Getting from NYC to Phila and DoylestownPA
July 21, 2012 11:04 AM Subscribe
Best ways to get from NYC to Philadelphia and then Doylestown, PA? (via Public transportation!)
Buses? Trains? Specifically Doylestown is the mystery - how to get from Philly to Doylestown?
Buses? Trains? Specifically Doylestown is the mystery - how to get from Philly to Doylestown?
NYC to Philly by Amtrak, Bolt bus, Chinatown bus, or an ungodly combination of New Jersey Transit and SEPTA.
Philly to Doylestown by SEPTA.
I also suspect that there should be buses to Doylestown from Trenton, but I can't verify this.
posted by oryelle at 11:23 AM on July 21, 2012
Philly to Doylestown by SEPTA.
I also suspect that there should be buses to Doylestown from Trenton, but I can't verify this.
posted by oryelle at 11:23 AM on July 21, 2012
Also, it looks like Greyhound runs from Philly to Doylestown. You've got options.
posted by oryelle at 11:24 AM on July 21, 2012
posted by oryelle at 11:24 AM on July 21, 2012
I actually take this trip (or, well, to another stop on the Doylestown line) often!
I take the Megabus to Philly -- prices usually less than $15, buses every two hours, gotta buy in advance -- and then SEPTA the rest of the way. You can also take NJ Transit/SEPTA through Trenton, but it takes forever and is more expensive.
The bus will take you right to 30th Street Station, where you can buy a ticket to Doylestown, which is conveniently on the Lansdale/Doylestown line, and the last stop is Doylestown. Should cost you around $5. SEPTA's website sucks, but you can find a schedule here, under Lansdale/Doylestown.
posted by whitneyarner at 11:37 AM on July 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
I take the Megabus to Philly -- prices usually less than $15, buses every two hours, gotta buy in advance -- and then SEPTA the rest of the way. You can also take NJ Transit/SEPTA through Trenton, but it takes forever and is more expensive.
The bus will take you right to 30th Street Station, where you can buy a ticket to Doylestown, which is conveniently on the Lansdale/Doylestown line, and the last stop is Doylestown. Should cost you around $5. SEPTA's website sucks, but you can find a schedule here, under Lansdale/Doylestown.
posted by whitneyarner at 11:37 AM on July 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Nthing Bolt Bus from NYC to Philly.
I recently priced it out, and the interesting "ungodly combination of NJ Transit and SEPTA" is actually more expensive than a bus ticket.
posted by Sara C. at 12:09 PM on July 21, 2012
I recently priced it out, and the interesting "ungodly combination of NJ Transit and SEPTA" is actually more expensive than a bus ticket.
posted by Sara C. at 12:09 PM on July 21, 2012
I also suspect that there should be buses to Doylestown from Trenton, but I can't verify this.
The first hit on Googling doylestown trenton bus is a bunch of people in the area saying there is no such thing. Trans-Bridge Lines has buses from NYC to Doylestown making a bunch of stops; travel time is 2:25 from Port Authority.
Some random people have compiled a list of ways to get from Newark Airport to Lansdale, which may be useful.
But if you actually have reasons to be in Philadelphia, I suspect the best way to do it is the obvious one -- Boltbus/Megabus/etc. from NYC to Philly, SEPTA regional rail from Philly to Doylestown.
posted by madcaptenor at 12:09 PM on July 21, 2012
The first hit on Googling doylestown trenton bus is a bunch of people in the area saying there is no such thing. Trans-Bridge Lines has buses from NYC to Doylestown making a bunch of stops; travel time is 2:25 from Port Authority.
Some random people have compiled a list of ways to get from Newark Airport to Lansdale, which may be useful.
But if you actually have reasons to be in Philadelphia, I suspect the best way to do it is the obvious one -- Boltbus/Megabus/etc. from NYC to Philly, SEPTA regional rail from Philly to Doylestown.
posted by madcaptenor at 12:09 PM on July 21, 2012
I was on the NYC to Philadelphia AMTRAK this week. Travel business class. It's a $20 upgrade on coach, base fare on Acela trains. Fares vary depending on time of day, train, and whether you book in advance. The Acela is only 10-15 minutes faster than the regular train over this distance. Philadelphia's station is beautiful.
posted by zippy at 1:39 PM on July 21, 2012
posted by zippy at 1:39 PM on July 21, 2012
I am here in Philly right now, having taken Bolt Bus down yesterday. I definitely recommend that as the budget option, between about $10 and $14 one way. It is generally also faster than taking NJT/SEPTA, unless traffic is really egregious (which is rare). Amtrak is certainly faster if you want to spring for it. And everyone's right about taking SEPTA regional rail to Doylestown once you get there; should be easy to do.
posted by mlle valentine at 1:51 PM on July 21, 2012
posted by mlle valentine at 1:51 PM on July 21, 2012
Best answer: Everyone has already covered this, but Bolt Bus or Megabus are the best options for combination of price, comfort, and speed. The only reason for considering NJ Transit rather than a bus is that you aren't tied to a specific time; with the buses you have to buy your ticket in advance and if you miss the bus you were supposed to be on, you may or may not be able to get a standby seat on the next one.
Definitely take SEPTA regional rail to Doylestown. Buy your ticket at the station instead of on the train to save a little money, and if you're coming back be sure to buy a roundtrip ticket in Philly because the suburban stations have pretty limited ticket office hours. Be sure to check the train schedule in advance, because depending on day/time the trains generally run either every half hour or every hour, and some of them end in Lansdale rather than going all the way out to Doylestown. The regional rail trains on that line are almost always on schedule and are clean and comfortable.
posted by jessypie at 2:51 PM on July 21, 2012
Definitely take SEPTA regional rail to Doylestown. Buy your ticket at the station instead of on the train to save a little money, and if you're coming back be sure to buy a roundtrip ticket in Philly because the suburban stations have pretty limited ticket office hours. Be sure to check the train schedule in advance, because depending on day/time the trains generally run either every half hour or every hour, and some of them end in Lansdale rather than going all the way out to Doylestown. The regional rail trains on that line are almost always on schedule and are clean and comfortable.
posted by jessypie at 2:51 PM on July 21, 2012
You could also to NJT from NYC Penn Station to Trenton Transportation Center, SEPTA's R3 line to Philly's 30th St. and SEPTA's R5 line to Doylestown.
posted by julthumbscrew at 3:20 PM on July 21, 2012
posted by julthumbscrew at 3:20 PM on July 21, 2012
Response by poster: And can I ask a subsidiary question: how to come home from Doylestown to NYC in the most direct way? must I pass through Philly again? Thank you and I'm sorry I forgot to add this in my original question.
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:52 AM on July 22, 2012
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:52 AM on July 22, 2012
As madcaptenor said, there does seem to be a bus company that runs from Doylestown to NYC without passing through Philly - Trans-Bridge Lines. I've never taken it, but I've taken similar regional bus services out here and they do get you where you're going, though the vehicles probably won't be quite as nice as Bolt Bus or Megabus. The Yelp reviews are positive, which is encouraging, and it sounds like it only takes a little over two hours to make the trip vs. more like four to take the train back to Philly and make a connection to a bus to New York. You'd get on at the Doylestown SEPTA station and have your choice of getting off at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown or going all the way to JFK Airport. If it were me I'd definitely take this bus rather than making an extra return trip to Philly.
posted by jessypie at 7:35 AM on July 22, 2012
posted by jessypie at 7:35 AM on July 22, 2012
jessypie, that looks brilliantly useful for me - thank you so much!
posted by kalapierson at 3:48 PM on July 22, 2012
posted by kalapierson at 3:48 PM on July 22, 2012
This is a great time to put in a plug for iSepta, a mobile app that lets you plug in origin and destination and shows you the upcoming train schedule along with options to view the full schedules. Invaluable for letting you know exactly how much time you have until the next train comes.
And while we're at it, NextSepta does the same for buses, subways, and trolley routes with the added bonus of near-real-time GPS locations for most of the buses etc.
posted by The Michael The at 10:13 AM on July 23, 2012
And while we're at it, NextSepta does the same for buses, subways, and trolley routes with the added bonus of near-real-time GPS locations for most of the buses etc.
posted by The Michael The at 10:13 AM on July 23, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pazazygeek at 11:08 AM on July 21, 2012