Washington Deluxe Bus Service

I am currently riding on one of the buses traveling from NYC to DC and write my review from my seat. Having taken this same service going the other direction 2 days ago, I should have learned my lesson. I thought the first leg of the trip may have been an isolated experience… I was wrong.
This bus service is on the cusp of dreadful. The only saving grace being: 1) Inexpensive cost and 2) Cleanliness.
I am 6’2″, and I feel like I’m sitting inside a shoe box, a size 6 shoe box, with no ventilation. My legs are wedged in a space designed without any thought that a passenger may exist who stands higher than 5’7″. They advertise AC, but it didn’t seem to exist on either leg of this trip. They also claim to provide free Wi-​Fi, which simply does not function. It’s unbearably hot in here!
I would give this bus a single-​star review, but the price and cleanliness have helped the company avoid such embarrassment. That being said, I will NEVER bring my business back and suggest all riders search out alternative transportation modes or providers when traveling to and from DC/​NYC.

The ride to Washington DC was intolerable. The vehicle itself was in decent condition, standard comfy seats, enough leg room for average size person, but my leg rest-​kick stand couldn’t stay down. And for the bathroom, things just kept getting worst.
Granted I did get a terrible seat near the back, but one hour into our travels there was urine all over the bathroom floor. I decided I didn’t have to go to the bathroom anymore. Two hours in, the door no longer locked. It constantly swung open and emitted foul lingering odors of unmentionables.
The company guy did little to help with anything but look at it.
If the person in front of me leaned all the way back, they were on my knees.
The free wifi they offered was limited. I could use the browser but not download an app.
Ten minute pit stop for him to fix it after 2 hours for some kid to break it again.
Plus side: the driver didn’t crash the bus

Being that this bus company has two profiles, I will post my comments on each. I have been riding Washington Deluxe for years because they are inexpensive, stop at convenient locations and (in my opinion) are safer, clean and smell better than the Chinatown buses. I have been riding Washington Deluxe for years because they are inexpensive, stop at convenient locations and times and (in my opinion) are safer, clean and smell better than the Chinatown buses. With that said, the bus is usually late *sigh* so do not plan an important event around it or you will most likely miss it.
Recently, or so it seems, they’ve began letting dogs ride on the bus. Yes, this is very hipster-​ish and cute. But here lies the problem: what about people who are allergic. Now, I admitted am not an animal lover (yes, I value the lives of humans more. Lol typing that made me think of that episode of South Park where the PETA people were doing inappropriate things with animals) however there is a difference between casually passing animals in the street and being confined in the bus with one for 4 hours or more. Perhaps the company should allot specific buses and times for dog lovers to buy a seat for their pets? Or at least give a heads up to customers in case anyone is allergic? I think it’s only fair.
Other than that, the bus has outlets and WiFi which works sometimes so at least you can use your electronics without dreding losing power.

I had a great experience with this bus NY-​DC on 11 Oct then back on 12 Oct. The return bus especially was very clean and the 6pm bus driver and attendant were super friendly, explained everything really well and helped settle everyone into a good mood. The trip was fast and (except for a screaming kid on the outward leg, no fault of the bus service), it was a good experience and I’d use them again. Minus one star as the bus on the way out wasn’t super clean, though the bathroom was spotless.

Wow my trip to DC was a real great experience. What was must amazing how every customer is personally greeted at this price I really expected some shabby service. with free WiFi the trip was a breeze. the bus was brand new. You could even smell it. and We even arrived ahead of schedule wow keep it up we love your service

(Posting again because this service seems to have two profiles… sneaky)
Why take this unprofessional, lousy bus service when there are so many others?
Outbound trip: we were the first trip of the day, starting at 8am, and we arrived to find the bus absolutely filthy. Like, I went to the bathroom before the bus had even left its parking spot, and the bathroom floor was covered in a river of pee. Greasemarks from people’s heads all over the windows, etc.
The most confounding part of the trip was when the bus driver *didn’t know where the stop was* in Dupont Circle. So, we made good time to DC, but actually spent 25 minutes circling around Dupont Circle looking for the spot to disembark. In the end the driver parked illegally in a city bus stop and told us to get out fast. Seriously dude?
Return trip: Different driver, I should note.
We were supposed to leave at 3:30pm. 4 o’clock rolls around, we’re still standing outside in 90 degree heat and full sun, and I decide to call the company to see what the hell is up. «Oh the driver says he’s on his way.» «How long exactly?» «Should be 5 minutes. Is that okay» Uhh… no that’s really not particularly okay, but what do you think we can do about it? Got on the bus, he drove like a maniac all through the district, arrived at Union Station to load on a bunch of other passengers.
So here we are, this bus was supposed to leave at 3:30, it is nearly 5 and we are not even outside the District line.
My favorite part was when the bus driver just 1) told us to take our trash with us so «he didn’t have to clean the bus tonight», I guess that explains the river of pee episode before, and 2) when he just randomly stopped in the middle of the street on H St NE without pulling over, got out and went into the convenience store for 5 minutes. No explanation.
Sticking with Bolt Bus from now on, it’s a pretty simple choice!

For the most part my experience with Wash Deluxe has been ‘ok’ over the past few years. This past ride, both ways was a bit off putting though. Although on time, me and about 8 other passengers were ‘displaced’ and had to stand on the bus until we got from lower manhattan to MSG area. There, we were asked to get off the bus and guided to another empty bus. Everyone on the street waiting to be seated scowled at us and started becoming very impatient because they too didn’t know why they were still waiting to be told anything. The bus driver was pretty rude and wouldn’t answer anyone’s questions. The ride back had a similar feel. I was seated just fine, but the driver was pretty straight forward and mean, actually. He also stopped once for us to stretch our legs etc but he seemed to purposely stop at a rest stop that was clearly CLOSED as indicated by its glowing sign on the front door. It felt like we were cattle. We all filed off the bus and had to scramble for change to find food at the vending machine and wait in line to use the porter potties out front. Driver just smoked his cig and didn’t seem to give a shit that he could have driven another mile on the Turnpike to a fully functioning rest stop. I guess you get what you pay for?

Whenever they don’t make a stop they ran fast but when they do stop they do it for 20 or 25 minutes and it’s too much. However, they are super friendly and punctual

Excellent return transportation from New York. On time, really pleasant drivers, and a clean efficient service.

Good part: No stops, it takes 4 hours or less to get from NY to D.C.
Bad part: Many of the outlets on the bus don’t work and the wifi doesn’t work either. It doesn’t have even one bar. Better look for another bus with better reviews!!! :)

Generally speaking, this bus service did exactly what it was supposed to. I arrived in DC precisely on the scheduled arrival time. The bus was clean (except for the nauseatingly smelly bathroom!) and bright, and the Wifi was pretty strong. A huge perk, ofcourse, was being able to board locally at Empire Blvd and Bedford Ave and not having to travel to Grand Central Terminal. Minus one star for having to stand up outside of the bus for ten minutes after the scheduled departure time. Boo!

I took this bus from DC to NYC recently, and disappointingly, there’s nothing deluxe about this bus service at all. The seats were cramped, the bus smelled, our driver was slow (we arrived an hour late, despite the lack of traffic). You can also forget about any ‘premium’ perks like WiFi (which wasn’t working) or movies. I’m avoiding taking this bus service again.

This bus was terrible. It makes 3 stops in New York before it leaves for DC. The women collecting the money is rude and had the nerve to make me buy a bottle of water at the store across the street cause she didn’t have change for the fifty I handed her for payment of my $ 25 bus ride. Thats ridiculous. Thats like going to a store trying to buy a pack of gum but the cashier tells you to go across the street to Burger King buy some fries and tell them to make you exact change so you can buy your gum!!! She made it seem like I was stupid for not having exact change. Like as the person who’s job it is to collect money that it wasn’t her responsibility to have change. I will never ride this bus again.

As an experienced traveler, I can confidently say that I’ve had very few experiences that compare to the nightmare that Washington Deluxe caused me. I arrived at the meeting spot for the DC-​bound bus, saw the Washington Deluxe bus, and a man outside of it yelled «Washington, D.C.!» I ran up to him and showed him my ticket. The Washington Deluxe employee instructed me to go to 33^rd and 7^th Avenue, «near the Foot Action» to catch my bus. When I went to that location, another bus company told me that my bus met at 34^th and 8^th. In short, a Washington Deluxe driver misdirected me and caused me to miss my bus.
I immediately called Washington Deluxe. I spoke to the most astonishingly mean customer service agent I’ve ever spoken to. She literally called me a liar, raised her voice at me, and when I asked her to please lower her voice, she screamed louder. I then emailed another rep and received absolutely zero assistance. I am truly appalled at how little they care about their customers.
I can’t imagine a worse experience with Washington Deluxe. From start to finish, it was a disaster. There are plenty of bus services out there for consumers to choose from – do yourself a favor and choose another one.

Washington Deluxe OVERBOOKED the bus. There were not enough seats for the tickets sold. I needed to get to DC by a certain time and they would not even let me share a seat with a kind group of travelers that offered. They suggested no alternative and left me standing on the side walk with my suitcase. TERRIBLE COMPANY. The employees did not even apologize and stated it was «not their fault» but the company’s, great that helps a lot.
If it were not for Celia an employee of a bus company (I am not sure which one) who called all of her friends to help me and found me a ride on Megabus I would have been stranded. Thank you to her!
Stick to Bolt or Megabus. Washington Deluxe is completely unreliable!

This bus might be hit or miss. bought tickets with the groupon deal for a weekend trip to NYC. On the way there the bus was about 20 minutes late in starting (which actually worked in my favor since I was running late), and the bus itself was kinda crappy. The driver didn’t say anything to us and we just took off. The seats sucked, no wi-​fi, no outlets… and we got there an hour after schedule. We made a stop at a New Jersey service station, however, I did appreciate that the driver came back around to ask if everyone was present.
On the way back though, Washington Deluxe definitely redeemed itself. Quick check-​in process, driver (SJ?) took our bags. The engine started at 9:57, and we took off at 10. He made some quick announcements with good humor: wi-​fi, outlets under the seat, told us to be courteous to our neighbors, and made me happy to be riding with him. This man should get a raise. :)

First stop in DC was near DuPont Circle (Asians and whites). Next was at Union Station (blacks). Bus was full after Union Station stop.
The DuPont Circle location is just where they say it is. I looked everywhere, not knowing for sure, where they’d actually pick you up, and it is indeed between DuPont Circle and 19^th St. (across the street from Panera where the bus lane is). He wasn’t there 15 min beforehand despite what they say online… he was parked around the corner waiting until the last minute before showing up, so don’t worry… he’ll be there. But once he shows up and checks everyone in, he leaves.
The bus we had going to NYC from DC looked just like the bus they have on the Washing Deluxe website. The bus on the way back to DC was different! When coming back from NYC, YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR THE ATTENDANT THAT HAS A WASHINGTON DELUXE beanie (hat). there are lots of people waiting for different buses at this location. I happened to come across our attendant guiding other passengers to stand in a certain location for pick-​up, so I lucked out when I saw her (not sure if I would have missed the bus had I not seen her). Our bus actually got redirected by a police officer directing traffic, so our attendant told us to go around the corner to board the bus. AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION IF YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THE BUS. Our bus was white on the way back and DID NOT have a large red «Washington Deluxe» on the side like our other bus did.
Bus on the way back only had power outlets on some of the rows, so look around if this is important. WiFi works (3 bars).
Don’t sit near the bathrooms unless you want to have people walking by you and want to smell the wonders of nature.
Can’t beat the price!!! I would take the bus again.

This bus is a better option in my opinion than the Chinatown buses, or the bolt bus which I hated. Yes, sometimes the wifi can be spotty, and you have to look for the seats with outlets. The customer service is ok, the drivers are pretty friendly, but they usually are quite reliable and normally leave on time which is a plus.

Just rode the bus from DC tonight. It wasn’t terrible. But just about everything promised on the website was missing.
The bus was late picking up.
It took more than 4 hours (closer to 5/5.5).
The wifi was broken.
There were electrical outlets only at random seats, mostly the front ones and I didn’t see that until I got off the bus with a dead phone battery.
The bathroom was clean but missing paper towels and water (instant dry alcohol based sanitizer provided)
*The bus is only vindicated by the fact that it was relatively empty and quiet, and I didn’t have to smell anyone’s baby or fried chicken. I’m actually tempted to give it 3 – 4 stars on that merit. If they had delivered on their promises I could have given another star.

Washington Deluxe is efficient and inexpensive. The drivers aren’t as crazy as on Fung Wah, where they flip a bus every 6 or 8 months.
I enjoy sitting up front by a specific sassy hasid who plays klezmer music moderately loud and warns riders «If you do not like my music, sit at the back of the bus, because I won’t turn it down!»
I like klezmer, so it’s all good.
They play pretty atrocious movies on the bus, so bring headphones, or sit where the klezmer drowns out the speakers. I remember one time wishing aloud that they would play something, anything other than the Jean Claude Van Damme flick that was playing on the last 3 rides I’d taken, and I got my wish, but the movie on that trip starred Tim Allen. Y’know, that drunk driving, essentialist-​gender-​notion promoting, totally mediocre comedian? HAAAAAA. Jean Claude, my friend, come back!