The 4 Ways to Get from NYC to Vermont on Transit, From a Local
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I grew up in Vermont. I moved to New York City for college at 20. Seven years later I still live in NYC. I go back all the time and I do not own a car. So I do not drive, and I do not take short flights for environmental reasons I have written about before. So over the years I have worked out and taken every car-free, flight-free way to get from NYC to Vermont.
Here is the first thing to understand. Vermont is not one destination. Where you are going changes everything. Burlington, Brattleboro, Bennington, and White River Junction are different trips that might have different answers. So before you book, figure out which corner of the state you are headed to. Then use the right option below.
TL;DR: Best Ways to Get from NYC to Vermont, Car-Free
| Option | Cost (One Way) | Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amtrak Ethan Allen Express | ~$75 to $125, dynamic pricing | ~6-7 hrs depending on destination | Western Vermont. Burlington, Rutland, Middlebury, and the western side. My top pick. |
| Amtrak Vermonter | ~$60 to $100+, dynamic pricing | ~5 to 9 hrs, depending on destination | Eastern and Central Vermont. Brattleboro, White River Junction, Montpelier, and central/eastern VT. Or a one-seat ride if you are continuing south past NYC. |
| Dartmouth Coach | ~$95, fixed price | ~5.5 hrs | The Upper Valley. Hanover, Lebanon, and White River Junction. Premium and reliable. |
| VT Translines + Empire Service Amtrak (or buses) via Albany | ~$70 to $100+ combined. $43 cash or $45 online to Albany, fixed price. | ~6-8 hrs depending on destination | Western Vermont with more stops. Requires a transfer at Albany. |
If you are headed to the Burlington area, take the Ethan Allen Express. It is the one train that runs straight there. It’s the most comfortable and it’s a one-seat ride.
If you are going to central or eastern Vermont, the Vermonter or Dartmouth Coach makes more sense.
There is no single NYC-to-Vermont bus, so ignore anyone who tells you to just grab a Greyhound. However, VT Translines runs a bus with many stops from Burlington to Albany. It makes more sense for many situations, even though it overlaps with the Ethan Allen Express.
If you want to see live prices for the bus and train options in one place, I usually start on Busbud. It is like a Skyscanner for buses and trains, and I wrote a full Busbud review on how I use it.
Option 1: The Amtrak Ethan Allen Express (Best for Burlington)
All right, let’s do the obvious one. The direct Amtrak train from NYC to Burlington, the Ethan Allen Express.
This train runs once a day from New York Penn Station up through Albany, Saratoga Springs, and Rutland, and since 2022 it continues all the way to Burlington, with stops in Middlebury and Vergennes along the way. Before that extension, getting to Burlington by train meant taking the slower Vermonter to Essex Junction. Now it is one seat from Manhattan to the shores of Lake Champlain.
It is a normal, comfortable Amtrak train. Big seats, a cafe car, outlets, room to move around, and views of Vermont depending on the time of year. It takes just over 7 hours to do the full trip. That is not fast, but it is a pleasant way to spend a day, and I would rather read and watch the mountains roll by than sit in traffic or an airport.
The one catch is that it runs once a day. So the schedule dictates your whole trip. Check the departure time and book ahead. This is a busy train with dynamic pricing. It sells out on busy travel days.
Fares are usually $75 to $125. Like all Amtrak, book early for the best price.
Option 2: The Amtrak Vermonter (Slower, but Better for Central and Eastern VT)
The Vermonter is the other daily Amtrak train into the state, and it covers a different part of Vermont.
Instead of going up the western side, the Vermonter runs from NYC through Stamford and New Haven, up through Springfield, and into Vermont on the eastern side. It stops in Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Windsor, White River Junction, Randolph, Montpelier, Waterbury, Essex Junction (about 15 minutes from Burlington), and St. Albans. So if central or eastern Vermont is your destination, this is your train.
The quality is basically the same as the Ethan Allen. Same comfortable Amtrak experience, same cafe car. It even has the same menu. The Vermonter is slower (it takes over 8 hours to get to Essex from New York Penn), and it has a worse on-time record.
So if Burlington is your target, the Vermonter does not make sense unless you want to save a few bucks. Take the Ethan Allen instead. I have ridden the Vermonter plenty, and I wrote a full Vermonter review with everything you need to know.
Another situation where the Vermonter wins is if you want a one-seat ride past New York. It goes all the way to D.C.
Like the Ethan Allen, it runs once a day, so plan around the schedule.
Option 3: Dartmouth Coach (Best for the Upper Valley)
Okay, yes, this runs from New Hampshire to New York, but it stops in Hanover and Lebanon, right near the Vermont border. So if your destination is White River Junction or really anywhere around the Upper Valley, consider this choice.
It’s a lot faster than the Vermonter, and very comfortable for a bus. It’s a “business class” type of service, with a coffee machine, snacks, and extra-wide seats. It also gives you more departure options. You can see my breakdown of the Dartmouth Coach Bus here.
If your destination is the Upper Valley, meaning Hanover, Lebanon, or White River Junction, look at Dartmouth Coach.
Option 4: VT Translines Plus Connections via Albany (For Western VT)
I just rode this combo for the first time, and that’s because the timing of the Ethan Allen Express didn’t work out for me.
VT Translines runs two trips daily between Albany and Burlington.
From Albany, there are Empire Service Amtrak trains to NYC all day long, as well as Greyhound, Flix, and Trailways buses, not just the single daily departure you get with the direct Vermont trains.
Read my experience riding VT Translines here.
There are many reasons to choose this. First, where it stops. In addition to more stops along the way, it also connects to the Burlington airport, Albany airport, and Albany bus terminal. If the Ethan Allen is an “Express” option, this is a “local” option. (But it’s not any slower.) Second is timing. There are two daily routes at different times than the train, so you can get to NYC or VT earlier if you want to. Third is the price. This has a fixed price. Now, the Empire Service trains don’t, so your total cost can still vary, but at least you know you can get to Albany for $44.50.
Connecting to Another Bus in Albany
For the best mix of cost and convenience, I’d take VT Translines to the Albany Bus Terminal and connect to Trailways, Flix or Greyhound. You stay in one station, and there are far more departures to NYC than the one daily Ethan Allen. VT Translines is $43 in cash to the bus terminal (a dollar more than to the Amtrak station). So on days when the Ethan Allen is expensive, a bus-to-bus combo will probably be your cheapest option overall.
Just check the Albany to NYC fares when you book. Flix and Greyhound use dynamic pricing, and Trailways tends to be the least dynamically priced of the three.
On paper, there’s an even cheaper combo heading north. Wanda Coach, a Chinatown bus, runs from Midtown Manhattan to Albany for $20 in cash, and with a $1.50 local bus to the terminal the whole trip comes to about $65. I tried it. But Wanda drops you on Central Avenue instead of at the bus terminal, and my bus ran over 40 minutes late, so I needed a Lyft to make my VT Translines connection. Heading south, the timing doesn’t work at all. Wanda’s afternoon bus leaves Albany at 4:45, almost seven hours after the morning VT Translines gets in. Unless you have a big buffer and some patience, I’d stick with the buses that use the terminal.
There Is No Direct NYC to Vermont Bus
There is no single direct bus from New York City to Burlington or most of Vermont. Dartmouth Coach is the closest. People assume there must be a Greyhound, but there isn’t. There’s a twice-daily bus to and from Boston, but that’s a pointless diversion. If you want to go by bus, take VT Translines and transfer in Albany.
A Few Tips for the NYC to Vermont Trip
Book the Amtrak Trains Early
Both the Ethan Allen and the Vermonter run once a day, so there is no “catch the next one.” On holiday weekends, foliage season, and around UVM and Middlebury move-in and family weekends, these sell out. Book ahead and you will also get the better fare.
Even if you’re connecting at Albany via VT Translines, check Albany to New York trains early too.
For Buses, You Don’t Need to Plan Early
VT Translines is a commuter service with fixed prices. It also doesn’t sell out, so there’s no risk there. There’s more risk when you’re going to Albany. While Greyhound and Flix have dynamic prices, many Trailways bus routes have a fixed price. However, they can sell out on busy days, so I’d still check once you’re locking in your plans.
Match the Route to Your Destination
It can be tempting to just see the Ethan Allen Express and assume you’ll have to eat the drive to Burlington, Vergennes, Middlebury, or Rutland (the Ethan Allen stops). You have a few more options.
[MAP] A simple map of Vermont showing the four routes. The Ethan Allen up the western side, the Vermonter up the eastern side, Dartmouth Coach to Hanover and Lebanon, and VT Translines along Route 7 down to Albany.
For Central Vermont, you have the Vermonter.
For Eastern Vermont, you have the Vermonter and Dartmouth Coach Bus.
For Western Vermont, you have VT Translines, which has more stops than the Ethan Allen Express, so you can leave right from Bennington, Manchester, Brandon, and a few others.
Plan Your Last Mile
Vermont is rural, and rideshares can be thin outside Burlington (and inside of Burlington). Figure out how you are getting from the station to your final destination before you go, whether that is planning the taxi ahead of time or getting a ride from a friend.
Bring Snacks and a Full Water Bottle
The cafe car is nice but not guaranteed to have what you want, and it is a long ride. I always bring my own snacks, at the least.
This is just good travel fundamentals in general. Regardless of the offerings, pack enough that you won’t be absolutely starving and parched of thirst.
It Takes Planning, But Car-Free to VT is Doable for Most of the State
Getting from New York to Vermont without a car or a plane takes a little planning, but it is very doable, and honestly it is one of my favorite trips.
If you are a car-free travel nerd like me, here is how I live in the U.S. without a car in the first place.
Found a routing I missed? Tell me in the comments. I want this to be the most thorough article out there.
