Hi, we want to travel from NYC to Washington DC by either bus/train/plane in August.

Hi, we want to travel from NYC to Washington DC by either bus/train/plane in August. Can anyone suggest the best (i.e the most comfortable) and most economical way of doing this? We don't want the group boarding experience, prefer to have set and reserved seats.

Hi Dan,  We did the Amtrak train trip from NYC to Washington in May this year, it was hassle free and easy, but it did take longer than the 3 hours 20 minutes as per our ticket because of heavy rain and trees coming down on the tracks. As it turned out we made the correct decision by taking the train as the roads were flooded on that particular day and traffic was at a standstill. We did look at going by bus, but it was going to take about 5 hours 20 minutes and was a lot cheaper than the $196 return tickets we bought for two ($98 each return) but we love and prefer train travel. The train ended up taking about 5 hours each way also due to the weather. I can't advise about air travel on this route. If you are looking at the most economical it would be by bus, and they are quite comfortable too.

Hey Dan,

I've done all three modes of transport to DC and they all have their benefits and drawbacks.

Coach bus services by Greyhound is the cheapest at around $20 non-stop, and takes around 5 hours. Checked baggage allowance is generous, and some of the buses have free WiFi & personal power ports equipped. However, it does have the group boarding experience with reserved seats options being unreliable, and the trip can be a bit uncomfortable for some. Then again, the service is relatively good value.

Amtrak is also an option at around $100 - about 3 hours. Seats are reserved, both Y & J classes are relatively comfortable, and there's dining cars & also free WiFi. But if you're travelling heavy, the train's not for you - they won't check your baggage in Penn Station for most of the DC services, and squeezing suitcases in the overhead racks can be a pain (you're only allowed 2 carry-on pieces - including your hand luggage!).

Flying is my preferred option if not driving it - AA flies a handful of times a week between the two cities, at about $100 a pop too. It's also the shortest out of them (about 75 minutes). If you do choose air, my advice is to fly into DCA (Regan International), the city airport, as DC's main intl. airport (Dulles IAD) is a bit of a drive from DC's centre and is quite prone to delays.

Hope that helps!

Amtrak without a doubt.I do the rt trip 6 to 8 times a year.PB is mostly right.However the trip is 2.5 hours and is most allways on time.Then take the flights..yes about about 75 minutes but allways delayed take into account getting to the airport,and often long security lines,and the requirement of being at the airport an hour before your flight.On multiple occasions i have beat colleagues to our NYC hotel who flew departing at or arround the same time as myself.GO Amtrak you will be able to relax,and if required get work done..as said great complimentry WiFi and make calls ect.

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.