New York to VA express bus (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: hotel, home, transfer)

[kisimone]

To the person asking about the Chinese bus that goes to NY everyday, sorry I can't locate your original thread. yes its roundtrip and you catch it from Newtown road in Va Beach, it drops you off in Chinatown , in Manhattan. Roundtrip It's is 60 bucks roundtrip.

[sancynicole]

There is also one out of Norflok, near the wesleyan college. I dropped my brother off there once. The area doesn't seem to great and the ofiice is a little dodgey but it gets you where you need to go. It's a nice bus though and its cheap too.

[StuyTownRefugee]

Originally Posted by sancynicole

There is also one out of Norflok, near the wesleyan college. I dropped my brother off there once. The area doesn't seem to great and the ofiice is a little dodgey but it gets you where you need to go. It's a nice bus though and its cheap too.

I had no idea they go all the way to VB/Norfolk. A few months back in NY they were showing these buses in wrecks and breakdowns.

I suppose odds are with all their trips, it's unlikely this happens all the time.

There is a nonstop express bus out of DC to NY. It's very fast on Trailways/Greyhound though I'm not a bus person. Did it once coming back from Richmond, but when I got to DC to transfer they had one entire portal just for NYC, with a long line.

It was fast, and I think only 20.00. That was 2 years ago. No pitstops, straight thru. I was seeing Jersey b4 I knew it then straight in to the City!! Not sure now but it perhaps is some private bus company.

It's good since the bus service by Trailways between Norfolk and Richmond is pokey slow and often not direct, too many stops. But once you get to DC its express. Richmond has express to DC. DC to NY.

[gbutts]

That's good to know. Where on Newtown Road? Near VB blvd? I know they had it in Boston when I lived there from Chinatown to Chinatown and it was cheap.

[jazgirl]

I assume its cash,but can you go to both Manhattan and chinatown on the same bus, where do they let you off, what time does it leave and return to Va.Beach

[SupermarketFantasy]

Originally Posted by jazgirl

I assume its cash,but can you go to both Manhattan and chinatown on the same bus, where do they let you off, what time does it leave and return to Va.Beach

cash or charge. you can buy them online too. this topic is two years old, but i'll chime in anyway since I've taken it many times. i'd avoid buying them online because every time i've been on the chinatown bus for apex(that's the one in the baker/newtown rd shopping center), there's always some dispute over people who bought their tickets online finding out their seat has been filled. i always buy in person and as early as possible(the office opens up at 5pm.).

so far, apex is the only bus that i've taken, but it seems that the one down the opposite part of newtown road(tiger bus?) also drops off in Allen St. in Chinatown NYC. The same goes for a couple of other VA Beach/Norfolk based buses(there's the Kellam Rd. one and the one on Military Highway). I believe there's one that gets dropped off on the 80th block of East Broadway a couple of blocks up from where all the buses get dropped off on.

Usually, the people at the box office will tell you to be there at least 45 minutes before the bus arrival(most arrive at 12:30am...sometimes). I've seen buses arrive as early as midnight and some as late as 1am. I suggest buying early, arriving early, and having as much patience as possible. It's no paradise being on that bus for the first five minutes as there is a guaranteed argument.

Chinatown is in Manhattan, so it's not like it's a tour bus or anything. You get dropped off between 6:30-7:30am depending on how fast the driver is and if there's not too much traffic on the turnpike. There are some Chinatown based tour buses for the city, but I've never taken them because I pretty much stick to the same areas whenever I'm up there and I have friends who live up there. I never notice if the bus I arrived in is the same bus that I'm going back home in, mainly because drivers tend to change up for the most part. Just make sure if you're at the station in Virginia Beach/Norfolk, make sure it's the one going to NYC, and not any other location(some buses go to NC and Richmond), while if you're in NYC waiting to go home, make sure the bus you're going to is the one going to the location you took the bus from. I've seen people have to get off last minute to catch a bus because they were on the wrong service line. Like I said, just be armed with patience and you'll be fine. I have yet to run into an inconvenient problem. Also, the buses in NYC tend to leave for VA around 5pm, but I suggest getting there at 4pm. The buses always have to do a drive around the block because of people getting left behind, and it's not always assured that they'll come back for you.

[ChessieMom]

Originally Posted by SupermarketFantasy

I've seen buses arrive as early as midnight and some as late as 1am. I suggest buying early, arriving early, and having as much patience as possible. It's no paradise being on that bus for the first five minutes as there is a guaranteed argument.

Yeah...you don't want to be late - no telling WHERE you will sit, assigned seat or no. At that point, the driver has no interest in your seat assignment.

Originally Posted by SupermarketFantasy

Chinatown is in Manhattan, so it's not like it's a tour bus or anything. You get dropped off between 6:30-7:30am depending on how fast the driver is and if there's not too much traffic on the turnpike.

Also, the buses in NYC tend to leave for VA around 5pm, but I suggest getting there at 4pm. The buses always have to do a drive around the block because of people getting left behind, and it's not always assured that they'll come back for you.

This was my experience as well.

[bbguy05]

Some of my friends want me to go along with them on the chinese bus to NYC. I'm still on the fence about it. Do these buses stop at rest areas, or is it a straight shot?

I know it's cheap, but sometimes cheap isn't always better.

[Rita Mordio]

Originally Posted by bbguy05

Some of my friends want me to go along with them on the chinese bus to NYC. I'm still on the fence about it. Do these buses stop at rest areas, or is it a straight shot?

I know it's cheap, but sometimes cheap isn't always better.

I've heard about that bus... and not very many good things, either. When I went up to NYC (Memorial Day Weekend), I just buckled up and drove the distance. I checked the prices and it would be $70 a person ($210 total, but they gave a discount for multiple people bringing to $60/person) round trip from here over to Chinatown. When I drove (3 people packed into a Focus), I spent a grand total of $87 in gas. ((I didn't drive in the city. My car was parked at the Hotel the entire time!!))

The experience of making the drive and picking where I wanted to stop just seemed a lot nicer.

[SupermarketFantasy]

Originally Posted by bbguy05

Some of my friends want me to go along with them on the chinese bus to NYC. I'm still on the fence about it. Do these buses stop at rest areas, or is it a straight shot?

I know it's cheap, but sometimes cheap isn't always better.

it usually depends on time. i know if some buses are running late, they'll stop once or not at all.

usually, if you're coming back on the apex service, the bus drivers sometimes stop at a gas station out near the bay bridge and purchase quite a few cartons of cigarettes. i've heard these were usually sold to travelers or sold back wholesale to shops in chinatown. on the way to nyc, there will be one stop at a nj turnpike rest area around 5am or so.

on the way back(keep in mind, im talking about apex service), we stop at another nj rest area and then to some chinese buffet in delaware.

the chinatown bus isn't for everyone. i can see why some people would not want to use it but for some, it's the only manner of transportation that's affordable. i've driven to nyc before and the tolls/gas(well this was in 2007), went beyond the $60 ticket price for the bus.