Is there a safe, quick way to get to New York?
My daughter will be starting New York University in the fall and I will be traveling to Manhattan frequently. I can't seem to find a frequent traveler pass for the rail, airfares are dicey, parking and gas prices are out of sight, and the Fung Wah bus is always a crapshoot. Do I need to continue to investigate every option for savings every time I travel? N.G. , Salem
There is no single trick for getting to New York quickly, safely, and affordably. The best advice is to stick with a method of travel you feel most comfortable with.
To figure that out, consider the options: Flying can be efficient. Delays notwithstanding, flight time is 35-45 minutes, and on Delta, US Airways, or United, there is usually a flight every hour. But prices can be upward of $400 round-trip. If you plan ahead and travel midweek, midday, or Saturday, you could score a fare as low as $49 each way on
Amtrak takes you into the heart of Manhattan. The journey will run three to four hours depending on whether you splurge for Acela Express, and will set you back from $58 to $111 ($87 to $139 for Acela). Just like the airlines, Amtrak offers an incentive program for frequent railers called Amtrak Guest Rewards (amtrakguestrewards.com). The points you earn are redeemable for free Amtrak travel, gift certificates at retailers and restaurants, and airline miles.
The cheapest way to get to the city is by bus. Greyhound (greyhound.com) and Peter Pan (peterpanbus.com) offer rates competitive with Fung Wah and have a much better safety record. Taking the bus, though, leaves you at the mercy of traffic around both cities.
No traffic will seem as bad if you're riding first class. That's the thinking behind LimoLiner (limoliner.com), a luxury bus service that drives exclusively between Boston and New York four times daily. For a set rate of $79 each way, you will sit in big, reclining leather seats while enjoying meal and snack service, movies, and free Wi-Fi. Better yet is the simplicity of their loyalty program: Buy 10 trips, get one free.
Got a travel-related question? Send it to Hillary Geronemus, travel editor at Body + Soul magazine, at Hillary Q&A 
