The 12 Best Megabus Routes in the US Northeast
Our ranking of the most useful, frequent, and consistently affordable Megabus corridors in the Boston–DC megaregion.
The Boston-DC megaregion has the densest intercity bus network in North America. Megabus, FlixBus, OurBus, Peter Pan, BoltBus and Greyhound all compete head-to-head on dozens of corridors, and travelers who know the right routes can move between major cities for $1 to $25 with frequent departures. Here are the twelve corridors that consistently deliver the best combination of frequency, fare, and on-time performance.
1. New York to Philadelphia
The crown jewel of US intercity bus corridors. Megabus runs 12 to 16 daily departures, FlixBus runs 8 to 10, OurBus runs 4 to 6 — fares routinely start at $1 and rarely exceed $25 even close to departure. Travel time is 2h 15m. Best alternative to Amtrak Regional for travelers under a $35 budget.
2. New York to Boston
Five to seven daily departures from Megabus, plus equally frequent FlixBus, BoltBus, and Peter Pan. Fares run $9 to $35. Travel time is 4h 15m to 4h 45m depending on traffic. Express services skip Connecticut stops and shave 30 minutes.
3. New York to Washington DC
Eight to ten daily Megabus departures plus heavy FlixBus and BestBus competition. Fares typically $15 to $40 for travel within two weeks; $1 to $9 booked far in advance. Travel time is 4h 15m to 4h 45m. The single most price-competitive corridor in the country.
4. New York to Albany
The Hudson Valley corridor sees three to five daily Megabus departures and several Trailways trips. Fares $7 to $25. Travel time is 2h 45m to 3h 15m. Heavy weekend demand from upstate students.
5. Boston to New Haven
Underrated corridor with Yale, the New Haven Line, and Metro-North all converging. Three to four daily departures, fares $9 to $20. Travel time is 2h 30m.
6. Washington DC to Philadelphia
Easy connector for the Acela skipping crowd. Five to seven daily departures, fares $9 to $30. Travel time is 3h 15m. Often combined with NYC trips by Megabus's continuous routing.
7. Boston to Hartford
Three daily Megabus departures, plus Peter Pan competition. Fares $12 to $25. Travel time is 1h 45m. Strong commuter component on weekday afternoons.
8. Boston to Providence
Short hop, four to six daily departures. Fares $7 to $18. Travel time is 1h 15m to 1h 30m. Useful when MBTA Commuter Rail schedules don't fit your travel window.
9. New York to Buffalo
Long but reliable. Three to four daily Megabus departures, fares $19 to $55. Travel time is 8h 30m to 9h 15m, mostly overnight. Cheaper than driving, far cheaper than flying.
10. Albany to Boston
Two to three daily Megabus departures connecting upstate New York to New England. Fares $14 to $32. Travel time is 3h 15m.
11. New York to Pittsburgh
Two daily departures, fares $19 to $55. Travel time is 8h to 9h, often overnight. The Pittsburgh service connects to Megabus's Cleveland and Columbus network for further onward travel.
12. Burlington to Boston
Less competitive but reliable. Two daily Megabus departures, fares $19 to $40. Travel time is 4h to 4h 30m. The main alternative to driving for Vermont students heading to Boston.
Patterns we noticed
The denser the corridor, the lower the floor — competition genuinely pushes prices down. Routes with three or more carriers running daily service have the cheapest fares. Routes served only by Megabus typically have a higher fare floor because there is no price competition.
Stop locations matter as much as fare. The NYC Megabus stop at 34th and 11th is a long walk from anywhere; the Boston South Station stop drops you at the heart of the city. When two corridors are close in fare, the better stop usually wins.