Bolt Bus

Bolt Bus was not reliable for me on my return trip for Memorial Day weekend 2016.
I paid three weeks in advance and arrived to the Cherry Hill, NJ bus station 20 mins before my scheduled 8:20am departure, The Bolt bus was 15 to 20 minutes late. When Bolt bus arrived the driver, insisted that women and children load their items first, which was great! However the bus arrived completely full and the driver informed us that he only had 3 more seats, at this time 10 of us remained outside the bus and were denied due to overcrowding. I had intended to be in NYC for 10:55, The driver informed us that we would need to catch the next bus for «9:20am», This is not the worse part! I nicely call bolt customer service and wanted to know when the next bus was arriving, she informed me that the next one would not be until «10:20» and it is sold out so she cannot guarantee me or the other 9 patrons a seat, she wanted to then transfer me to customer service but could not provide me a number, I asked to speak to a supervisor first and he said it was out of his hands and he cannot see the count of people on the next bus, I asked him where he was and he said «The Philippines» I was transferred to the Dallas office and the women on the phone was very rude, and could not help and insisted the next open bus was not until 12:55pm, I asked for a refund, she informed me 3 to 5 business days. I WAS LATE and did not make it to NYC by 10:55am, I rather had to call someone to pick me up, drive across the bridge to Philly and pay $ 55 additional dollars to take the Amtrak train, I do no recommend this bus service, I would rather you pay more and avoid being left stranded on the side of the corner at the bus stop.

Great value for money. Took this to Washington, D.C. For $ 19 each way. On the way down, older bus that was a bit smelly. On the way back got a newer bus with newer seats and Wifi. Beats the train at $ 160 each way.

Horrible! No wifi, seatbelt didn’t work, broken arm rests
But friendly staff and an easy ride — so maybe it’s worth $ 17?

I’ve taken the bus from NYC-​DC roundtrip pretty consistently over the past year, but have typically taken Vamoose due to the Arlington drop off location. This time Bolt’s schedule worked out better so I decided to try it. My experience is a comparison of Bolt vs. Vamoose. Vamoose is slightly pricier, but worth it when you compare the two.
1) Bolt Pick up Location: It’s ok, not great. Took the 7 train so didn’t have to walk far, but not as accessible a Vamoose pick up. Note: you can only buy snacks/​food from street vendors. No restaurants or cafes this far west so bring your own drinks and food in advance (or buy at the break — see (6))
2) Boarding: Definitely more chaotic than Vamoose. Since there were several Bolt buses loading, it took a few minutes to find the DC bus. Some signage would help. The boarding groups seemed to be mixed together once the boarding started so the priority aspect didn’t appear to matter much. Also, because each passenger loaded his/​her own bags, the baggage was tossed around under the bus and pretty unorganized. I had taken the Vamoose touch for granted, but they have a very streamlined boarding procedure and someone is always there to load /​unload bags. Not a big deal, but a nice touch, and it speeds up the loading time (faster loading/​boarding with Vamoose and better organized).
3) Departure Time: Bolt left late. Bus driver didn’t board until 5:30pm. As he was getting situated, a distressed passenger got on to plead that the bus be held for his family (5 people total). Bus driver held the bus, but then family shows up with a car full of luggage. So, we probably didn’t push off until 5:45 (5:30pm departure time). I felt for the guy getting there late, but honestly, you held up an entire bus full of people. Vamoose has ALWAYS departed on time.
4) Wifi and Outlets: Do not expect these services to work… period. I’ve had a hit and miss experience on Vamoose and I know things happen (actually, wifi has always worked on Vamoose buses and it’s slow, and the plugs only didn’t function on one trip). 20 minutes into the trip the driver announced that wifi and outlets weren’t working. Based on other Bolt reviews, this may be the norm rather than the exception.
5) Bus Bathroom: Never a pretty experience so my expectations aren’t terribly high. That said, Vamoose wins hands down. Bolt bus bathroom smelled, had not been cleaned, and there was NO hand sanitizer. Vamoose bus bathrooms have always been equipped with sanitizer, are clean, and didn’t have that terrible bathroom odor (which indicates lack of cleanliness). I’m not expecting a 5-​star experience (I mean, these are bus bathrooms), but at a minimum, clean them and refill the sanitizer!
6) Rest Stop: Ok, now I had read that Bolt bus stops for trips over 4 hours… but wasn’t sure if we would or not (I know some buses have put it to a vote). Also, the scheduled arrival time DOES NOT account for time spent at a rest stop (something to keep in mind). Not only did we stop in Delaware, but it well exceeded the 15 min. I think we were there about 20 minutes+. Vamoose doesn’t stop. This is a personal preference — I prefer to just get the trip over with.
7) Seats: They do have a bit more legroom than Vamoose — this is true. But, like other reviewers, I found the seats to be a bit hard. And I was definitely sore from the trip the next day. So, personal preferences I guess.
8) Arrival: We arrived Drop off at Union Station is convenient, but again, passengers have to retrieve their luggage fro the «pile» of bags under the pass. Vamoose staff always unload and place bags in a neat order on the curb. Again, speaks to quality of service for the price. Overall, we arrived about an hour late without significant traffic or any accidents. 5 hour trip total.
Overall: Bolt can be cheaper than Vamoose from time to time, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Bolt is only about $ 10-​$ 15 cheaper during off schedule times, but it is the same price for peak travel times (like Sunday afternoon). Also, the Bolt schedule on their website is not likely what you’re going to get in reality. We arrived about an hour late without traffic issues or accidents. All things being equal, I’d take the Vamoose experience for the marginal difference in price.

This bus gets me to Boston quicker than Lucky Star by 30 minutes. Hurray for blood circulation to my legs! However, the pickup location is pretty inconvenient since it’s not that close to the subway and it’s a hassle to lug whatever you have to bring to this location. There’s no physical building for you to wait in case you get there early as well.
Although this bus saves me approx. 30 minutes in comparison to Lucky Star, I wouldn’t pay more than $ 30 for a ticket since Lucky Star accommodates you better and tends to have more or less the same ticket prices.

Awful, awful, awful company. No customer service. Ignore their 877-​bolt-​bus number. They must laugh after each call.
We had tix for the 1 pm NYC to Boston bus. NYC traffic had us there 5 minutes late. Started calling «customer service» before 1. First person we spoke to told us «Sorry, we have no way to contact the driver (for him to wait a few minutes).» A blatant lie. The minutes were ticking away. A «manager» kept repeating «can’t hear you.» Nonsense. The minutes ticked away till it was too late.
Unable to contact the driver? Bullsht. In this day and age? If the bus breaks down, does the driver have no way to call the company? Of course they can contact the driver.
Bolt’s policy? «No refunds. Thanks for the payment!» Next bus? «Standby only. No guaranteed seat.» Want a guaranteed seat? «Buy another ticket.»
From now on we’re taking the Chinatown bus.
On top of this? Their website listed that the bus didn’t leave till 1:35 pm. Blatant lie #2. I was parked in their spot from 1:05 till 1:40 trying to speak to «customer service.» No bus present.
Take the Chinatown bus folks.

I wish I can give 0 star. But there is no such option. I got the bus for 630 am but they change the location of the bus stop twice without telling people like me who follow the direction. I get on the 730 bus but due to the bus driver hit some truck. It cause me to miss my flight from DCA. The worst bus ever.

Fairly frequent rider, and there are inconsistencies because of locations and the employees. A few of them do their jobs with decency and order, others create chaos by not making these savages stand back. The letter boarding is genius, but there should also be bag placement order. The snob in me says that one shouldn’t board A’s and B’s together, lol but thats just me. An A is an A, correct?
Seventy seven percent of the ppl are confused about where to stand/​wait and sometimes the workers look at them angrily, when asked a question. Uhhh hello?! Aren’t you AT WORK? Service with a smile goes a long way.
For the most part, I don’t have any issues. It’s better than other buses (well there is one that is equal and does some things this company could stand to start doing) and as for the plugs, there’s a way around your 48 pound charger falling out, bring an extension cord, YOU’RE WELCOME.

I’ve been traveling to DC often on Bolt and it is the best priced option. The chairs are comfortable and if you sign up for the frequent traveler program you usually get A section for the seating. My only complaint is that sometimes the buses can be a little bit late in arriving. If you want a smooth journey I do suggest leaving early at around 7:30 AM or so. i do think they could build some kind of shelter on the west side since it can be bitterly cold there waiting for a bus.

Convenience at its finest. Making the trek from NYC to Boston while on a budget. This is the cheapest way to do it. It’s very hard to get between these cities for under $ 100. I know a bus may not be the glamorous route to take but WHO CARES. If you’re looking for champagne service on this trip, obviously don’t take BoltBus. If you’re looking for a cheap direct way to get to another city, I’d recommend BoltBus.

I was a little surprised by all of the less-​than-​flattering reviews for Bolt Bus. I’m originally from Philly so I use Bolt Bus and Mega Bus all the time (As a matter of fact, I’m on it right now heading to Philly).
My only criticism, as a fellow Unilocaler previously noted, is that the pick-​up location is mad inconvenient. It’s at 33^rd between 11^th and 12^th (by the Jacob Javits Center). I caught a cab from Penn Station but there have been a number of times where I had to walk down 33^rd or 34^th St. because there weren’t any cabs and it’s not fun, no bueno. In fact, it’s almost depressing. Doesn’t even feel like New York over there. .. I digress.
Air-​conditioned, outlets if one needs to charge their phone, wi-​fi for those who need to access the Internet, and a bathroom for those geniuses who drank water (or otherwise) before taking a two-​hour trip (I personally avoid most public toilets when at all possible so can’t speak to whether it’s clean or not).
There’s even a nifty little foot-​rest thingamajigy to keep it all the way funky!
It’s quicker than taking the New Jersey Transit to Trenton and then switching (sometimes having to wait) to Septa into Philly. I paid $ 24.50 round trip ($ 11 one way and $ 12 return + $ 1.50 service charge) and I purchased my tickets online at about 12:30AM this morning.
I’m not mad at Bolt Bus at all. Especially since it used to be like playing Russian Roulette catching the China Town buses. Plus the buses are waaaaay cleaner than the MTA subways and buses. No rats, fights, or trash here. Just a nice opportunity to get your read on (or a phone conversation like this lady two seats behind me…).
I’m a fan! Thank you Bolt Bus!

Never never never again. The old adage about ‘you get what you pay for’ definitely still stands.
Our bus was late leaving DC this morning, driver insisted on 2 pit stops, none of the shoddily-​retrofitted outlets worked, and then we had an accident on the NJ turnpike. What should have been a 4 hour trip is now 7 hours AND COUNTING. We’ve missed our dinner reservations and will likely miss our show.
Not only did they leave us sitting on the side of the highway in a precarious spot for over an hour, there was NO communication with passengers, and no response from corporate.
So beyond unacceptable. I’d rather attempt to walk to New York than ever deal with this company again.

My wife and I tried Bolt Bus for the first time and it was kinda crappy.
We used it for a round trip to DC from NYC. The bus to DC had shabby AC outlets that nobody’s adapters would stay attached to. It had no seat belts for passengers, and the wifi was useless.
The bus back to NYC had seat belts but the air conditioning was broken on a 90° day in June. We didn’t even attempt to try the wifi.
About the best I can say is it got us there and back, and the drivers are nice. However, we probably won’t use this company’s bus service again.

If you’re paying under $ 25, you’re getting what you pay for, and it’s a good deal. More than that? I’d go with Mega Bus, pay extra for Amtrak, or rent a car. Nicer now that they joined with Greyhound. But still your usual wait outside, get crowded, mostly workers who don’t really care about keeping order, sometimes wonky outlets/​wifi, and what a usual bus ride is. Still a darned good deal, if you plan ahead of a cheap ticket.

It’s a cheap bus, so you can’t expect much.
On the way to Boston, we had to sit in the very first seat, which means we didn’t get to use outlets. Our pitstop was at a random Burger King, but I appreciated using a real bathroom as opposed to the bus bathroom.
On the way back, we got seats with outlets (yay!) but the other side of the bus apparently had outlets that weren’t working at all. The bus also had some equipment trouble, but it only lost us about a half hour. Our pitstop that time was a gas station, which was great for snacks, but not so much for the bathroom.
Basically, if you need a cheap, fast way to get to nearby cities, Bolt is a good choice.
Oh, and the wifi? Yeah. I didn’t get any wifi signal on my iPhone on either bus, so don’t expect it. Thank goodness for my awesome data plan.

CAVEAT: This review is limited to the DC route, the only one I’ve taken so far.
THE GOOD: Overall, the ticket price was reasonable ($ 50 round trip). The bus assigned to our trip was clean, as were the bathroom and luggage hold. The driver was courteous and cautious with his driving. The best part of the trip is having Union Station as the DC stop, which is where the red line of the Metro runs through, is served by many bus lines and cabs, has many restaurants and ATMs, and other amenities. Union Station is also a good walk away from where most DC museums and attractions are.
I booked the 11 am trip back to New York, but arrived early enough for the 1030 ride, and I was glad to have been accommodated on that earlier trip.
THE BAD: the New York «terminal» is on 33^rd street. This is not the best of locations, especially if your trip begins or ends in the early or later hours, or in bad weather. I began my trip on a particularly cold and rainy day. The bus was late, and some passengers were late.
The construction at Hudson Yards is another factor that makes the walk to and for the «terminal» iffy.
There was no WiFi on the NYC-​DC trip.
THE UGLY: the enticement of a $ 1 ticket is a clever ploy. I have yet to see such a ticket becoming available.

I travel often to Philadelphia and New Jersey for work, and out of all the providers between New York and Philadelphia, Bolt Bus stands out as the better choice. The buses are kept clean, the staff are courteous and pleasant (shout out to Karen, who drives this route, for always being affable and professional), and they are reasonably on time. Nine times out of 10 the outlets work and the Wi-​Fi is reliable. (If either doesn’t work, no problem – I’ll just sleep.)
I like the fact that every passenger who purchased a ticket is guaranteed a seat. At least you don’t have to fall in line an hour early during peak months in the hope that you’ll be able to get to the bus schedule that you originally want. It also forces you to make sure you make it, ergo, be on time. Because if you miss your schedule, there’s no assurance that you’ll be accommodated at the next one.
One thing I wish they would do is to have a way to update passengers on the whereabouts of the bus especially during inclement weather. It can become nerve-​racking for someone to arrive at their 33^rd and 11^th stop during a snow shower, and find no bus and no Bolt Bus staff to ask questions to.
I find it so surprising that Bolt Bus, as a whole, is so different from its parent company, Greyhound. And that’s good, because I am happy to give my business to Bolt Bus.

I have used Bolt Bus at least half a dozen times, so I’m evaluating based on multiple experiences. I definitely prefer this company to Megabus. It is ridiculously cheap to travel from NYC to DC ($ 12 – 14). The buses are generally clean, the drivers are courteous, and you can use the outlets to charge your devices. Wi-​fi is spotty. Sometimes it can get a bit cold on the bus, so I try to remember to wear thick socks (seriously, heat rises). They have a decent safety record and generally arrive on time. And anytime I have called customer service, they are friendly and helpful.
By contrast, I don’t ride Megabus because ONE TIME the bus was a few hours late, missing my connecting bus. They refused to honor my ticket for a later departure, and I had to buy a new ticket for my connecting bus. I tried to contact customer service several times, no response. My credit card company sorted it out, but I have engaged in a personal boycott ever since.

My 1^st time taking boltbus! Boston bound and the bathroom is so nasty! They need to hire people to clean the bus! Thank God I traveled with my own toilet tissue! This is a freaking 4 hour bus ride and they should have respect for the passengers to clean the bathroom! I so disgusted!
Yes, I’m happy about the free wifi and I can charge my phone which are very important to me but I need a clean bathroom!!! I also need the extra leg room mentioned on the site! This is average leg room to me! Also it would be nice to have a laptop or food plate like they do on the plane so people can eat and work on their laptop comfortably! Did I mentioned how small the overhead bin is! My bag couldn’t fit up there! Also the wifi sucks!!! I took Boltbus for the wifi and it SUCKS! BoltBus needs to work on a lot of improvements!
The driver was nice and he did a good job making me feel safe on the bus! I’m the 12:30 bus heading to Boston out of NYC

It’s good to know that if the completely underwhelming Megabus one street up lets you down there’s at least another option to go for on 33^rd street. Not that it’s substantively better in any significant way, but once in a while there are cheaper ticket prices.
The buses from this particular Boltbus port travel to Boston, Maryland (D.C.), and Philly. Luckily, these buses have always been punctual in terms of their departure time. Depending on that, arrival time can be a mixed bag; with that in mind, be sure to have a flexible schedule upon arrival, both for your sake and those who may be looking forward to seeing you.
The bus itself is actually quite comfortable, and there are power outlets in most seats (towards the back I believe there are no outlets).
While Boltbus may not be the end all be all alternative to the Megabus (both of whom have been making a killing I’m sure since the closing of the awesome Chinatown buses), it is a more than serviceable option that can be taken. And if you’re lucky enough, taking this bus on the right day can make if appear as if it’s worlds better than the bus company just one street up.