I'm writing this post from a bus - a BoltBus to be specific. Boltbus provides express city-to-city connections with some pretty cool amenities, like wireless internet and outlets to plug your electronics into (not all seats have these, though, so choose your seat carefully). True, the wireless isn't perfect - it's having some trouble streaming Netflix, for example - but anything that will get me from my friends in Boston to my boyfriend in New York in under five hours while providing internet of any kind is good by me. The price tag is what makes it especially appealing - my ticket was only $15 one way. Compare that with the $158 I paid for the Amtrak Acela (also has wireless) to get me from New York to Boston ahead of the post-Christmas storm (I was one of the last trains out before they shut the station down) and BoltBus is the clear winner.
BoltBus connects a variety of locations in New York, Washington DC, Boston, and Philadelphia. The further in advance you buy your tickets, the cheaper they are, and BoltBus offers a rewards system if you use their service frequently. So far my trip has gone smoothly and has included a single, ten-minute stop at McDonald's for a food and restroom break. It's a relief to be able to work, write, and watch chunks of my favorite tv shows as the wireless struggles with Netflix. Outside, the East Coast scenery is also still pretty with its heavy frosting of snow, so watching the cities go by has its charm, too.
Copyright 2010 Sara Harding
