No Cats Allowed
August 9, 2008 12:53 PM Subscribe
Cheap way to get myself and my cats from NY to DC.
I'm currently staying with my friend in NYC, who has been taking care of my cats all summer for me while I was in New Orleans. I need to get back to "home" (D.C.) within the next week, and need to be able to get my cats down there with me. As I understand it, neither Amtrak nor the Chinatown buses (which I'd normally take) will allow pets in carriers on board (allergies and whatnot, I suppose.) I also lost my credit card while in New Orleans, with the replacement going to my address in D.C., and so renting a car is out (and would be prohibitively expensive for me anyway.)
Does anyone know of any buses or trains between NY and D.C. that would allow cats on board? Any other possible way I'm not thinking of? Thanks for your help!
I'm currently staying with my friend in NYC, who has been taking care of my cats all summer for me while I was in New Orleans. I need to get back to "home" (D.C.) within the next week, and need to be able to get my cats down there with me. As I understand it, neither Amtrak nor the Chinatown buses (which I'd normally take) will allow pets in carriers on board (allergies and whatnot, I suppose.) I also lost my credit card while in New Orleans, with the replacement going to my address in D.C., and so renting a car is out (and would be prohibitively expensive for me anyway.)
Does anyone know of any buses or trains between NY and D.C. that would allow cats on board? Any other possible way I'm not thinking of? Thanks for your help!
(Oh, and I meant to add: I realize that you specifically mentioned that renting a car was out, but in my research it turned out to be the only really viable option.)
posted by kdar at 1:04 PM on August 9, 2008
posted by kdar at 1:04 PM on August 9, 2008
look or post on craigslist for people driving nyc to dc and offer to split or cover the cost of gas!
posted by lia at 1:09 PM on August 9, 2008
posted by lia at 1:09 PM on August 9, 2008
Do you have a debit card? That might be the best option - renting a car with a debit card. Enterprise has weekend specials where it's something like $50 for the whole weekend.
Otherwise, check out some of the other bus companies, like Vamoose, DC2NY, etc.
posted by lunasol at 2:08 PM on August 9, 2008
Otherwise, check out some of the other bus companies, like Vamoose, DC2NY, etc.
posted by lunasol at 2:08 PM on August 9, 2008
Find a friend that will take gas money to drive you down.
posted by mr.anthony337 at 3:00 PM on August 9, 2008
posted by mr.anthony337 at 3:00 PM on August 9, 2008
You can get a flight from NY to DC for ~$100 on the Delta or United Shuttle. Airlines will help you make arrangements to fly your cats as carry on or checked luggage, depending on the size of your cat carriers.
posted by decathecting at 1:13 PM on August 10, 2008
posted by decathecting at 1:13 PM on August 10, 2008
Airlines will help you make arrangements to fly your cats as carry on or checked luggage, depending on the size of your cat carriers.
airlines will only allow you to fly one animal per carrier in the cabin PER PERSON, so this doesn't work for Navelgazer, who has multiple cats. checking animals into the hold is something you should only do when you really have no other way to get them from point a to point b—luggage holds can change temperature and lose pressure, both of which can kill an animal while you're in the air, and in the summer airlines won't accept pets as luggage because the tarmacs get too hot.
posted by lia at 2:29 PM on August 10, 2008
airlines will only allow you to fly one animal per carrier in the cabin PER PERSON, so this doesn't work for Navelgazer, who has multiple cats. checking animals into the hold is something you should only do when you really have no other way to get them from point a to point b—luggage holds can change temperature and lose pressure, both of which can kill an animal while you're in the air, and in the summer airlines won't accept pets as luggage because the tarmacs get too hot.
posted by lia at 2:29 PM on August 10, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
Rent a car going one-way. It will be a little more than an Amtrak ticket (I was under 25 at the time and it cost me about $80 from Hertz, plus tolls and gas).
posted by kdar at 1:03 PM on August 9, 2008