Following in suit with Megabus, Greyhound has introduced a new bus service specifically serving the routes between Toronto or Buffalo and New York City with incredibly low rates called NeOn. Similar to Megabus, the NeOn bus fares also start as low as one dollar, though there are limited numbers of one dollar seats available per bus.
The NeOn bus service also offers amenities that others do not. The bus has free Wi-Fi internet for riders, power outlets – to charge computers, cell phones etc. – and a video system, similar to what is on most airplanes.
Why take the bus?
While taking the bus between Toronto and New York City is a lengthy journey of about 10 hours, there are some benefits of taking the bus versus a train or a plane.
Currently, the only train service between Toronto and New York is aboard Amtrak’s Maple Leaf train. The trip is a 12 to 13 hour ride and is only offered once a day in the early morning. A roundtrip journey will set a traveler back about $200 US.
For those comparing taking a bus versus flying into New York or Toronto, thinking that it is only a 90-minute flight, also factor in the three-hours that is required to be spent at the airport prior to any international flights to ensure that there is enough time to check in, check any luggage, go through security and find the gate. Like the train, plane tickets between the two cities will likely cost between $250 and $300 US depending on the time of travel.
One of the major benefits of taking the bus versus flying is the fact that you are brought directly from city centre to city centre. Except for the case of Porter Airlines servicing the Toronto City Centre Airport, airports are not in the downtown core. Since Toronto and New York are both major cities, factoring in traffic, getting to and from the airports can tack on another hour to each end of the journey.
Pickup/Drop-off Information
The pick up and drop off locations in Toronto, New York and Buffalo are all conveniently located in the city centres. In New York, the pickup and drop-off point is at the northwest corner of 34th and 8th Sts. near Penn Station. In Toronto, the bus stop is located outside of the Royal York Hotel at 100 Front St. W. In Buffalo, the NeOn stops inside of the Greyhound station at 181 Ellicott St.
The NeOn service offers two busses daily from each city. Buses from Toronto leave at 8:45 a.m. and 8:45 p.m. and arrive in New York at 6:10 p.m. and 6:20 a.m., respectively. Busses from Buffalo leave the Greyhound station at 11:10 a.m. and 11:10 p.m. and arrive in New York at 6:10 p.m. and 6:20 a.m. Heading from New York, busses headed to Toronto and Buffalo leave the Big Apple at 8:45 a.m. and 8:45 p.m. and arrive in Buffalo at 4:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. and continue on to Toronto to arrive at 6:25 p.m. or 6:25 a.m.
How to book
Booking tickets for the NeOn bus are simple, but in order to take advantage of the $1 fares, those with strict travel dates should be prepared to pay a bit more, as there are not many seats available at that price. Simply go to www.neonbus.com and select your “Travelling from” city and click on “Book Now.”
