What’s the best bus to New York? We tested 5 for comfort and value.

Pros: Affordable. Robust schedule.

Cons: Often packed. Itchy seats. Long lines to board.

Megabus is the Starbucks of the pack: ever-available and a little more expensive than it should be, but mostly acceptable.

The best case for Megabus is the volume of options. Unlike some of the other brands with one or two departures a day, you can find a Megabus between big cities like Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore at all hours. It also has the standard fixings: personal power outlets, WiFi and a bathroom.

In November, I booked a last-minute round trip between D.C. and New York. The first leg was about $50 for a priority seat I reserved in the front row of the top level of the bus. The second leg without a seat assignment was $45. Book a few weeks in advance and you can find serious savings; similar one-way tickets could have cost me just $4.99 if I’d planned ahead.

Sitting in that front seat on the way out felt like cruising on the freeway in a spaceship or watching an Imax movie. No staring at the back of another bus seat or feeling crammed in a little row. I learned later this seat assignment isn’t for everyone. My in-laws recently booked it and said they felt as if they were sliding off the seat the whole trip.

Last word: Megabus is a trusty steed. It’s no-frills, but it’s always there for you.

Pros: Timely. Nice customer loyalty program.

Cons: Misleading website.

I booked a ride ($58, one-way) on Tripper Bus because the website promised the “epitome of luxury” with “leather captain seats.” But when I boarded my trip from Manhattan to D.C., I found no leather or luxury — just another basic bus with cloth seats. The WiFi was so bad that I could barely connect to my email to find out what went wrong.

Apparently, the company has two bus options: standard coach and Elite. The website doesn’t make that very clear; neither does the company’s Instagram account. Its profile tagline calls itself an “Upscale Luxury coach service.” I felt part culpable, part catfished.

Last word: At the end of the day, Tripper is fine. It got me to my final destination as planned, even leaving a few minutes early once all passengers had been accounted for. The electrical outlets worked. The company also offers a buy-six-tickets-get-one-free scheme, which is nice for frequent travelers.

Pros: Luxurious and exclusive-feeling. An ocean of legroom. Reliable WiFi.

Cons: Limited schedule. Often expensive.

The Jet is a bona fide fancy bus between New York and D.C. reminiscent of the long-defunct (and much beloved) Royal Sprinter. It’s a smaller bus than your mega coach and seats only 14 passengers.

A huge selling point is the seats. They’re 22 inches wide — 5 inches wider than some airline seats — and made with a gel-foam base and a memory-foam back. They recline 45 degrees, boast motion-canceling technology and have six feet of distance between rows.

When I reviewed the company after it debuted in 2021, it offered lots of free perks onboard, including coffee and snacks. One-way fares were just $99. Now it’s usually closer to $200 — rivaling prices of Amtrak or flying — and you have to pay for coffee and snacks (although alcohol remains free for up to two drinks). I recently bought a one-way ticket for my fiancé, Dan, for $155, including tax, but have seen fares as low as $89.

While the motion-canceling seats are very comfortable, Dan did comment that his most recent driver accelerated and braked so aggressively that it did not feel like a smooth ride.

Last word: If your budget allows for a more expensive ticket than the typical bus, the Jet does feel like a special treat.

Pros: Prompt. Cheap. Skilled driver. Clean bathroom.

Cons: Old bus. Old seats. Less privacy.

For $38, I took a Boston-to-New York trip on a Peter Pan bus; fares start at just $14 for the same route if you book them in advance, according to the website. So it was no surprise that the bus was old, from its exterior paint job to the cloth seats. It claimed to have WiFi, but it didn’t work for me. It did have functioning electric outlets, though.

My favorite part of the Peter Pan experience was that the driver was a seasoned professional who seemed to have a lifetime of experience; you could tell by the way he breezed through his intro spiel — “Please be nice,” he said, and don’t make calls on speakerphone, because “that is just obnoxious.” He moved the big old vehicle through traffic like butter.

The company does offer a perks rewards program to encourage repeat customers.

Last word: Peter Pan isn’t worth going out of your way to book, but if you need a ride in a pinch, it will do.

Pros: Quiet. Clean. Thoughtful touches. Friendly service.

Cons: Bumpy ride. Spotty WiFi.

Vamoose Bus offers an economy version and a business class. In early April, I took the more expensive ($83 one-way) Vamoose Gold Bus to New York from Bethesda, Md. — an affluent Washington suburb — on the recommendation of a colleague. As a D.C. resident, it wasn’t ideal to Uber almost a half-hour north to catch the bus, but for me that was only 10 minutes longer than driving to Union Station, where the other buses depart. The company also leaves from Arlington, Va.

There was helpful signage at the departure location and an attendant handing out complimentary full-size water bottles for customers.

I boarded the sleek black beauty to discover a pristine interior, plush leather and lots of open seats. My fellow passengers took some work calls but maintained a courteous volume throughout the trip. The bus was bouncier than you’d expect from its appearance; I switched seats mid-trip and found one closer to the back that somehow felt a little smoother. Worse, the WiFi was not dependable for a service marketed toward business travelers. Sometimes it had speeds capable of uploading a high-resolution file; sometimes it was so bad that I couldn’t open an email.

Last word: Overall, Vamoose Gold was my favorite. It was nice enough to justify the price difference compared with Megabus but isn’t as expensive as the Jet.