A common question I get from travelers who are looking to get to NY from Boston have been on how to get from one city to another without having to pay a ridiculous  amount.

You can of course, fly or take the Amtrak from one to another but, it is definitely not cheap. Flights, if lucky, can cause a little less than 200 dollars and train tickets, just as expensive. It might be a little more comfortable but trains take just as long as buses do (4 hours).

My top choices? Fung Wah, BoltBus and Megabus.

My number one choice is Fung Wah bus. For those that don’t like to buy tickets ahead of time or want a more flexible schedule, Fung Wah is the perfect option. I go to NY often and most of the time, the trips are pretty spontaneous. Fung Wah is perfect for those types of trips because no matter what day, seasons or  time of the day you are going, it’s always $15 one-way. You don’t need to buy tickets in advance as it’s pretty much first come first serve basis. Sometimes, they don’t even care that you get there a day early! It has the slowest wifi, doesn’t smell like flowers and well, seats are not the comfiest but I’m willing to sacrifice all of the above. People get scared about ‘chinatown’ buses but after being on crazy bus rides in Southeast Asia, this is a pretty sweet luxury bus. Since it goes to Chinatown and doesn’t go through Time Square, it always gets you there in 4 or 4.5 hours. It’s never failed me (knock on wood!)

Bolt bus & Megabus are both great – especially if you book tickets way in advance. They always advertise that you can get tickets as cheap as a $1 but I’ve never found a $1 ticket. Either way, if you travel at an odd time/day or buy it in advance, tickets can be around 7 or 10 dollars. If not, it could go up to 20 or 25 dollars. So if you are looking to buy tickets, book in advance. Also, the scheduling is not as flexible so you need to get to the station on time. The only thing I don’t like about these buses, especially Megabus, is that it drives through Time Square. My trip to NY on a Friday night ended up being 7 hours instead of 4. Yes, I was not happy. But, it’s cheaper than flights/trains and has pretty good wifi on the bus.

Buses from Boston to NY leave from South Station and you can purchase all online or at the station! If all else fails, there are many other buses that go to NY such as Peter Pan, Lucky Star and Greyhound.

If you are coming from NY to Boston, stations vary according to the bus but all arrive at South Station.