’t figure out how to get prices down to that level.
Amenities
The Amtrak train is spacious and has big windows letting you enjoy the scenery. Each row of chairs had it’s own power port and an overhead rack for small baggage. There are bathrooms in every car and a snack car offering various snacks. What’s truly disappointing is that there’s no wifi at all! I expected wifi because the Bolt Bus amazingly offers free wifi.
The Bolt Bus was truly a bargain in terms of pricing and amenities. There are leather seats and power ports to accompany each seat. The free wifi also helps in keeping you busy for the 4 hour ride. Although not as spacious and roomy as Amtrak it’s not exactly cramped either.
Conclusion
I’m going to avoid taking Amtrak in the future. For short haul trips such as Boston I’ll take the bus. For longer destinations I’ll fly. It’s a huge deal breaker that Amtrak doesn’t have wifi and the prices are out of line with what they should be. The extra comfort space offered by Amtrak doesn’t justify the price and time it takes to get from point to point.
Here’s the real kicker: Amtrak is a government owned and subsidized entity. I don’t know if that means they should be able to offer cheaper tickets or the state they are in now is right where they should be.
wtf. There are 4 cheap “china town” style bus companies [fungwha, luckysar, bolt, mega] running busses every 1/2 hour [sometimes every hour] between NY and Boston – non stop 365 days a year. That is almost a bus leaving every 15 min. and most of the busses are packed!
How is it that the train does not think there is enough business to try to compete with these busses. Why would anyone pay 92$ to take the train when the busses run more frequiently and are 1/4 the price????
come’on amtrack!
I just compared Amtrak (regional, not Acela) from Boston to Philadelphia, and it was a full two times the amount of a flight. This really gets to me, because train travel is supposed to be the least ecologically impactful way to travel. But I can’t afford it!
amtrack is run by the govt that is why it is so expensive
buses are free market
Seriously, what the fuck is amtrak thinking? A trip from Phoenix to LA is $118? And you get there in 15 hours. A southwest flight is 110 bucks and you get there in an hour and 10 minutes. How is amtrak competing?
I must fully agree with “chinatownbusGUY” as I tried to take a train/bus option from Philadelphia train station to NYC Manhattan last Christmas. For $18 by their website or $20 on the spot, and some 90-100 minutes later, one is standing on Manhattan’s soil. Amtrak is $92 for the very same service, what a bloody disparage for an 85 miles long trek! Not a single european train service is this expencive, usually running at 30%-50% of such price.