Best cheap way to get from NYC to Baltimore?

July 6, 2023 9:10 AM

Haven't made this trip in years. Amtrak seems INSANELY expensive! Are there still those cheap buses? What are their names, urls, etc.? Traveling July 20th-23rd or something.
posted by DMelanogaster to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)

Rome2Rio is really good for this kind of stuff. If you follow the link you'll see there are several bus companies that cover that route (prices vary a lot depending on date/time/how far in advance you're booking).
posted by mskyle at 9:18 AM on July 6, 2023

I have used Megabus to get to DC from NYC, here's the NYC to Baltimore route.
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:25 AM on July 6, 2023

Note that Megabus stops at the White Marsh MTA Park & Ride a bit outside Baltimore, not in the city itself.
posted by mskyle at 9:47 AM on July 6, 2023

The further in advance you can book amtrak the more reasonable the pricing gets.

If you can tolerate awful times, its currently showing $15 fares each way though. 420a departure from nyp and 1051p departure from bal.
posted by TheAdamist at 9:56 AM on July 6, 2023

Wanderu is not the aggregator site I remember using for this purpose, but it offers a number of bus options between NYC and Baltimore. The Chinatown busses site I remember from years ago doesn't seem to be around any more.
posted by EvaDestruction at 11:14 AM on July 6, 2023

I've ridden the Chinatown bus between DC and NYC without incident several times, but that was many years ago.
posted by Rash at 11:59 AM on July 6, 2023

I would definitely browse times! Google is showing me price ranges for Amtrak on July 20 ranging from $15 to $246, including a $37 ticket at 7:54am. I don't know how cheap "cheap" needs to be, but Amtrak can be had for under $60.
posted by epj at 12:21 PM on July 6, 2023

I take Flixbus all the time now from Philly to NYC. They seems to be new to Philly since the pandemic. I used to take a different one - Boltbus - but they left the East coast due to the pandemic and Flixbus moved in.

I'm sure it goes to Baltimore. I like that it allows you to book a specific seat, and also allows you to block the seat next to you (for a fee). The stop I usually travel to/from in NYC is at 31st and 8th Ave, but I have no idea about where the Baltimore stop is.
posted by citygirl at 6:10 PM on July 6, 2023

When I was a student in the 2010s the Chinatown bus was the answer to this.
posted by Otis the Lion at 8:11 PM on July 6, 2023

It seems like you've been presented with good options, so I'll throw in a tip: if you're prone to motion sickness, I'd advise against Megabus. A double decker bus sways a lot, which can make you pretty queasy.
posted by champers at 8:41 AM on July 7, 2023