Vamoose Gold Bus Review: Is It Really Worth It?

The best season to visit Washington, D.C. is upon us!

OK, fall is maybe not the BEST season. Let’s be honest, cherry blossom season in the spring is probably the actual best time to visit D.C. But in the fall, gone are the hot, excruciatingly humid days of summer, making D.C. a beautiful (and quick!) weekend trip.

If you’re planning to visit from New York, one of my favorite travel options is Vamoose Bus. The bus from NYC to D.C. is 4 hours. Five maybeeee if there’s traffic. But I’ve taken the bus a lot and I’d say it’s usually 4 hours even. There are many bus options to chose from between New York and Washington, D.C., but one of my favorites is Vamoose.

Vamoose Bus is only $30. It has pick ups/drop offs in Bethesda, Maryland and Arlington, Virginia, each about a 15-20 minute metro ride outside of DC. Vamoose also has a stop in Lorton, VA. In New York, Vamoose’s pick up/drop off is just south of Penn Station at 31st Street and 7th Avenue.

Why not fly or take the train?

Well first of all, flying between the two cities is a process! You take an hour train/Uber to JFK, hour early for the flight, hour long flight, 30 minutes into DC. There’s almost 4 hours of your time right there. And don’t get me STARTED on delays.

And the train? It’s three hours from New York’s Penn Station to D.C.’s Union Station. Not quite as bad. But it’ll cost you! Like really cost you. Think $150 each way if you don’t book early enough. You can fly for less than that!

Check-in is also really easy with Vamoose. There are no security lines. You don’t need to print a boarding pass or even show a reservation email. As long as you have your name, they have you on the list. Vamoose recommends arriving 30 minutes early but you can honestly get there with 5 minutes to spare and be OK. I’ve made it on the bus with 1 minute to spare before! #oops #imalwayslate

There’s luggage storage under the bus and small overhead bins on the bus. There are outlets, wifi and you get a free water!

But if you’re not one for cramped buses, Vamoose also has their Gold option which is $60 each way.

But is it worth it?

Sort of. It’s still cheaper and less of a hassle than a flight. The seats are leather and only slightly smaller than those of the train which again could cost you double the price if you’re a last minute booker.

There are two seats on one side of the Vamoose bus and one seat on the other. Each seat has an outlet, tray table, cup holder and reclines. There is no tray table on the $30 bus.

You definitely have more room on Vamoose Gold than you do on the regular Vamoose buses. It’s a plus to not be on top of the stranger next to you and the leather seats are a nice touch. I love the tray table idea but buses are pretty bumpy so it’s not exactly a smooth surface.

Inside Vamoose’s regular $30 bus, you’ll find MUCH tighter quarters like those of any regular Greyhound or Megabus. Here’s a side-by-side comparison from Vamoose:

What I do think is worth it is the wifi! The wifi on regular Vamoose is very spotty. I can usually get it to work for a total of 30 minutes during the ride. But on Vamoose Gold, I had a strong wifi connection almost the whole trip. OK, not strong enough to stream. Let’s not get crazy here you greedy Interneters! But it is strong enough to answer emails, scroll Facebook and troll your friends like your friends Instagram photos.

The bathrooms are no different on Vamoose Gold than regular Vamoose. I did notice the hand sanitizer had a cover over it instead of just being a bottle out in the open. But as far as size and smell of the bathroom? About the same. Although because there are fewer seats, there is more room to get in and out of the restroom.

So…is it worth it or not!?

My answer…if you’re someone who’s looking to travel on a tight budget, I do not recommend Vamoose Gold. Stick with regular Vamoose. The extra legroom and space is nice but I’m not really sure it’s $30 extra nice.

If you’re someone who likes as little hassle as possible but still wants to be comfortable, go for the Gold. Pun intended! It’s really nice to not be on top of the people next to you and if you’re someone who is constantly working like I am, the improved wifi and tray table are a nice touch! And it’s still better than hours long delays at the airport, amirite!?