Tripper Bus

This bus gets zero stars if I can possibly give it negative stars I would. I am very disappointed with this bus service especially since I’ve taken it in the past with no problem. I purchased a ticket from NYC to Bethesda and I came to the bus stop location 15 mins before as clearly instructed and I did not see the bus anywhere in sight. I have also taken this bus before so I’m familiar with the pick up location. It was horrendous outside– down pouring rain. I was completely drenched running around trying to see if the bus maybe changed it’s location and I still could not find it. I called the bus service at the exact time it was supposed to be there by. I spoke to a manger who told me the bus was already passing through the Lincoln tunnel which means the bus left WAY earlier than it stated for it to be passing the tunnel at that time. I was also told I was more than likely not going to receive any type of refund. So I was basically stuck in New York by myself with no where to go because it was the last bus. never ever again and ill be sure to pass my experience along to others!

Bus left on time and made it to NY as scheduled (12:30−16:20). It was a new clean bus with power outlets and WiFi. The wifi wasn’t working this time, otherwise five stars. Bethesda stop was great; will try the Arlington stop next time. $ 27.50 for a one-​way ticket.

I’ve used Tripper about 3 times to go to and from NYC, it’s nothing special
The buses are clean
Drivers are kind and nice
The seats are comfortable
WI-​FI doesn’t work
They give you water bottles prior to boarding
Arrive on time to their destinations
Bathrooms are clean
Prices are good

Another review about how miserable the staff is to deal with. Some of the rudest people I have encountered doing business. It is also worrisome when your driver smells of marijuana and has beet red eyes… Go with another company. Any other company. I will NEVER use tripper again.

I have been using tripper for years now just because it is convenient for location but i really miss bestbus. Tripper bus drivers can be very unfriendly, they don’t talk, maje no announcements, sit playing on cell phones while u load ur suitcase… of course not all of them are like that but some are.
Some trips they will bring water some others they won’t, not even a sorry. The tickets guy, the one tge always checks yoyr ticket is so unfriendly and can be rude… really, who hites these employees? No training? No customer service skills? I think i rather take 10 minutes ride on metro but go back to a pleasant and fun ride with best bus or another company.

Check-​in is quick, and their partnership with Cosi is a smart play. Some buses offer a case of tiny water bottles to grab on your way in. WiFi may work depending on the bus, but the driver may opt to not share the password. Most of the outlets function, depending on the bus. The Bethesda-​NY leg was on time, but traffic set back the arrival of the 6pm bus by a little over an hour for the return leg, which arrived shortly after the 7pm bus agreed to replace its spot in the schedule. When service failure occurs, the on-​site rep avoids communicating any updates with the restless passengers. Does its quality still edge out Bolt Bus based on net impact, despite almost double the cost and less applicable rewards system? Yeah, just barely.

I’ve taken Tripper close to 10 times now between Bethesda and New York and have driven the same route about 30 times. I’ve also taken other bus lines all over the country.
In my experience, Tripper has always been great: new buses, comfortable seats, leaves and arrives on time (except for things outside of their control like traffic). It probably has to do with my travel schedule, but I’ll usually get the two seat row to myself. I much prefer it to other bus lines.

Excellent DC/​NYC service! GREAT price, nice seats, friendly employees– what more do you need?

I was injured in an accident when the windshield broke, and Tripper Bus is ignoring my emails and calls to reimburse the last $ 150 of my hospital bills. Maria Placido, Gaithersburg, MD.

I had just returned from a a trip backpacking in Ecuador and arrived to the location around 10:10 AM happy to see the line of people. I had taken a roundtrip from NYC instead of DC to save on money so when it came to taking the bus back to Maryland I did not want to save on cash. I wanted to make sure I avoided unreliable often very cheap bus companies from which I read horrible Unilocal reviews of. I decided to pay a little extra (30 $ vs the 21 from Eastern) for Tripper expecting common competency.
As I waited in line and heard people speaking I was shocked to hear mumbles that the bus was overbooked. As it came to be my turn to get on it was confirmed by the driver after I had already placed my luggage in the compartment that the bus was indeed overbooked. I was forced to walk to a completely different city block in the New York Cold to board a Washington Deluxe Bus. Even on the Washington Deluxe bus I was again scared that me and the others who came from the initial tripper bus would again be turned down to an overbooked bus.
The incompetence on behalf of Tripperbus to simply provide seats to all of the people who purchased tissues in advance was shocking. I was profoundly disappointed in Tripperbus but myself because I had specifically decided to pay up the extra 9 $ using Tripperbus and expected a common level of competency which they failed to provide.

No other firm I’ve reviewed deserves a lower review. Nutshell review: bus broke down in both directions.
We got to our bus station at 6am, way earlier than needed on Fri ¹²⁄₂₆. The earlier bus came, and they had space for us. While in NJ, the driver stopped at a bus stop and told us of a «voltage problem», and that we might need a new bus. He tried this and that to deal with it. He was very communicative, which we appreciated. He finally corralled us back on but the bus was clearly having problems. We got there about 30 min later.
On the way back, the engine or transmission made very loud complaints like it wanted to die. He stopped several times but never told us ANYTHING! To make matters worse, there was some horrible traffic on the NJ Turnpike. 2.5 hrs late! To make matters worse, when people got off the bus, it seemed he didnt do a head-​count and told us to make sure our neighbors were present. Our wi-​Fi kept dropping and it was packed.
I will never ever use this service again and also blame myself for not doing more homework or book Amtrak way in advance. Fool me once, Tripper, shame on you!

*** Let me start off by saying Tripper Bus DOES NOT deserve 1 star. It does not even deserve zero stars. It deserves to be stripped of any stars it has. And yes, I still feel this way 24 hours after my extremely horrific experience with them, giving myself time to cool down before writing my review. ***
Now for what happened… On Sunday, June 29, 2014, I boarded the 5:00 PM Tripper Bus leaving NYC heading to Bethesda, MD /​Arlington, VA. About 20 miles outside of Newark, NJ, the Tripper Bus broke down on the side of the turnpike. The bus driver pulled over onto the shoulder, and exited the bus. At this time, no communication had been made to us, the passengers, in any capacity. We all sat on the bus, wondering what was going on. The bus driver continued to get on and off the bus for 30 minutes, tinkering with stuff outside the bus, then coming on the bus to attempt to start the vehicle. The only assumption we could all make was that the bus battery died, and he was trying to figure out how to start it.
One frustrated passenger, a mother traveling with her daughter on the bus, got up saying she was not about to die on the side of the NJ Turnpike, and asked the bus driver what was going on he had not even said 1 word to us at that point. He informed her (and only her) that the bus had indeed broken down, and that was it. Luckily for the rest of us, this passenger then took it upon herself to share this news with everyone else. The driver did not share this information himself.
Once we realized we would be stranded, we began disembarking the bus, as the air-​conditioning was not working and it was very hot and humid aboard the bus. The bus driver did not tell us to sit in a specific area or even give instructions for safety. Some people sat behind the bus, on the highway, some in front of the bus. Some stood in front staring into oncoming traffic, risking life and limb. The bus driver did not attempt to even gather everyone or to tell people to walk in the path between the bus and shoulder guard rail, as some people were still walking around the bus on the outside of the vehicle in highway traffic.
When the original frustrated passenger contacted Tripper Bus, she was at first told all of their buses had been chartered out and they were unsure what was going to happen. Finally, after continued calls into Tripper Bus, we were told a replacement bus would be coming and that was that. They shared no other information with us, and this information again did not come from the driver, but another fellow passenger.
Finally, a replacement bus came, and it was only at this point that we were informed while we had a ride home, we would not be able to get our luggage off of the original bus to take with us. Apparently when a bus breaks down, the luggage bay locks up as it only opens when the bus is running. NOBODY was okay with this. I personally had medication in my luggage that I did not need while I was on the bus but would need later in the evening, and I called Tripper Bus informing them of this. The lady who answered the phone was snippy and rude, acting as though I was inconveniencing her by calling and she rushed me off the phone. I’ve never experienced anyone so rude, cold, or brash in my life. As I ended the call, my jaw was on the highway gravel, astonished at how someone could be so indifferent given the situation we as passengers were in.
Several of us passengers got together and attempted anything we could to get the luggage bay open, working with the original bus driver and the new bus driver. As we were doing this, the original bus driver told us to write down our names and information as there was no way we could get our bags and they would somehow get our bags to us. We were the ones who had to remind him that traveling by bus is NOT the same as traveling via airplane. Nobody had tagged luggage and there was no legitimate way for them to get the right bags back to the right people. Lucky for us, the new driver contacted a company to come open the bay, and they eventually got our bags off the old bus and onto the new bus.
It was during this ordeal that the original bus driver let us know Tripper Bus executives had decided to no longer speak with him and would only be communicating with the driver of the new bus.
Today, instead of refunding our fare for the bus trip, Tripper Bus executives have decided to issue a voucher for a future purchase for them. This experience of sitting on the NJ Turnpike was more than enough for 1 lifetime and I have no interest in ever purchasing a trip from them again, and have contacted them repeatedly asking for a full refund. All these attempts at contacting Tripper Bus have been ignored, both yesterday and today. I hope anyone considering using them reads my review and heeds my warning – if you value your life, DO NOT USE TRIPPER BUS. I REPEAT, DO NOT USE TRIPPER BUS. NOT NOW. NOT EVER.

I’m a frequent traveler to NYC and Tripper is the only bus I take. Clean, friendly, safe, and convenient. They have two stops: Bethesda and Arlington. Both are right next to the subway, so I always hop on the subway straight from work and it’s an easy ride. Some drivers will stop at the rest station in Delaware so you can grab a bite. You’ll also get a free water bottle most of the time. Staff is so friendly. There’s not much you could ask for.
Bonus loyalty points for Tripper lovers: Buy 5 tickets and get 1 for free.

I rode Tripper Bus round trip from Bethesda to NYC. Both rides were uneventful, and I guess that’s all one can really ask for. We arrived half an hour prior to scheduled pick-​up, and the bus was already packed. If you are traveling with someone, definitely arrive early to ensure you get seats together.
Pros–
–Non-​stop ride
–On time
–Fast ride
–Clean
–Chargers in seats
Cons
–Slow Wi-​Fi (but hey, it’s a bus with Wi-​Fi.)
Will ride again in the future.

So after 14+ trips, finally had one bus breakdown that happened from Bethesda to NYC while in New Jersey, the first time was just a engine light warning and we stopped at a rest area to troubleshoot and were told a mechanic was coming from Baltimore and were looking at 1 – 2 hours. Luckily, we managed to convince the driver to keep going and we made it to the next rest area but at that point the bus was actually having issues and it was more than just the engine warning light so we stopped.
Afterwards was a little chaotic as part of our group was to be picked up by the next bus, which they just took the people in the front of our bus, the remainder of us were SOL until another bus which would be 1 – 2 hours. So instead we opted to arrange for cab transportation, luckily a woman with us called tripper bus and organized it with them and the cab company. This was all paid for by tripper bus.
The next day they sent us an e-​mail giving us credit on our next trip, I imagine some people got refunds but overall I’m still happy with tripper bus. While unfortunate, shit happens and it was a 3 hour delay but eventually got home. There was some room for improvement as far as backup plans cause sending a bus from DC/​Baltimore sucks when you’re north of Philly. The driver wasn’t great at communicating what was going on, but to be perfectly honest he’s just a driver, he calls his superiors to get a plan and I can’t expect everyone to be like Rick from Walking Dead to tell us what to do.
It could have been a lot worse for a Sunday evening. Anyway, still highly recommend tripper bus as a cheap efficient way from Bethesda/​NYC.

I was already upset that I had to take a bus to NY. But the Tripper bus was not a bad experience as compared to my MegaBus adventure.
Each seat was provided with outlets for charging your portable devices. The driver was fun and personable and attempted to converse with most passengers. He even gave us bottled water for the trip. Before departure, he gave us bus rules and provided us information on how to access the free Wi-​Fi. And not that he could control it, but we arrived to NY at the projected time.
Sounds good so far, right? Well on the way back, we had a different driver, no bottled water, no pleasant conversation with passengers and most importantly, NO WI-​FI. I swear, the only reason this review is not rated less is because I slept the entire ride back. If I was up, I would have been so livid!

3.5 stars
Pros —
— Always on time (so far, *touch wood*)
— Free Wi-​fi that works
— Charging plugs with every seat — dual ones too, so I dont need to share with the super needy lady next to me with 20 gadgets)
— courteous drivers
— convenient stops (Bethesda in DC and Penn Station in NYC for me)
— Express connections (sometimes the bus makes no stop at all, which rocks!)
Cons
— Uncomfortable seats
— REALLY unclean toilets (I mean, I know it is a freaking bus, but seriously the toilets suck)
–Super pricey. I mean 27 bucks one way kinda sucks!

I am hoping that my experience this weekend was a freak incident, never to be repeated by this company. Given that my review 2.5 years ago was fairly positive, my nightmarish time with Tripper bus on Saturday came as quite a shock to me.
I finally decided to redeem my free ticket, from booking a few tickets previously. The fares have increased now to $ 27/​person… and you still get a free bottle of water.
The trouble started right when I checked in. I had changed the time of my reservation, but the check-​in guy kept insisting that my reservation was cancelled. When he finally realized that I had actually purchased a ticket, he asked me if I was willing to go on a later bus. After I refused, he said he would «try his best» to accommodate me on this bus… well, obviously, since I purchased the right ticket… He was also fairly rude and told me that I should boycott La Madeleine, upon observing that I had purchased breakfast there.
The bus was 20 minutes late and took an additional 10 minutes to board. Despite being a half hour behind schedule, the light traffic on Saturday should have evened things out. This is when the misery really started. Not more than 1 hour into the trip, the driver discovers that there are air pressure problems with the door, causing it to swing open while driving. Throughout the trip, we had to pull over AT LEAST 5 times just to fix that door. We also made a stop at a Delaware rest stop for 15 minutes, which I would have appreciated if we were not already so behind schedule. At one point, we pulled over twice in less than 10 minutes just to fix the door. The driver even used duct tape and velcro… if that doesn’t make you feel safe, what does, right?
Driver was also talking on his cell phone the whole time — granted using headphones, but still…
We arrived to New York City 2 hours late… I can tolerate a little tardiness when bussing into the city, but two whole hours is so unacceptable.

OK, if money were no object, I’d have taken Amtrak. But I’m retired, don’t have a big income, and $ 27 each way from Bethesda to NYC looks like a pretty good deal, compared to what Amtrak charges.
The trip up to NYC was supposed to take 3 hrs and 50 minutes, but actually took about 6 hours — but that was the fault of a traffic jam on the NJ side of the Lincoln Tunnel. Can’t much blame the bus company.
The trip down to Bethesda somewhat made up for it. Scheduled for 4 ½ hours, actually took 3 ¾. Shows what can be done if traffic is light.
It’s a bus, of course. Seats are narrower than a train would have, and you can’t get up and walk about. But this would have been the case on any bus, even Greyhound, and considering the fare, I can’t really complain.
The nice thing is, you can reserve in advance and they e-​mail you a response that serves as a ticket — though this means you need a printer (although, some people with smart phones simply showed the e-​mail on their screen to the guy checking tickets!) You don’t need to know whether there’ll be space on the bus; you find out which buses have space available when you reserve.

I rode the bus from Bethesda to NYC for about $ 50 round trip on the weekend after New Years.
Ride there: left for NY about 30 minutes late, overall arrived an hour late, no free water, lots of space (each person got 2 seats)
Ride back: left on time, arrived in Bethesda early, received free water yay, all seats taken
Overall: decent experience although the free wifi is a little slow. I would use them again in the future since it’s so convenient.