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Lucky Star Bus
Rating Details »
Category: Public Transportation [Edit]
Neighborhood: Chinatown25 Beach St
South Station Bus Terminal Gate #13
(between Harrison Ave & Knapp St)
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 426-8801
- Nearest Transit:
-
Chinatown (Orange, Silver)
Boylston (Green, Silver)
Downtown Crossing (Orange, Silver, Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 6:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
42 reviews for Lucky Star Bus
I prefer Yucky Star over Fung Wah. While they are both basically the same, I never had a problem with Yucky Stah. They seem to be quicker (maybe not a good thing) and a little less shady, and i mean a little.
The only thing i hate the most is boarding...it sucks whether you have a ticket or not as youre never guaranteed a seat.
I've seen the mentalists that get on these buses. You're more likely to get mugged on one of these buses than in NY.
Bolt Bus is the best, Fung Wah is second.
I had neither a horrible nor a stellar experience with Lucky Star.
I did get to NYC and back for less than $20 roundtrip and alive.
Maybe it was because I went on off peak times (down Thursday, back Monday), but neither bus was full, so I got to sit by myself. I basically just slept the whole time except for when we stopped at a Burger King to feed people/use the facilities, so I'm not really sure if anything especially sketchy happened. I would doubt it. But there were no scary people, no obscenely bad smells, or anything like that. And, as I said, I arrived in one piece.
I chose Lucky Star because I hadn't started my job yet, so I wasn't making any money and wanted to get down to New York at the last minute for really cheap, so Bolt and Mega were both more expensive. It served me just fine, but, I think for my next trip, I'm gonna splurge on the more expensive BoltBus.
I would call "Fucky Star Bus" from now. Such a world class service for 15 buck, Peefume essense, nexttelling (walkie Talkie) while driving the bus @night, 3 hours rush to NYC on 2am bus so bus drivers can drop stacks of Chinese newspapers @ different sites in Manhattan @ your cost and own safety. I have risked my life long enough using their poor class service. Until I met this ticket guy. My freaking pee shy blader was half frozen and ready to explode.
Me : Can I use the bath room please? Can I have the key?
Idiot :" I NeeK to Chee Yua Teeket" (in China town accent and sound)
Me " Yo, I just got off your bus. My winnie wanna pee, not the pooh"
Idiot : I NeeK to she Yuar Teeket" (god damn that accent still haunting me)
Me: Yo, I forgot to use smelly like ass restroom on the bus, let me have
the key.
Idiot : I NeeK to Chee Yua Teeket" or U Mush Boy Dah Teeket"
Me: U f--ing kidding me? I am not going back today. No need your f-cking Tee Tee Teeket. Let me pee or I will pee on your leg if I have to.
Ok, to this point.....how hard it is to understand
1. It is fuckin' winter, ok.
2. Yes, baby it's cold outside. And inside too. So I gotta pee.
3. I got off your fuckin' bus 1 min ago.
4. Gotta go means gotta go baby.
Idiot : Teeket, You buy the Teeeket.
Me : Peeing on your leg needs ticket too?
Idiot fell for it : Yus, YOU NEEDS TEEECKET!
Me: I pretending to unzip and gonna slap my dragon stick and the dragon balls on his dragon star turf.
Idiot: oui oui oui..."watch u dui ing watch u dui ing !".
Me: Gimme a ticket because u said I could pee on your leg if I have ticket!
Idiot : No no no. No pee for you. No teeeket for you.
Me: Ok, f--k u then. You just lost me for good.
I walked out to Pop Eye so my Winnie the Pee was happy.... after winnie the wiener hangging for 5 minute torturing hold.
I still could joke about in the moment I wanted to jump behind his counter, and both deck that man and pee on him for " I neech to chee your teeket " crap he pulled on me.
End the story, Dragon star is suck. I will Fung Wahing between cool Beandown and the land of Yankee suck from now.
Suck yo Dragon Star, Suck my dragon stick... and suck your Yankee jingle all the way and momofuku too. Dragon star! U used to have me @ Aiya ! Not anymore when I had to risk my balls for an insecured ride.
The great thing about Lucky Star is that you get to NYC
The bad thing about lucky star is that you'll hate yourself for not taking Fung Wah, when one of their partially full busses passes you on the highway, and you think "Wait, why am I sitting next to mister "I haven't bathed in a week" when I could be on an equally sketchy bus not sitting next to anyone?
Another down side is that if you're taking the Bus down to meet your latest and greatest Internet lover for a raucous all-weekend ass-rodeo, you might want to show up a few days early as the seats will undoubtedly leave you with back pains and hemorrhoids.
And lastly, what's really important to keep in mind about lucky star is that English is not the first language of most, if not all, employees. As such, I highly recommend double checking all fact (like where the bus stops in NYC) sot hat you don't find yourself wandering around Chinatown after dark, sending text messages to fellow yelpers like "Hey Becki, where the hell am I?"
You get what you pay for. It gets you to NYC and back for $30 and you can't beat that. No its not the greatest experience but it gets you there. I have used it several times and I can't complain too much.
For an extra 20 or 30 bucks It's worth not taking Lucky Star. My jacket still smells like bus one day later. Stay clean, stay healthy, stay safe, spend the extra cash to travel to/forth Boston/NYC.
Ok, so I have never ridden one of the Chinatown buses, but I felt compelled to post something after watching a Lucky Star bus ON FIRE outside my window last night!
http://www.youtube.com...
Seriously, WHY are these things always bursting into flames?!?
Yikes . . . ride at your own risk.
If you didn't order your tickets in advance for BoltBus and there aren't any tickets on MegaBus left this is your next best option for getting to New York on the cheap.
Lucky Star occupies a middle-ground between Fung Wah and the other low-cost buses like MegaBus and BoltBus. Like Fung Wah it's a no frills affair, but everything Lucky Star does better. From being cleaner, faster, and more reliable.
Both Lucky Star and Fung Wah have been doing this the longest and they have the Boston-New York route down to a science. But along the way Fung Way seems to have lost service, cleanliness, and occasionally even safety.
Lucky Star vs. Fung-Wah!!
The Lucky Star bus was actually the first in the business in running a low budget travel deal to NYC and to Boston. Then came the Fung Wah bus which stole all of the Lucky Star thunder due to their strategic location in NYC.
Things you should prepare yourself before boarding:
1 - Buckle your seat belt!! Can't find it?? Well it's $15 bucks, you gotta cut cost somewhere as this bus races to the finish line to beat its nemesis, the Fung-Wah
2 - Fung-Wah customers migrating over to the Lucky Star. Rude people from the Fung-Wah tend to migrate over due it's less rowdy experience.
3 - People yelling at the employees. $15 ticket is not a first class ticket. Please stop yelling at the Chinese employees. Remember this is a discount budget ride! People don't yell at the Greyhound bus drivers after paying $40. You get what you pay for!!
4 - Non-stop bus rides is quite common. Sometimes the bus driver is on a mission to beat the Fung-Wah to the finish line and may not make any pit stops. You may need to relieve your bladder and your intestinal issues before boarding. It's common courtesy not to stink up the rear bathroom. Remember it's a 4 hour bus ride!
5 - Be prepared to walk a couple of blocks if you need to get down to Canal Street in NYC.
Advantages over the Fung-Wah:
1 - Fung-Wah takes most of the media blame even though it shares the same problem as in fires and rollovers
2 - Everyone is on the Fung-Wah and sometimes there will be less people on board. If you're lucky, you'll get to sit by yourself.
3 - Less rowdy customers. Sometimes everyone has some "savoir faire" (knowing how to conduct oneself). Manners, respect and common courtesy is better here.
4 - Boarding is less stressful here during peak times compared to the Fung-Wah in NYC.
Overall I pick the Lucky Star over the Fung Wah!! Not in the best location in NYC but if you walk a little, you'll get a little better experience.
I think the Yelp description for 3 stars fits. A-OK.
The busses are usually full, you end up sitting with a partner. I don't mind sitting with a partner, but if gets kind of stuffy. The bus isn't that generous about space so you're always wondering about what your neighbor's boundaries are as far as elbow-grazing goes. You're also scared to lean the seat back because the one in front of you is already up to your nose. It's not roomy at all.
The bus drivers don't really communicate with you, or even welcome you, so I had no idea what time we were arriving in the city or where. I picked up a map, fortunately, but that's all I knew. When we stopped at the BK in Vernon, CT, I wasn't exactly sure how much time we had so I sacrificed a piss for a milkshake and made my way back.
It's okay if you're looking to go to New York for cheap, but I'd rather plan ahead and take a Boltbus any day.
Ugh, never again will I take this piece of crap on wheels.
I couldn't get a bus ticket back for the times I wanted with either BoltBus or MegaBus so I ended up choosing Lucky Star. It turned out to be really convenient since it was right off the Manhattan Bridge and my sister lives on the other end. That's where the convenience ends.
When I got there for my 8 pm bus at around 7:40, there was this huge line. I was on it for about 5 -9 minutes before I realized I had to go in someplace across the street to verify my ticket. They said the 8 pm bus is filled and that they may pull another bus out early but definitely guaranteed me a spot on the 9 pm bus. So they brough out another bus that was packed up and filled by 8:20 or so, then left. I didn't manage to get on, but it was only another half hour, right?
NO! The mythical 9 pm bus was with the unicorns. The next bus to go back to Boston came at 10 pm. Now, there was a reason I wanted the 8 pm bus. Our not-so-fair city of Boston likes to end their public transit early and I thought it would be a nice thing to take the T home and not have to sleep at South Station. I'm luxurious like that. If I knew I'd catch a 10 pm bus, I would have taken another company's, ANY OTHER COMPANY'S, bus. It would have cost less and been safer.
So even though there was a 10 pm bus, guess what? We still didn't leave at 10. We waited 15 more minutes till the super-stingy, miserly Lucky Star bus company could find every last paying homeless person to put on the bus.
I wasn't the only one waiting for almost 3 hours either. There were people who had come at 7:30 pm that ended up leaving at 10:15 pm, despite the fact that we were all there early as the tickets said. No excuse or anything was given to us. It was more like we have your money now so screw you. I should have been in Boston just after midnight and arrived close to 3 am. I, along with many others, were forced to wake up people for a ride to avoid the overcharging cabs of Boston.
What a horrible experience. I hope they're shut down.
I've taken many different forms of transportation to get to and from Boston and New York...and Lucky Star is a solid pick. I really appreciate the marketing that goes into this bus line. Bear in mind that my interpretation of the marketing may or may not be accurate and my enjoyment is sort of entirely ironic.
Lucky Star clearly sees why customers would choose Fung Wa- convenient schedules and dirt-cheap prices. The companies seem nearly identical, but here's what I have gathered as far as the differences are:
-Flashier name
-Character Logo (whatever the heck that animal is...a dragon?)
-The (fairly new feature!) selling of candy & water on the bus when getting the bus from New York. Okay, so this stuff was available for about 45 seconds and I actually heard the lady with the items refuse to sell to a customer because,"Busisleavingbyeee!!!!" BUT I think the illusion of effort is awesome
- Most importantly, the tires look better than those of the Fung Wah
Now, another thing I like about Lucky Star is that with the Bolt Bus and Mega Bus promotions of "Boston to NYC for $1," LS jumped right on the book-your-trip-fourth-months-in-advance bandwagon. But if you look at the schedule online, no bus is ever more than $15 and you can often catch $10 morning buses if you book them the day before and I usually see an 8:00 pm bus of $8.
Still, it's a clumsy, nauseating ride that stops at crappy fast food places... just sayin'.
Lucky Star isn't that bad at all. I have taken their line 4 times now and I haven't experienced any problems. Everyone has been really helpful when I've asked to switch to later buses (I did this twice), the bus is pretty clean and they're fast without giving me a panic attack from unsafe driving. Someone mentioned no seat belts being available, but there are seat belts in the first row or two. However, I've also noticed more leg room in the back.
I have never experienced the horrible boarding line that people have mentioned. Possibly this is because I go home a little later than the peak time on Sunday evening and try to catch the 8 or 9 pm bus. I haven't had to wait in a long line to board on the Boston end either, including this past Friday when I took a 4 pm bus from South Station (I was expecting that to potentially be a problem).
I have also taken Greyhound once before, which I HATED. The rides to/from New York were a lot longer. On the way to New York I waited two hours to board a bus because I was unaware of the magical $5 priority seating charge, which I would have paid had I known the immense benefit. They stopped at a really crappy rest stop along the way that was very dirty and the vending machine ate my money. On the way back from New York I paid the extra $5 for priority seating and that made boarding easy, but they didn't stop at all and I thought my bladder was going to explode. They didn't have a working bathroom on the bus! Lucky Star always stops at this Burger King in Connecticut because they have some sort of deal going with them and their bathroom is surprisingly well kept. It's not sparkling or anything, but it doesn't resemble a port a potty like the Greyhound stop.
I don't think the drop off location in New York is all that inconvenient either. The walk to the station at Canal and Centre is only 5 minutes. If you are smart enough to be reading yelp reviews, you should be smart enough to look at http://hopstop.com and write down a few simple walking directions.
Lucky Star is nice but Fung Wah is MUCH better!
First- Fung Wah has more frequent departures as frequent as every 15 minutes deoending on the crazy schedule.
Second- Lucky Star has this annoying habit of ALWAYS going out of the way to stop at a Chinese buffet place since the drivers get free food there. The detour is totally not worth it and takes more time!
Third- At the same price, I rather go to the more efficient and perhaps slightly more dangerous Fung Wah buses.
This bus ride was not bad at all. Not what I was expecting anyway. The bus was clean and had bags at every seat for your trash. My boarding was at 630am but it boarded us early and we left by 615-620. so that was a major plus.
this bus does make a pit stop at a burger king for 15 mins. but if you dont like BK, then there is a Mcdonalds right across the st.
A pleasant ride, nonetheless. Got us to NY in 4 hours with the stop!
the only reason i took this bus into NY was because it was so early and figure by the time we approached, it would be close to meal time and hence we can eat cheap in Chinatown. Plus, i wanted to gander at the knock offs.
this is a good bus. i didnt have a problem, so i would ride again.
You're my Lucky Star 'cuz- I go from Boston to NYC for $15
You're my Lucky Star 'cuz- you seem clean- d/d free
You're my Lucky Star 'cuz- your wheels haven't rolled off midway yet
You're my Lucky Star 'cuz- I always bump my head getting into one of the seat with a small TV above. Sometimes a real hard bump. Oww...
Tip: From Boston to NYC, it's better to sit on the right side of the bus when you're going in the morning. The sun rises from the other side so if you sit on the left, it'll shine in your eyes. Bring your sunglasses so you can still sleep when sun rises. Also buy your tickets both ways when at South Station, so you don't have to go looking for a ticket booth in NYC.
The Chinese food buffet they stopped on the way does make me gag.
$15 each way is HAWT.
I've heard rumors about Lucky Star and Fung Wah when it comes to transportation to NYC, but price/schedule is what sold me when I compared to Greyhound. It seems with Greyhound, if there are $30 roundtrip tickets available, you need to buy in advance online and for certain departure times--but for someone like me who is notoriously late and OCD when it comes to packing (or life), it was just easier to show up at South Station whenever I wanted and buy a ticket on one of the low cost bus lines--even minutes before scheduled departure.
Both Lucky Star & Fung Wah are sketchily located beyond the Greyhound/Peter Pan/Corporate McStealYourMoney ticket counters within South Station. They are literally right next to each other and ready to sell you a ticket--ya know when you're at the mall food-court, and you come across a 'West Side Story' type of scene where Umi of Japan and Wok n' Roll are in a standoff for your cash money--samples in hand--well picture that as you walk in the direction of these bus ticket counters. Ultimately, Lucky Star won our business but good effort made by Fung Wah.
The bus was not even half full which made for a very pleasant and roomy bus ride. Unfortunately, the rear end of the bus did not have working a/c which my friend and I hadn't realized until halfway thru the trip...at which point we then picked up our bags and moved our sweaty backs up front for a/c. No movies either, so sleep or bring your own entertainment.
It was a bit terrifying when the Lucky Star driver seemed to defend his 'honor' somewhere in Connecticut by almost sideswiping a Greyhound bus...but I think it was more of the fact he was chatting on his cell phone whilst driving a relatively large vehicle. We also stopped midway thru the trip, but awkwardly at a Chinese buffet and grocery store--I'm used to fast food & rest-stops for stretching grounds, but whatever.
Overall the trip was good--I mean, I survived and was able to write this review. You can't really beat the price and convenience of Lucky Star when compared to Greyhound. Keep in mind that Greyhound drops you off at the Port Authority whilst Lucky Star drops you in Chinatown--just be aware of that if you're not sure about navigating around NYC. Chinatown is a bit sketchy, and by a bit, I mean absurdly.
$30 round trip?! I spent that on drinks at the Rated X "Panty Party" !
I have never traveled to NYC solo. I have always jumped in a car with friends, but I had business to take care of, and alone I went!
You can get Greyhound offers for $40 ROUND TRIP (under their online offers section), but they were all sold out. I got to South Station at 1:49 on Friday expecting to take a 3:00pm bus... but the man jumped out at me with a hand full of tickets.
The bus wasn't as gross as I was expecting. A woman DID change a baby's diaper a seat away from me, and I wanted to slap her across the face... but other than that, nothing too funky.
We stopped at a Roy Rogers on the way to NYC. That was probz the GROSSEST part of the trip, that and an arrival time of 7:25. (That's my fault, I forgot what traffic was like entering the city.
On the way home... the bus was a little gross. It had just dropped people off, and then scooped us up. I guess the light in the bathroom didn't work (at night time :( ), and it was fully loaded from the last group of travelers. :( + :'( This didn't bother me, because I know not to use bathrooms on buses.
We stopped at that AWFUL buffet which I will review if I can remember the name. (everything was dried out and crusting over. Stick with the cookies, avoid the jello, fish, poultry, beef, pork, rice, noodles, vegetables, etc. )
We made it back to boston at 11:38 after leaving nyc at 8:00 and stopping at that gross buffet. I made it back to town just in time to wait for an hour in china town, because the orange line "DERAILED AT WELLINGTON", but I've bitched about that train enough... I'll spare you the details.
I'll probz take it in the future, but next time I want to drive. It was a bitch carrying my things from city to city.
Why is it called lucky star?
Because you're lucky if the bus doesn't leave you behind at the rest stop in bumfuck connecticut.
Literally.
HEY! I made it to NYC and back. ALIVE!
felt slightly safer than fung wah.
I'm holding off on saying much more until I try boltbus in a couple weeks.
we shall see...
"I've gone to NY probably 30 times in the past two years. Lucky Star (and its counterpart Fung Wah) is indispensible in sustaining this kind of pace. It's still a bus, and has all the shortcomings buses have (crowding, overselling, traffic, etc.), but for the price, you can't beat it.
First, Amtrak is wildly overpriced. I'm pretty adaptable, and can handle a bus seat instead of a train seat. The extra $70 is not a sustainable luxury tax over the long haul.
Second, driving is tiring and expensive. It changes the whole complexion of a weekend when you have the drive back looming over you, and the need to be rested for it. Sometimes having the car down there is desirable or necessary, but gas and tolls come to something like $70 round-trip nowadays. Use acutal mileage accounting figures ($.40/mile is a conservative estimate, but good enough), and you're pushing $200.
For $30 round-trip, I stick my bike under the Lucky Star (no box, dismantling, or fee required like Amtrak or Greyhound/Peter Pan), and get to Manhattan with no effort other than showing up.
The biggest complaints I hear are about the other passengers (get over yourself, please), and absurd rumors (no, there are not chickens on the bus; yes, there are bathrooms; yes, the buses almost always stop for a stretch break). Really, you're getting essentially what you get with Greyhound/Peter Pan, without the familiar logo.
I've yet to see a movie on these buses (a big plus, if you ask me), and never been on a bus that smelled any different from anyother (people can and do bring their own food on all buses and trains, though). And Greyhoud oversells big time -- don't even get me started on the buses I've had tickets for and not gotten on. Learn to show up early.
Seriously -- $30 round trip, and someone else drives for you. Brilliant."
Alright. I was frightened, but it all turned out to be A-OK.
1. The competing screams of Fung Wah vs. Lucky Star were amazingly hilarious in South Station.
2. $30 round trip to NYC. That's all I have to say.
3. Two seats to myself. Perfect for sleeping, reading, knitting, not being smushed.
4. My friend left her I pod Nano on the bus, ran back to check on it, and they called the bus driver and she's picking it up today. (cross your fingers).
UPDATE: Ipod RETURNED. How amazing is that?? Seriously. So Impressed.
Yup. It felt like a field trip bus, but with a ton of strangers. Word.
There is a reason this bus company is named after Madonna's 1984 hit single 'Lucky Star' (this may not be entirely true)...is because it is a shining light of a transportation service. As previous yelpers have highlighted, it only costs $15. That in itself is a bargain.
Sure, there is occasionally livestock also being transported on the bus....and sometimes you get stuck squashed next to an oversized Latino male who chooses to listen to Belinda Carlisle's entire back-catalogue for the whole 4 hour journey back from NYC to Boston (seriously, I didn't know she had that many songs). But all in all, it is speedy, relatively clean and extremely affordable bus service. Don't waste your time with Greyhound (that bus takes longer and is more expensivo) or Fung Wah (sure, it translates to a 'Magnificent Wind'....but it also likes to careen into guide rails on the MassPike and up onto concrete barriers at the toll gates at a magnificent windy speed....research the stats people, it's not good). Lucky Star is where it's at.
The 6 or so times I have travelled on the Lucky Star...I have never eaten at the Century Buffet that the bus stops at midway. The vast array of Chinese trough food does not entice me. It's worth noting that the bus stops in Hartford long enough, for you to skip to the loo...and also skip over to the gigantic supermarket and rustle up some road trip snacks there. Then at least you won't be one of the commuters stinking out the bus with reheated Szechuan chicken and fried rice.
"You must be my Lucky Star
'Cause you make the darkness seem so far
And when I'm lost you'll be my guide
I just turn around and you're by my side"
-Madonna
I love the idea of the underdog giving it to the man. Greyhound has always been overpriced and taking advantage of us (sorta like the airline companies now with less-than-tolerable service and downgraded meals).
Lucky Star and its counterpart Fung Wah are the southwest of airlines or Ryanair of Euro flights. You get the bare minimum, but isn't that all we really need. Get me from Boston to Chinatown in a reasonable amount of time. Done & minus the price gouging? Great, I'm a happy customer.
This is what I call 'economic equilibrium.'
Check out their website under 'Bonuses - Extras' for discounts off popular clubs and Boston Chinatown restaurants with your electronic receipt http://www.luckystarbu.../
First come, first served. Though we had made an internet reservation, when we arrived at the random corner in NYC to meet our bus we were greeted with a line of about 200 people and rude attendants telling us that our reservation "didn't matter". Checking the fine print on our confirmation, no where was it written that the bus was on a first come basis.
After standing outside in the blazing July sun for 2 hours waiting in a "line" which was more like a herd of angry, very hot people, we finally boarded the bus and arrived back in Boston much later than we had planned. It's also worth mentioning that this bus boasts about 3 inches of leg room, so if you're over 5'5", you better hope the person in front of you is nice and doesn't put their seat back!
If you're looking for a ride to NYC (for the same price point!) to save on some gas money, go with the BoltBus!!!! Free wireless, power outlets, tons of leg room AND your reservation will be held!
I know Lucky Star is cheap, but come ON!
Admittedly, I haven't taken this since the days when it actually stopped in Chinatown and only cost $10. But it was always a bit better than the Fung Wah, got me where I was going, and man - the stories it provided me make it a full 5 stars.
My favorite? One night going to NYC I noticed a woman heading to the bathroom. I also noticed that I never saw her come back, but *shrug*, whatever. We stop at Roy Rogers in CT and those of us near the back heard someone screaming in the bathroom. It turns out the girl had been locked in the bathroom for the past hour - with NO LIGHTS and some of the toilet "water" had been splashing out. I'm sure she still has nightmares over that, but it always makes me chuckle.
Nestled in a corner of South Station next to Fung Wah, this company is pretty much the same deal. Cheap rides between NYC and Boston. There are departures that leave almost hourly (if not hourly). $15 round trip, compared to $60+ for Greyhound or the complete gouging that is Amtrak.
The seats are comfortable -- it's just like any other coach bus, with stretch breaks and a stop for food. The drivers that I've had have all been great.
Only one time did I have any problem, and that was when the ventilation wasn't on or wasn't working. It got really stuffy, and on a Saturday morning after a very busy and late Friday night, I was hurting pretty bad through the four hour ride.
I took this bus line from NYC to Boston and I have to say it wasn't the best chinatown bus lines I've taken.
1. Their location in NYC is fairly random and hidden
2. The rest stop buffet was ridiculous, yes the traditional rest stop selections of popeyes, burger king, quiznos and such are not much better but I couldn't help to think that the bus line was getting a kick back from our patronage there and that's why we stopped there for bad buffet food with incorrectly spelled food labels
3. On our way back we stopped several times with the driver yelling into his phone and never telling us why and what happened, in fact at one point we picked up another man from a stopped Lucky Star Bus in the middle of the freeway without a single explanation ever.
At which point my cousin stated "this is the last time we take a bus with a culture preference."
I guess if you're spending $13 each way you should come to expect this kind of service, but I just don't think you should be left wondering if your bus is blowing up, if there is an axe murderer on board, if the bus will explode if it goes under 50, or if the driver is just lost.
Couldnt decide between 3 or 4 stars but overall it wasn't bad. Drivers are really friendly and have chats with passengers, A lot of $1 fares on their website, a place to wait in both destinations for the bus instead of standing outside and their small perks (points and raffle) are sort of a bonus.
Pros
Inexpensive way to get to/from Boston/ New York City
Place to wait (With A/C , bathroom, TVs)
Friendly Drivers
Cons (Not many)
Some coaches a bit older
I commute to New York every week for school, and so I've ridden the Star twice a week every week for seven months now. I'm something of a regular. It's cheap, it's fast, but here are some things you might should know:
1) Lucky Star is generally safer than Fung Wah, fewer accidents, etc. My girlfriend says this is because they don't own all of their buses and don't use all their own drivers, which means they take better care of both. In my experience this is true. If you're lucky you'll occasionally get a ride on Ground Force One, which is operated by a suburban Boston bus company and has the presidential seal on the side.
2) Greyhound matches prices if you buy in advance and select the "E-Saver fare." You can't get these fares at the station, you need to buy online. That said, I still go with the Star because they will get you to NYC/Boston as fast as they can (3:40 min is my best so far, 9:00 the worst, flat tire), whereas Greyhound will stick to their schedule. Also Greyhound is significantly more crowded.
3) Friday and Sunday nights are the busiest times, everyone visiting their friends/girlfriends. The rest of the time you should be able to get two seats to yourself, the busses are usually about half full.
4) Don't take this bus in snow and ice. Just don't. See #2, re: speed.
5) The bus will stop in Manchester at Grand Buffet. Don't eat there. It's pretty gross. You should have time (15 minutes) to walk down to the Big Y grocery store at the other end of the plaza and get some snacks. They also have pizza, salads and good sandwiches. Use the self-checkout at the end of the checkouts to avoid the lines, which will cause you to miss the bus. They usually count before leaving, but not always.
6) If you want to check your email, Lynch Toyota, across the street from this shopping plaza, has an open wireless network that you can use to get on the Internet. In fact, there are several stop lights as you pass, so you can usually download/send emails while the bus waits at the lights.
7) When you get off the bus in NY, walk two blocks away from the bridge (this will make sense) and you will be at the Grand St. subway, perfect for the D/B.
8) Bring headphones. There will be obnoxious people. I have stories. Unlike Greyhound, there are no stern warnings about cell phone usage, and that guy/that girl will always be on the bus with you, jawing away. Often that guy will be the driver.
9) Remember, buses sit in traffic too. NYC is pretty tame compared to greater New Haven. If you'll be hitting New Haven (about 3 hours from Boston, an hour from NYC) at 8-10 AM or 5-7 (4-7 on Fridays) add an extra hour or two to your estimated time. Seriously.
10) Sometimes the overhead reading lights aren't on. The driver won't speak English, and won't know how to turn them on. Feel free to press buttons on the front console until the lights work.
Good luck, and safe travels.
Lucky Star is like Robert from Everybody Loves Raymond: second best to something that kind of sucks anyway.
On the last day of 2007, we joined the migration to NYC to see the ball drop. After realizing that we had only 10 minutes to get from the blue line to South Station, hubby and I started to panic big time. Upon arriving at the Lucky Star terminal, hair flying, bags flapping, cellulite bouncing (ok, not really), and amazingly exactly on time!! (which is late in my book, I like to arrive at least 10 minutes early to get seats), we were greeted by two unenthusiastic counter people one of whom scribbled something on my printed ticket and pointed us to the door of the terminal.
HURRAY!! The bus was still there!!
But we were 100% sure there would be no desirable seats. Boy were we wrong!! Apparently, the whole migrating population decided to stuff themselves on the neighboring Fung Wah bus, and we got great seats that were comfortable and quiet!! (Actually that was part of my genius plan....hehehehe I knew it! I was sure Lucky Star wasn't going to be as crowded)
Well, it turned out that the bus sat there way past departure, and a few people moseyed aboard like they had all the time in the world.
All good, all good!
Finally we were off!!
We stopped at a greasy Chinese food place, I didn't try the food so I can't comment, but the restroom was clean at least =)
The returning ride wasn't as great though, they tried their best to stuff us in an already full bus, when clearly our tickets were for the next one. But we firmly refused. Finally the guy gave up, quite irritably.
When you wait for your return trip, It might be a good idea to kind of "hide" somewhere where you can keep an eye on the line, but yet not be bothered by the company's attempts to get you to sacrifice your comfort for their business.
Overall, I seem to have survived the experience, and frankly, for $20, I can only complain so much!!!
scariest bathroom in the US
hint: a citrine waterfall connects it to the luggage compartment
Easiest and cheapest way to get home to NYC/Long Island. All you have to do is sit down, turn your ipod on, try to fall asleep, and pray that you dont have a sketchy seat-mate. Or someone talking way too loud behind you on the phone for 3 hours in a foreign language.
I was skeptical, but this was actually a really great, CHEAP ride. I left from Boston to NYC at 6:30am and got to NYC in 3.5 hours- big surprise!- since I thought it would take 4.5 hours.
The seats weren't uncomfortable, but my butt started hurting bc hey, who the heck thinks it's comfortable to sit in one place for 3+ hours?! I didn't get off the bus to stretch tho.
I would take this ride again and again until I have a bad experience.
not really much to say about this; you get what you pay for. and getting there could not be cheaper other than car pooling. oh wait, i forgot to tel you that this bus stops every time up & down from NY at its own restaurant! good for some and bad for other that want only to get to where they're going. you'll be there about 15-20 mins.
This is a bus company that gets you from Boston to Chinatown in New York City. It parallels Fung Wah Bus in terms of service, price and frequency of travel, and cleanliness. It won't be first class travel, but the bus will get you to NYC in good time, and for a really good price ($15/ one way).
This is just like the Fung Wah Chinatown bus. So cheap and so worth it. Plane or train tickets cost $70-100 roundtrip and take about the same amount of time as the bus. When I took it, it was only $10. I believe they raised the prices and are now required to operate out of South Station. Go to http://www.luckystarbu.../ for a 10% discount (=$13.50).
Well what else can I tell you, but about the smell? there is a small funky smell. But listen the ride is really not that bad for what you are paying for, I had to check it out for my self and is not a bad deal just make sure you get there 1/2 an hour before your departure or you be stuck with someone unpleasant, one of the feature that I did like was that I was late for my departure from New York I just took the next one with no hesitations and no questions ask, the only reason why I didn't gave it a five star was because the smell.
