I Took The Dartmouth Coach Bus to NYC and I Loved It (Honest Review)

I live in New York without a car, and I’ve spent years getting around this country by bus. Flix, Greyhound, Vamoose, Peter Pan, Amtrak’s connecting buses, the Chinatown-style BB Bus. I’ve reviewed all of them.

And let me tell you, the Dartmouth Coach to NYC is probably the best bus experience in the U.S.

The NYC route is a true “business class” bus, the type of comfort that competes with Amtrak and feels sort of like an airport lounge on a highway.

It calls itself an “executive” service. Yeah, you pay more for it. But for me, it’s worth it. Most buses I ride are the opposite of executive. They’re the cheap, get-me-there option. This one promised something nicer: single seats, free movies, free snacks. I mean, c’mon, they have complimentary coffee on the bus.

In this review, I’ll cover:

• What the Dartmouth Coach is and where it goes
• How to book it (and Hanover vs. Lebanon)
• What the “executive” NYC service includes
• What the ride was like, seat by seat
• How it stacks up against flying, driving, and the other transit options
• Whether this premium bus service is worth it

My Quick Summary

• When it says “executive” think “business class.” It is several steps up from most other U.S. buses.
• Yes, it’s pricey, but still compared to other options, it’s not a bad deal, especially for the service. I paid $95 for my New Hampshire to NYC bus.
• The legroom is great, the seats are great, the service is great, the snacks and drinks are a bonus.
• Whether coming from Vermont or New Hampshire, going to New York or Boston, this is the first option I’d consider if the route makes sense for you.

What Is the Dartmouth Coach?

The Dartmouth Coach is a scheduled intercity bus that connects New Hampshire’s Upper Valley (Hanover and Lebanon) with New York and Boston. For Boston, you have the choice of going to Logan airport or South Station.

It’s part of Concord Coach Lines, a homegrown New England operator that’s been running since the mid-1990s, so it’s an established company. If you’ve taken Concord Coach or Boston Express around northern New England, it’s the same company with different branding and routes.

Unlike the big providers like Greyhound and Flix or even Peter Pan, Dartmouth Coach has only two routes. It’s a targeted bus route, kind of like the Vamoose bus that goes from New York to Bethesda.

In this case, it fills an even more obvious transit gap. This is New Hampshire, where you’re free to do anything except be able to get anywhere without a car.

There is an Amtrak train, The Vermonter, that stops in nearby White River Junction, VT. A few Greyhound Buses between Montreal and Boston stop here each day, but that’s it. This gets you to the nearest major airport easily. It gets you to the two major cities comfortably. It serves Dartmouth College.

The other thing that separates it from most other U.S. buses, even good regional ones, is its positioning as an “executive” service.

Frequency is Very Good for a U.S. Bus

On the NYC route, there are two to three departures a day in each direction, which is a lot better than most regional lines I’ve used. The core southbound trip leaves Hanover at 6:30 AM (Lebanon at 6:15 AM) and reaches New York around 11:30 AM.

There are also mid-morning and afternoon departures on certain days. Northbound, buses leave New York in the morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon depending on the day of the week.

On the Boston route, it comes every 1-2 hours for most of the day, so it’s commuter-level frequency.

Booking the Dartmouth Coach

Booking was easy. I did it right on the website. There are no account gymnastics and no confusing code stations.

A few things to know before you book:

The NYC service is reservation-only, like most Amtrak trains or other regional services.

The Boston service, you can use the ticket anytime before it expires. In this sense, it’s more like a commuter service.

Prices Are Fixed, Like Commuter Buses

I have written about how Amtrak and even operators like Greyhound have adopted the “dynamic pricing” model of the airlines, where prices fluctuate based on demand and availability. This isn’t like that. These prices are the same whether you book months or minutes out.

As of time of writing, that’s $36 for Boston and $95 for NYC.

Buses Can Sell Out

We took the 6:30am bus, and even this one, there weren’t many open seats.

So while you don’t have to worry about price, if it’s around busy times, especially for college students since this bus serves Dartmouth students, book ahead. If you’re coming around Thanksgiving, book ahead.

Booking Hanover vs. Lebanon

The stops are only a few minutes away from each other.

Hanover is right at Dartmouth College. If you’re a student, a visiting parent, or here for anything on campus, this is your stop. It’s walkable to the college and downtown Hanover.

Lebanon makes more sense if you’re connecting to local transit or coming from elsewhere in the Upper Valley. Both have local bus connections, but Lebanon is the more central stop with more buses, so if your trip doesn’t start or end on campus, check whether Lebanon is more convenient for you.

The NYC bus hits Lebanon 15 minutes before Hanover southbound, so you’re not losing meaningful time either way. We chose Hanover because it left at 6:30am instead of 6:15am, and the distance to either was the same from where we started in Vermont, so we took the extra sleep.

Arriving at and Boarding the Dartmouth Coach

In Lebanon, the buses come and go from the Lebanon Transit Center. I can’t speak to the experience, because I chose Hanover. However, I suspect the experience is similar to Hanover, with a bus shelter and other basic amenities, but not a full-on station.

In Hanover, it boards where lots of local buses board at the Hanover Inn bus stop, so you have a bus shelter to wait at if you’re early.

(Note: for special events the exact locations can change, so check their news.)

At this bus shelter, there’s also a screen where you can book tickets, but it just takes you to the website, so you might as well just do it on your phone.

If you’re boarding at Dartmouth (Hanover), keep in mind that the buses start in Lebanon, so it won’t be sitting there waiting.

We got there 20 minutes before the bus. A few people were waiting. By 10 minutes before, a small line of college-looking people formed an orderly line.

The driver, dressed professionally, came out and helped people put their luggage one while we boarded.

While I had the tickets ready on my phone, he just asked us for our name and had them on the list. This is probably fine unless you book last-minute. In that case, have your ticket ready.

Overall it was an extremely smooth boarding process.

You Have Ample Luggage Space Underneath The Bus

If you have suitcases, hockey gear, skis, whatever, that goes under the bus. The driver helped people do this. It’s all included.

The “Executive” Bus Experience: What it Includes

Right when I walked on, I knew this was going to be a great bus experience. Everything was clean and orderly. That’s always a good sign.

When we started to go, the bus driver made announcements. Where the bus was going. How the traffic looked. That you could watch movies by turning to channel 5. I always appreciate this. It sets a professional and calming tone.

Let’s start with the seats.

Seats, Recline, Tray Table, Cup Holder

The seats have a 2-1 formation, so you may have the choice of sitting in a row by yourself, or next to someone. This is nice. If you’re traveling solo, you can be by yourself. Even if you don’t get this, there’s a cupholder in between the seats, so you don’t have to worry about rubbing elbows.

It has a comfortable enough cushion for your head, so it’s easier to sleep on than your typical bus. The armrests are adjustable.

The legroom is the best I’ve seen on a bus. It’s plenty of legroom.

You can lean your seat back, and it won’t even ruin things for the person behind you. It’s not as cushy or big as Amtrak, but it’s pretty close, and for a bus it’s exceptional.

The tray table is my one complaint. The design is a not your typical design that just falls down. As a result, it’s a bit wobbly, and mine had some sticky coffee on it. But it’s totally fine and pretty big, so I’m just being nitpicky here.

Also the cupholders are small. They fit all the drinks they serve, but I have a metal water bottle and it didn’t fit. Again, nitpicky.

Wifi, Outlets

Every seat has outlets. For the one-seaters, they’re on the wall, for the two-seaters, they’re in front of the seats.

The wifi is easy to connect to. Like all other transit, it has its drawbacks. It gets service from nearby cell towers, so the quality of the wifi depends on the quality of the Internet. Don’t have high expectations for it, but it’s fine for non-video call work. Even LLMs worked fine for me on it. It gets better the closer you get to the city.

The Bathroom: Very Clean

My girlfriend told me to put this message from her in this article. “The bathroom is so clean that I sat down on the toilet seat.” No hovering for the girls, we love that.

Unless somebody on your trip ruins it, this bus will be clean. It will be stocked with toilet paper. There will hand sanitizer. It flushes the same way an Amtrak bathroom does with that blue cleaning liquid. These are small details that make a difference.

The Coolest Part: Coffee Machine and Complimentary Snacks

The “holy crap” moment on the Dartmouth Coach for me was the coffee machine. When they said they served snacks and drinks, I assumed a small bottle of water and some airline pretzels. Nope. It’s more like an airport lounge.

Go ahead and make yourself some coffee. They even had decaf and green tea Keurigs. That’s top-tier.

Also, the snacks were better than free airline snacks. You had variety. Little Bites. Peanuts. Belvita crackers. You have a dozen snacks to choose from.

In addition to a freaking Keurig machine, they had sodas, Gatorades, and waters. You just get up and grab what you want.

For an early morning bus ride, this is a huge morale (and crucial caffeine) boost.

Between the coffee and big seats, for me, it lives up to the “executive” label.

Movies, Ear Buds, and Satellite Radio

They play movies on the TV screens the whole time. There’s an old earbud jack in the front or the side of every seat to access this. This (and flights) is why I still keep a tangled pair in my travel backpack.

You can also listen to satellite radio or the news on other stations. Listen to the announcements at the beginning of the ride from the driver for which is which.

The Views: Some Scenic Parts But Nothing Special

I love a view outside a transit window, but this is almost all highway. The best part is the 5-minute stretch between Dartmouth and I-91.

The NYC Side: On The Street, Near Grand Central

You won’t find Dartmouth Coach at Port Authority Bus Terminal.

They start and end just on the street, near Grand Central. Specifically, on 42nd St between 3rd and Lexington Avenue, a very busy Midtown block. The good news it’s steps from the 4,5,6, and 7 subway lines.

It makes it awkward to arrive too early, although if you are very early, you’re close enough to wait at Grand Central and head over 15 minutes before departure.

Also, it’s likely that you’ll sit in traffic for a few minutes while the bus navigates Midtown.

Dartmouth Coach vs. Other Ways to Reach the Upper Valley

As I mentioned, both New Hampshire and many parts of Vermont are not easy to reach without a car. This bus provides a great solution is so many circumstances. I think it’s the best way to reach the Upper Valley without a car.

vs. Flying

Lebanon (LEB) has a tiny airport with limited, pricey regional flights (often via Cape Air). Most people fly into Boston (BOS) or Manchester (MHT) and still need ground transport up. If you’re taking a major flight to or from Boston, the bus gets you right from the airport.

I’ve written previously about how this strategy can save you money on flights, by avoiding the expensive small flights and getting you on the major ones where airlines have scale.

The bus, compared to a short flight, is also much better for the environment, as I write about in this article on why I take transit instead of flying.

vs. Driving

I don’t have a car. So for me, it’s taking the bus vs renting a car, which adds extra costs.

But even if I did have a car, this bus is competitive on time (you’ll lose some, but with the rental, that’s offset by pick up and drop off in that case too).

You don’t pay for gas, tolls, parking, and best of all, you don’t have to deal with driving.

I started my work day on the bus, so I got the time back and got to enjoy a coffee.

vs. Amtrak Vermonter Train (to NYC)

This one has more nuance. I have ridden the Amtrak Vermonter more times than I can remember.

While there’s no direct train to Hanover/Lebanon, Amtrak’s Vermonter train stops at nearby White River Junction, VT. For this, I’ll just assume those station stops are equal for you. Of course, if you’re walking distance to one but not the other, then factor that in for you.

There are some pros to the Amtrak compared to the Dartmouth Coach.

Even with the “executive” service, the Amtrak train is still more comfortable. It has even wider seats, better tray tables. You don’t have free snacks, but you have a cafe car where you can buy hot coffee and even minor league baseball-level hot food. It’s also immune to traffic, because it’s a train, but this is offset by the fact that it’s often late for other reasons. So that’s a wash.

If you’re going south of New York towards Washington, you can get a one-seat ride on the Vermonter as well, avoiding a transfer.

The Vermonter, if you book in advance, will cost less. In advance, $50-$70 fares are typical. Last-minute, it may cost more. So on price, overall, the Vermonter wins.

The Dartmouth Coach wins on two key elements: frequency and time. The Vermonter only comes once a day in each direction, so if that time doesn’t work for you, it’s not an option.

And the Dartmouth Coach takes advantage of interstates, which whisk buses pretty fast compared to our slow passenger rail trains that run on rails built in the 19th century.

For me, it would depend on my route, travel schedule, and the price of the Amtrak at the time. If the Amtrak is less and the travel schedule works, I’d book Amtrak.

vs. Other Buses (To Boston)

There are no other direct buses to New York from the Upper Valley. However, you do have another bus option to Boston, and that’s the Greyhound.

Now, I’ve taken Greyhound probably a dozen times in my life. It is always my last choice if there’s another bus or a train.

That’s the same case here. Dartmouth Coach to Boston is more reliable, more frequent, higher quality, and competes on price.

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Tips to Prepare for Your Dartmouth Coach Ride

A few things to know before you go, most of which apply no matter which bus you take:

Book on their website. It’s not on the aggregator websites, and the NYC service is reservation-only. Go to dartmouthcoach.com.

Have a card that isn’t Amex. They take Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and cash.

Have your name ready. If you booked in advance, that’s your ticket.

Pack like it’s a bus, not a plane. Big bags go underneath; a backpack rides with you. Overhead space is smaller than a plane, but the Dartmouth Coach has a bigger overhead compartment than most buses.

Pick the right Upper Valley stop. Hanover for campus, Lebanon for local transit connections.

Charge your devices anyway. Outlets are advertised at every seat, but I never fully trust bus outlets. They worked, and I’m sure they’ll work, but these are just habits you pick up when you travel by bus a lot.

So, Is the Dartmouth Coach Worth It?

If it’s the travel option that makes the most sense for you, yes, absolutely. I’ll happily pay a bit more on the bus fare for a much smoother ride where I can work more comfortably, spread my legs a bit, sleep if I want to, and not be starving and thirsty.

In the U.S., we need more bus operators like Dartmouth Coach, that make taking transit comfortable and normal, that provide a car-free option on routes where there is demand (like college towns). We need this for environmental reasons, yes, we also need it for quality-of-life reasons. Cars impose serious costs on society, and many of us, like me, would prefer to live somewhere walkable and enjoy car-free life.

Questions? Comments? Chime in Below.

Just ask it down in the comments section.