<p>That’s why you want the early in the morning bus or the really late at night one. zzzzz…</p>
<p>Might I ask beentheredMTdad if it has been a while since your daughter has been traveling from BoCo to NYC? I think she graduated no? When these bus lines first came out years ago… I’d be with you. They really are not bad now. But I’m also a city gal and it probably wouldn’t phase me anyway.</p>
<p>My daughter traveled from 2007 - 2011. </p>
<p>This from the NTSB “After these and several other incidents involving long-distance bus carriers, the NTSB released a report last October showing that these types of buses, which typically pick up passengers curbside rather than at a bus station, are seven times more likely to be involved in deadly crashes than traditional terminal bus lines like Greyhound and Peter Pan.”</p>
<p>“Curbside buses also rated poorly for unsafe driving violations, driver fitness and driver fatigue. In general, the report says that bus travel is safe, but that these factors are a growing concern”.</p>
<p>My $10.00 helped me to sleep better at night.</p>
<p>It was money well spent for you and I respect that. Again Boltbus is the offspring of those two bus lines so I’m not sure how that fits in the greater scheme of things. </p>
<p>Yes. Curbside (only in NYC… in Boston you’re actually in South Station) is true. And it’s cold in the middle of the winter waiting for the driver to open the door for the 6:30 AM bus to DC which ends up also actually inside the terminal at Union Station next to the Greyhounds etc. Looks and feels kind of the same.</p>
<p>Alternatively, college students post on ride boards all over the country for share rides. I’m happier and sleeping better with a big honkin’ bus going from BOS to NYC than I’d ever be with a 19-21 year old driving the same route while listening to Queen. God I’m old… I know it is no longer Queen but come on… best road trip music ever!!! :)</p>
<p>^Halflokum, you have driven me to confess that my son and I listened to Queen (at full volume) for at least 90% of our time on the road for auditions. I believe it was also his football team’s “pump up” pre-game music of choice (along with Led Zeppelin, the Who, and other relics from our own college years). By the end of audition season, we launched every trip with Queen’s “I’m Going Slightly Mad”–very appropriate! I’m sure more than a few motorists were alarmed by the sight of a haggard middle-aged gray-haired lady and teenage son rocking out in a Honda CR-V on I-81 this winter.</p>
<p>I also drive a Honda CRV. 2001. Think Wayne’s World in the Pacer (Gremlin?) minus the mullet and it is Mom and kid not a couple of dudes. Did a driving tour of colleges with my son this past summer (not about colleges I was trying to teach him how to drive.) My play list looked exactly like yours. Right there with you.</p>
<p>Haha! Times3 and halflokum crack me up. I’m glad that I just “met” you two. :0)</p>
<p>I’m a still fairly young (late 20’s) female, and avidly travel wherever the wind carries me (particularly if that wind leads me to a theatre in NYC!). I have nothing but good things to say about BoltBus (speaking for both the NYC/BOS and NYC/PHIL routes). MegaBus, not so much. I have found BoltBus to be reliable, clean and safe as far as I could tell.</p>
<p>Times3 and halflokum, I second that you are cracking me up! AND I totally approve of your playlist :)</p>
<p>Would it be better to take the train???</p>
<p>Only if money is of no concern. It’s at least double and in some cases triple the cost.</p>
<p>Don’t forget TF Green airport in Providence…much easier than Logan (Boston) and Bradley International (Hartford), and sometimes the tickets are cheaper!</p>
<p>Make sure to check with the drama departments of each school before booking anything. Sometimes they don’t give tours every day. When we went to Chicago to see three schools in 2 days I checked the school info first, and then built the trip around that.
That being said this is probably a very busy time for the schools visitor-wise so you may have more flexibility. But it definitely helps to know if the theatre tour starts at 9 am or 2 pm when scheduling!</p>
<p>Thank you to all of you!! You are all so informative and fun! We have our tickets booked between Oklahoma and Hartford and have tours set up for both schools. Checked Peter Pan for bus rides between Boston and Hartford. Could not find much available between Boston and NYC so I will check Bolt bus. We just have not decided yet if we are combining this with a stop in NYC. The flights are definitely less expensive if we leave from Boston and NY La Guardia than from Hartford. So I am thinking leaving out NYC and visiting there another time after this process. Even as much as my dearest daughter would love it. We may be a bit too tired to really enjoy it and my family wants us back soon. </p>
<p>The only thing we are waiting on BoCo! I suppose we can book our return home flight from Boston since it is inexpensive. Take the bus to Boston from Hartford. Just thinking out loud. 
Need to find out how the weather is since we are so cal girls!!</p>
<p>Another question…should we rent a car Hartford? A rental in Oklahoma is over a hundred bucks!!!</p>
<p>I can’t speak to Oklahoma specifically - but if your dates are confirmed - check Priceline for car rental. I’ve had very good results for car rental through Priceline.</p>
<p>You will need a car to get to Hartt. Also, try Hotwire for car rentals or Southwest airlines who will rent you a car without an airline ticket from them.</p>
<p>Also, with your car, if you need to spend the night in Hartford, DO NOT stay downtown. It is much easier and cheaper to stay in the town of Farmington, which is just minutes from the campus and has numerous, nice hotels. Check tripadvisor for reviews. Also, getting to and from the airport, give yourself lots of time as there are often traffic jams and confusing directions and detours in the the city of Hartford, which you will likely have to go through.</p>
<p>MTCoach you have no idea how much it warms my almost 52 year old heart to know of a 20-something to approve of my road trip playlist :-)</p>
<p>I’m an expert at Northeast regional airport bingo. I always play with that whenever I’m attempting to get there but only very rarely does it work out in the favor of the small, regional airport in comparison to the big hub like BOS or one of the NYCs. But you also then need to do the math. Car rentals can vary a lot. It is for example WAY cheaper to rent a car from MHT (Manchester, NH which is close to Boston). But your time is also money. Save $20 to drive an extra hour? Worth it or not. </p>
<p>As far as where to stay goes this is the one thing that I feel is worth splurging on. Stay as close as you can on any campus that would be the equivalent of where your kid might be hanging out at night and then, go hang out. It can be telling. Is it dead? Are the crowds at the grocery stores and if so, are they loading up on organic rice or 12 packs of beer? Or is nobody under 30 in a grocery store because they are all at the bars? And if they are at the bars, which bars and can you go to them? (Trickier because there is not a HS kid on the planet that wants to go with their mom/dad to a bar) Perhaps a really popular bar that is also a restaurant is a nice compromise. Go there with them instead of eating at Taco Bell and then eavesdrop on everything going on around you.</p>
<p>College is more than just the academic program you enter into. If you are bothering to get there for a look, sit smack in the middle of it at night to see what it would look like for the kid that comes home after classes and will be making choices about what they do next. It is not the time to squirrel yourself away at the Motel 6 in the next town to save $20. Jump in smack dab in the middle!</p>
<p>djexpress, there are 3 major (safe) buses that go between Boston and NYC…Bolt, Megabus, and Peter Pan. All leave from South Station in Boston, which is also where the train (either regional or Acela) leave to go to NYC. My D has traveled on all 4 of these (she goes to NYC a lot), and they are all fine. She prefers the train, of course, but it is way more expensive. </p>
<p>If you rent a car, there is a secret parking garage less than 2 blocks from BoCo. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone. It is cheap and safe and right there. It’s called Patriot Parking on 7 Haviland Street. I don’t know why, but there are ALWAYS spaces and it is cheap ($10 or $15 for the day). And it literally takes less than a minute to walk from the garage to BoCo. Boston is a drag to drive in b/c of all the one-way, narrow streets, but if you have a GPS and someone in the passenger seat to navigate, you should be fine. (There are also great, cheap little restaurants right around the corner from BoCo…I love b. Good (burgers - including veggie burgers-, fries, salads and shakes, but Little Steve’s Pizza is good, and the PadThai Cafe gives you big portions and is like fast food thai. Finally, the Berklee and BoCo students love Boloco, the Mexican restaurant right there. </p>
<p>Enjoy your trip…and one thing to keep in mind with BoCo is that virtually all the kids move “off campus” after freshman year, and you can save money that way. Many of the brownstones in that area are condos, apartments, etc…it really is a pretty part of Boston. If there’s no one there to give you a tour, keep in mind that BoCo shares its cafeteria and gym with Northeastern University…so if you are looking for those, look for Northeastern. :)</p>
<p>P.S. The subway system in Boston is very easy and safe. The Green Line subway is the closest to BoCo…get off at Hynes Convention Center. It’s a 5 minute walk to campus from the T (which is what Bostonians call the subway…it is short for MBTA). Try to avoid coming to BoCo when there is a home Red Sox game, b/c my secret parking lot will be full). If you have any Boston (or NYC) questions (I grew up in NY, but have lived in Boston for the past 22 years), PM me!</p>
<p>Monkey 13. ^^^^ Good information. The garage you mentioned like all the others in the area really jack up their prices to $35 or $40 for Red Sox games. So check their schedule or bring more cash. Not trying to be argumentative about the buses, so rather then endorsing or knocking the bus lines I would suggest everyone should to do their own research.</p>