- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Vamoose Bus
Rating Details »
Categories: Transportation, Amateur Sports Teams
Neighborhood: Fashion DistrictPenn Station
Seventh Ave & 31st St
New York, NY 10001
(877) 393-2828
- Nearest Transit:
-
34th St-7th Ave (1, 2, 3)
33rd Street (PATH)
34th St-8th Ave (A, C, E)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
21 reviews for Vamoose Bus
I ride this bus almost every week and the recent transition to online service has sped up the departure time by a ton. The last 2 busees I was on had three seats to an aisle opposed to 4, which gave a ton of leg room and space, especially for the single seats.
Leather seats with wi fi and outlets, I only hope that these nicer buses will show up more frequently and the old ones will be phased out.
After a little research, I found that Vamoose stopped in Bethesda, MD and just one block from the Metro! The parental unit live closer to Bethesda than DC, so this was optimal for me!
I'll start off by updating some of the older reviews on the reservation situation. I pity tha fool who doesn't make a rezzie online ahead of time: There is a Vamoose-Patrol checking names on a list and no vamooser will be crossing aboard without one...unless there are extra seats. Also, plan your departure time with care - because you will run into traffic during peak times, adding to the length of the ride.
$25 in cold hard ca$h or check when you get to your seat... and keep it ready! Like I always say, the Jews and the Indians - like brothas from anotha motha!! We love a deal and you get 1 coupon per ride - collect 4 and you have a FREE ride!! I'll definitely be puttin my caboose on vamoose again to visit the p-unit!
Tippin ya off: The driver relayed over the speaker, "There is a restroom in the back of the bus, just remember, what you do back there, stays back there." **Word to the wise: Choose your seat carefully... and as a public service... think... before you dump
People thought this was:
- Useful (12)
- Funny (17)
- Cool (10)
My friend swears by Vamoose and I swear by Amtrak. I just like trains (it's a guy thing) and it's my preferred mode of transportation (in direct competition with planes of course). But buses are usually cheaper and so I decided to take my friend's advice and try it once. So far, as I write this review in my seat #45 on the 5:30 to Bethesda, it's been a good experience. First, check in was pretty smooth and customer service was good (bag clerks, driver, etc). I just walked on with my carry-on. It's a very clean bus and though there's no movie (I just planned on sleeping anyhow), I'm okay with that. You reserve online (very comprehensive site) and you hop on a bus! I think Vamoose has a good system and they can only get better from here.
So in the end, I still like my trains but Vamoose is a good alternative.
I rode Vamoose yesterday afternoon from DC to NYC, mostly because Bolt and Megabus were full--Halloween weekend. The pros to riding Vamoose: got there safely, courteous staff, smooth ride (no jerking like with Chinatown buses), good bus stop locations, not full and a clean bus without a smell.
Now for the cons. First, our bus driver drove outrageously slow. It took us 2 hours to clear Baltimore after leaving DC at a non-rush hour time (2:30-4:30 pm). If you know the area, this is apocryphal. I often bus between NY & DC and the Vamoose driver chose the WORST route possible in DC-- 395 to New York Avenue then to Balt-Wash Parkway (when he could have easily avoided this route). Worse, he drove slowly like an old granny and did not make up time after he cleared traffic bottlenecks. There were oil tanker trucks passing us! Literally, we saw the 3:00 APEX bus ---that I had researched earlier before buying my tickets and that left AFTER us---- pass us within the beginning part of the trip. There's only so much time in a day, and I REALLY blame the driver for pointlessly wasting about an hour and a half of my weekend.
Secondly, the bus is not the best value for the price. It lacks internet, unlike comparable bus services. My ticket was $30, about $5-$10 more than the buses with internet, Bolt and Megabus. So it's like I paid more to get less.
Thirdly, our driver turned his driver area AC on full blast at the front of the bus, but didn't for turn on our AC units. Within 1 hour, everyone was sweating and falling asleep mid afternoon (around 3 pm). I had beads of sweat dripping down my face---in late October. When someone got up to tell him, he adjusted the temperature to his credit but only after everyone was feeling uncomfortable, sweaty and angry.
Lastly, the man sitting behind me started getting sprayed with condensation by an AC duct above him within 4 hours into the trip. I felt bad for him because it got worse with time and he spent time trying to dodge what he said was "like a faucet".
So Vamoose would really have to improve its offering for me to ride again.
This company is okay - I only use them (over other NYC to DC companies) because they stop in Arlington a few blocks away from my friends apartment.
The bus quality can very - some are much better than others. The drivers/bag helpers are pretty friendly. As far as time goes - they have made improvements on the location of the pickup in NYC and sometimes not stopping at a rest area. During the summer plan on at least 5- 5 1/2 hours in traffic to Arlington. The people that ride the bus are usually pretty friendly - I always seem to have someone sitting behind me talking about her lifes problems on her cell phone while I'm trying to read - I guess that is what ear plugs are for.
I will say the bus ride yesterday was terrible. Someone went #2 very early in the trip and the rest of the five plus hours we were on the bus, every time the door opened it smelled terrible (I was sitting in the middle area of the bus). The worst part of the trip was that the bus driver did not check to make sure everyone was back on the bus and someone on our bus almost missed us pulling away. I thought that was completely unprofessional and irresponsible as the person would have had to stay there until the next bus came through...
$25 each way to Arlington, VA. The ride was pleasant, the other people on the bus were well behaved, there was not excessive stopping. Each ride comes with a coupon for 1/4th of a one way trip, which is helpful if you ride often, and I guess makes the trip more like $20.
The people organizing the trip wear VAmoose labeled clothing, speak the same language as I do, and can effectively and fairly manage a line. I am absolutely content with the service provided.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
I took the bus from NYC to Arlington, VA.
Pros: On the NYC to VA leg of the trip, I had two seats to myself, that were comfortable. The bathroom (yes I used it) was clean. The trip took exaclty 4-4.5 hours which I think was great timing. The bus was on time leaving NYC and VA.
Cons: The bus was PACKED on the way from VA to NYC and the location pick-up and drop-off on 31st Street bet. 7th & 8th Aves is just too crazy and chaotic! It also took forever to get to from Brooklyn.
If there was a downtown pick-up, I would only ride Vamoose.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
I took the Saturday morning bus from Rosslyn, Virginia to NY, total travel time 6 1/2 hours. It's not the bus' fault, as there were major traffic along the way, but still, it was a long ride.
Then on Sunday took the 4 PM bus back, which left at 3:30 since the bus was packed already. Again, battled traffic as soon as we got through Lincoln Tunnel. Took us an hour or more to get pass the accident, then we found out our bus has electrical problems and so NO AIR CONDITION. It's a packed bus with 60 or so passengers and the windows DO NOT OPEN. The driver claims he has no way of contacting the company or another bus, which made no sense to me as they all don't own cell phones?
Finally after pleading from numerous passengers he stopped at the Walt Whitman rest area, and I thankfully had friends picking me up from there.
I don't even care about the $25, no amount of money saved from riding the bus is worth my mental and physical well being.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
I paid a little more than the Chinatown buses cost. What did it buy me? A ride on a Prevost bus, instead of a VanHool or a MCI. Prevost is a better bus, in my opinion. Worth the extra charge? Just about.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Cool (2)
Flight down to DC... $180RT not including the Valium you need from taking trains-subways-cars-pedicabs-or-blue van to airport.
Amtrak to DC... $120+ (not to mention the KY you need because you feel like Amtrak just took your money, laughed and screwed you... well anyway)
Fung Wah bus (did you pay your life insurance premium? do you even HAVE life insurance?) yeah... like the worst dates: cheap and still not even worth it.
And the Vamoose bus: PRICELESS. Safe. Clean. They play a movie. They make one pit-stop. Cheap ($40 Round Trip, $25 One Way)... All dates should be this good.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (1)
Vamoose Bus had a short stint of service between Cambridge (buses left from Harvard's campus) and New York City (Midtown) - and oh, how I miss it.
Often leaving my travel reservations to the last minute when it comes to visiting my parents back in Massachusetts, I opt to take any combination of bus lines from Philadelphia to Boston or vice versa. On my way back to Philly after Thanksgiving, I discovered Vamoose's service online, and when I saw free wi-fi along with a reasonable $22 fare - I was in heaven.
And boy it was. Wi-fi on a BUS?!!! Aside from that, the bus was SPACIOUS AND CLEAN - not always commonplace on the Chinatown bus lines. The driver was friendly and helpful. There were no traffic problems, as I took an early Sunday morning bus.
City of Cambridge - RESOLVE your issues with Vamoose! Because this bus, without a doubt, was the BEST trip I've ever taken between Boston and New York. And Vamoose, bring your service to Philly, so I can take you instead of Amtrak for my frequent work trips to DC.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (1)
Why is it that getting to NYC is so much easier than leaving? I've missed planes home, I've come close to missing planes home, I've spent too much money on cabs and car services just to miss other modes of transportation home...
I think it's a sign: I'M SUPPOSED TO STAY.
Or the traffic is just really bad.
And what does this have to do with Vamoose Bus (the cheapest, safest, most comfortable bus line linking Greater Metro-DC to Midtown Manhattan), you ask? When they say get there 15 minutes prior to departure, they're not just whistling Dixie. I don't even think they know who "Dixie" is.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
Our trip from NYC to Arlington VA was $25 and I guess you get what you pay for. It was recommended we get there fifteen minutes early for our 2 PM trip, but we got there almost a full hour early. GOOD THING we did. There was a very very long line to board, probably five bus-loads of people waiting to board. It was cold and raining, when we were finally the next to board, they led us around the corner to the end of another line. Let me clarify, we were led away from the covered line, out to the open where we stood in cold rain for 15 minutes more. Did I mention we WERE at the front of our line, then led to another line, where we were no longer next. There was no consideration given as to who had reservations or not.
When we finally were ready to board, the baggage handler, dropped my friend's suitcase in the rain filled gutter and instead of picking it up, he left it right there in the mini river, to attend to other luggage.
The coach itself was pretty uncomfortable, not much leg room to begin with and god forbid the person in front of you recline. They don't dim the lights when it's dark for those that might want to sleep. Our trip was long 8 hours instead of the normal 4, but that was really no fault of the driver, traffic was bad the whole way.
I will be splurging for Amtrak next time.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
My mom says I am a total prima-donna, and one of the reasons is because I HATE taking the bus. It's just, um, how shall I put it nicely....NOT for me. I think it's low-budget.....OK, OK, she calls me "caquera", which in English means "full of shit". But this bus has changed my mind.
The bus picks up at Penn station. It's one of those nice, charter-like buses, the kinds that I usually associate with Japanese tourists or Senior Center outings, or people commuting in from Jersey. This one, however, was filled with mostly younger folk, like myself, probably visiting their mothers because they felt guilty (or were guilt-tripped, like myself) for not calling more often. There were a couple of families. The ride was uneventful and quiet and I was able to sleep peacefully from Secaucus right down to Baltimore. The bus stops first in Bethesda, Maryland, cuts through the really nice parts of northwest Washington to Georgetown and then crosses the Key bridge and stops at Rosslyn in Arlington, VA. Here you will see that DC may be the homicide capital of the country, but it definitely has its redeeming features. It's very green, the houses are really cute, and every now and again you'll see a little deli or something tucked away in a corner that has been there for 60 or so years. A tip is to take the 2pm bus so that, during the summer, you will hit those nicer areas right when the sun is getting ready to set. It's really beautiful and it seems like another world, especially after leaving midtown Manhattan. Here's a trivia factoid: there is an Exxon station to your left right before you get on the Key bridge. Right after the Exxon station, you will see a long staircase (http://static.px.yelp....) leading up to a bunch of houses perched on a cliff. The stairs were featured in the movie "The Exorcist" (you know, when Regan threw up pea soup and knocked the poor priest clear out the window to his death), and when you get to the top of those stairs, the house to your left is where the movie was filmed. Further down M street from the stairs is the Dixie liquor store (http://www.dixieliquor...), which is about the only thing in Georgetown that has remained relatively unchanged since the 30's or 40's.
Once in Rosslyn, I stopped in to the Cosi, got some bread, and dashed across the street to catch the Metro out to the 'burbs. Nothing could be more convenient.
The buses are air-conditioned and equipped with a teeny bathroom that is actually clean, and in lieu of a sink, there is anti-bacterial gel. There are movie screens, but no movie was played for us either way. It's probably about as good as a bus can get. I think the hardest part of getting down to DC was trying to get to and through the Lincoln tunnel. Sure I got off the bus with a very sore ass, but still. Great deal for $25.
On the way back, the bus was practically empty, there was no traffic, not even in Jersey, and we were dropped off at Penn, where I caught the bus through K-town to my house. All in all, the journey to DC took about 5 and a half hours, and the journey back took the same. I calculated how much I spent getting from DC to NYC: $46. This included the cab I took from my mom's place to the Metro station, the Metro fare, the bagel and latte I got at Cosi, the $25 bus fare, a bottle of water at a rest stop in Delaware, and the $2 NYC bus ride. And none of that Penn station cattle call to get on the train.
I'm going to call my mom and tell her that she has one less reason to criticize me. Finally! Thanks, Vamoose.
People thought this was:
- Useful (6)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (7)
I was a regular on the DC-NY bus for about a year. They beat out all the competition in the area, both for cleanliness and safety (no worries about the bus breaking down, unlike a few Chinatown buses I've been on).
A few things to know: traffic between DC and NY can be brutal, so sometimes the trip can be as long as 6 hours if you leave at 5PM on a Friday night. They are also slightly more expensive than the competition (which is mostly the Washington Deluxe bus line, unless you dare the Chinatown buses). They raised the prices to $50 roundtrip, though you get a free one-way ticket if you buy 4 round-trip ticekts. Since Washington Deluxe is (or was) $35 roundtrip, Vamoose still doesn't quite beat that, even with the discount. I liked Vamooses' buses better than Washington Deluxe though-- they seemed more reliable.
There used to be one entertaining bus driver who would tell stories about how he met his wife on the bus; he would always show classic movies on the bus too. Bus drivers now seem to have cut down on the movies (which, since you can't turn it down, some people prefer). If you bring your own DVD, some bus drivers would let you play it on the bus if the other passengers didn't mind.
One final note: they now leave from MD and VA instead of DC. I asked the owner, and he said it was some zoning issue. It didn't matter to me though, since both MD and VA stops were on the DC subway line and within 30 minutes of downtown.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
I took the vamoose bus to DC from NYC. It wasn't bad but the only thing is if you are 5 minutes early you are too late! You have to be there like 30 minutes before just to get in line and then they will move you somewhere else so good luck! But the timing was great! I got to DC in great timing!!
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
I'm a DC-area transplant, so I've tried several bus lines between here and there. Vamoose is the cleanest, fastest and most efficient. I haven't decided whether I like the recent omission of pit-stops (that bathroom can get a little messy), but you can't argue with Bethesda to NY in 3.5 hours! And the buy 4 get one free deal makes it a great value.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Cool (2)
the vamoose bus was awesome (i was on the NYC to bethesda to arlington VA route). the day that i rode it, however, was a day that it snowed.
i don't know much about the east coast. i have never lived there and only really visit the great state of virginia. so, don't know much about maryland. the national aquarium is there. apparently they have some sort of harbor (inner and outer! wow)
but, since the advent of the automobile, i am SURE that it has snowed at least ONCE in the state of maryland. at LEAST once. and after it taking about 2 hours to actually get around baltimore on 495, i DO know this.
people in maryland cannot fucking drive.
but i would totally use vamoose again and would recommend it to everyone!
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
For $25 each way, you can ride from Midtown Manhattan to the DC area. The bus drops off and picks up in Bethesda and Arlington (Roslyn). Apparently they used to drop off in DC proper, but that leg has been canceled. Some times they show movies on the bus--depending on the driver and the newness of the bus. Regardless of age, the buses are always clean. They hand out coupons for each leg of the trip and after four rides you get a free one. They have a flexible schedule, and you can reserve a seat ahead of time online. I'd give it 5 stars.....but a bus is still a bus.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Cool (1)
I take the Vamoose bus every time that I need to get from NY to DC or back. It picks up right at Penn Station which is perfect when I need to take the Long Island Railroad. It also has been on time every single time that I have ridden it. They used to show movies, but that hasn't been the case the last few times that I have been on the bus. Even so, it is the best way to travel and is only $25. I have heard it is going to start going from Boston to NY as well. Great deal!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
Great Service beats all other companys
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (1)
