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)

Best answer: 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 [1 favorite]

Best answer: 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 [1 favorite]

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 [1 favorite]

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 [3 favorites]

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