News from Delaware Financial Literacy Institute

Lucky me- I live within one days drive of 25% of the nation's population. It can be a convenience for sure, but living along the I-95 corridor is no picnic if you actually have to drive it. I can name all of the usual suspects for traffic jams- the ones in Connecticut, the DC traps and the North and South Jersey mile markers of misery. As a result, I have learned to love Amtrak. Yes, it is expensive and that makes the occasional delays seem worse than they are, but the rails have been kinder to me than the road. Because of this, I have been a loyal Amtrak patron despite the fat fares.

When the economy took a nosedive last year, I, like most of my fellow Americans, became a little more of a tight wad. I have cut out a lot of my unnecessary spending and have tried to be smarter and more strategic with my personal finances. That is where the Bolt comes in. It is a bus that offers service from Boston to DC and all points in between for unbelievably cheap rates- generally $10 to $15 each way. Considering the cheap seats on Amtrak run between 45 and 90 dollars each way, I had to give the Bolt a try.

Here is my Bolt Bus review: The buses are new,
clean and comfortable, with wifi and electrical
outlets at each seat. Most of the fleet is made up
of 2008 model year motor coaches, and the fellow
passengers are generally professionals or students.
Missing was the bus depot and the riff-raff and
idling fumes that come with bus stations in every
city. The Bolt picks up and drops off at convenient
on-street locations.

All this is great, but the real test for me was time. Traffic can kill a packed schedule. I got a pretty realistic taste on my Tuesday morning rush hour trip north to New York. An accident in New Jersey followed the typical script; The Bolt Bus was parked on the NJ Turnpike for a solid hour. My iPhone and all its apps saved me from a panic attack. We were an hour late getting to the stop in Manhattan. I had budgeted time for delays and was okay.

The return trip made me rethink the convenience of the on street passenger loading. You need to be at the stop 15 minutes before departure to secure your seat. This is kind of a joke. They don't open the bus doors to greet you until about 5 or 10 minutes before the departure time. I showed up early and waited in the rain. The boarding could have been smoother. The return trip was uneventful.

Final judgment: I would take it again - with my laptop. There is the occasional loud talker (except in the quiet car, Amtrak has the same problem), the rain, the morning delay, but nothing truly awful. The reality is that in this economy, the Bolt Bus does what Amtrak does between Boston and DC for a lot less. If your schedule is really tight, I would opt for the train - it is faster and less likely to come to a grinding halt during rush hour. But if you have a little wiggle room and the fare is coming out of your pocket - then I suggest you consider it.

~Mary Caraccioli