The Jet vs. Amtrak: What is the best way to get between New York City and Washington, DC?

09.05.2024 - 14:27 / thepointsguy.com

When planning a recent weekend trip from my home in New York City to Washington, D.C., I was delighted by the many transportation options to choose from. But the more I looked at the options, the more I began to wonder which option was the best. With many different ways to get between the two cities — planes, trains and automobiles — I decided to put two of them to the test.

I had seen some buzz surrounding The Jet, a luxury bus company, on social media and was intrigued enough to give it a try. I wanted to be able to compare it to the most popular way to get between the two cities: Amtrak. Especially considering the prices were incredibly similar, I decided to book The Jet for my trip to the nation's capital and Amtrak's Northeast Regional train for my journey back to New York City.

Here's how the two modes of transportation compare and which one I would opt to take in the future.

I started off by booking my seat on The Jet directly on the company website. During my search, a one-way ticket from Hudson Yards in New York City to Metro Center in downtown D.C. cost $169 on peak travel days and $149 on off-peak dates. There were two departure time options on the Friday I was traveling: 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. I chose the earlier of the two available times, which cost $169.

The booking process for The Jet was simple. After selecting my seat, I used my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to complete my purchase since it offers 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases. Soon after, I received my confirmation and could begin packing for the four-hour ride.

For my return trip, I headed to the Amtrak website and began scrolling through the many train options. There were several options available every hour, starting just after 5 a.m. and ending a little before 10 p.m. The journeys ranged from just under three hours on the Acela train to around three-and-a-half hours on the Crescent route.

I opted for the Northeast Regional service. It's one of the most popular options and offers the most comparable price to The Jet. The one-way ticket from Union Station in D.C. to Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in New York City, which I also paid for with my Capital One Venture X, cost me $212. (The average price when I searched for tickets was between $174 and $212.) The trip was scheduled to take three-and-a-half hours.

Walking up to The Jet bus in Hudson Yards, I could immediately tell it would be an elevated experience. The bus was parked between Hudson Boulevard and 11th Avenue on West 33rd Street. Only half a block away from the 34 St-Hudson Yards subway station and surrounded by multiple city bus stops, it was an easy destination to get to.

From the outside, The Jet bus was the same size as a typical coach or