My Car Vs. The Megabus

The Challenge: What is the better way to go to New York City from Baltimore? Let's get ready to rummmmmble.

Vehicle:	2006 Hyundai Santa Fe Seats four comfortably, five in a pinch	Double-decker motor coach 50-80 passengers depending on the bus
Amenities:	Cup holders, FM radio-CD player, iPod jack	WiFi (but no power outlets), foot rests
Travel time:	I’ve done it in four hours door to door, but that requires an awful lot of luck on the New Jersey Turnpike. With rest stops, I like to figure on five hours but I allow for six just in case traffic is bad, as it usually is either at the Delaware Memorial Bridge or north of Turnpike exit 8. And southbound is always at least one snarl.	Five hours and thirty minutes door to door because the bus was a half hour late getting to us from DC and ended up nearly an hour late arriving. If we had been trying to catch a 2 p.m. matinee show we would have been screwed. Coming back the driver must have flown, because even though we were the last of the 9:45 buses to leave, we were home before 2 a.m.
Tolls:	Harbor Tunnel - $2.00 x 2 Maryland Toll Plaza: $5.00 (NB only) Lincoln Tunnel: $6.00 New Jersey Turnpike: free NB (if you take the Lincoln tunnel), $4.20 SB Delaware Bridge: $3.00 (SB only) Delaware: $4.00 x 2 Total tolls: $30.20 In reality, on my last driving trip when I went up on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and back the Saturday after, I only paid $13.80, mostly on the way back. Far more typical is my summer trip to Cape Cod when the total tolls were $25.45 including crossing both the George Washington Bridge and the Tappan Zee looking for our hotel. I’m not questioning the bargains. That is up for EZPass to deal with.	The park and ride the Megabus leaves from is at White Marsh which is still four bucks in tolls round trip from my house.
Comfort:	Very. But the driver is forbidden to sleep.	The seats were a little on the narrow side, so make sure you like who you sit next to. Not that it matters if you plan to sleep both ways like my son and I did.
Travel Flexibility:	Infinite. We can leave anytime and return anytime.	Not bad. Northbound buses run about once an hour in the morning. We had to take the 9:25 one because some of the earlier ones had sold out. On the return trip, the choices are 7:15, 9:45 and midnight. The bus stop, such as it is, is the sidewalk on the southside of Penn Station/Madison Square Garden which is way more convenient than other bus companies. There is no covered shelter, so inclement weather could be a hazard. It had just starting raining after our half hour wait in the cold coming back.
Cost:	Varies widely. I budget about 20 miles per gallon and it’s 400 miles round trip. At a buck-fifty a gallon, that’s only thirty bucks, at four dollars a gallon it can push eighty.	Varies widely. Megabus has a very gimmicky pricing policy. The first seat sold for any given bus is only a buck. Then the price goes up a dollar for each additional seat sold. They can get pricey in a hurry. Our total bill for three people round trip was $99.50 since they had a fifty cent handling charge per order.
Parking:	Parking in New York City can be very expensive. Depending on whether you are day tripping or staying at a hotel it can run from twenty bucks to fifty bucks a day.	Free as long as you trust the White Marsh park and ride lot.
Bottom Line:	I like the freedom of driving my own car up to New York. We don’t ever drive it while we’re there, but it makes going and coming back more flexible. For example, on Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to spend Saturday exploring the Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side rather than rushing right back.	Great for day trips or short stays. I’d hate to be lugging more than one bag around New York although the cabs are plentiful in the area if you need to take one to a hotel. The semi-flea bag Hotel Pennsylvania is right across the street for bargain hunters. Book early for the best deals and allow plenty of time for delays.