Fung Wah Bus

I don’t know what people are complaining about. Honestly. You pay $ 15, you get to NY quickly, with a rest stop usually at MdDonald’s with clean enough bathrooms. The seats are comfortable enough — I mean, if you want five star go fly first class. the wifi was great. I took LuckyStar from NY to Boston and their wifi was horrendous, the bus was a furnace. LuckyStar also took nearly 6 hours to get there, which really got on my nerves because they advertise a 4-​hour bus ride.
Fungwah had a good enough bus temperature and I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for a quick, cheap way to get from Boston to NY.

The Boston Globe reports that very soon in the New Year of 2015, Fung Wah will be resurrected. Yay! Pricing to be announced, but let’s not expect it to be as cheap as it was, after all, they need to actually maintain their buses now…

I used this bus company a few times when traveling from NYC — Philly and NYC — Boston. 2 memorable things about them: they park in the street in Chinatown for less than a minute while you jump on, they drive around the block and then stop for another minute to let more people jump on and do this continuously until everybody is on. They don’t seem to have a permit to park their bus anywhere so this is how they get away with it. That was fine.
The scary part was the ride back from Boston at 1 or 2am — I was lifted out of my seat and knocked heads with my friend on several occasions (not on purpose). They were going so fast that the bumps on the road were so extreme that my butt was off the seat by at least 3 inches! I tried to sleep but couldn’t because my head kept knocking my friend’s who was next to me too. I seriously thought we could have died. I never took that bus again since then and am glad to hear that they have been shut down! I don’t think saving a few bucks is worth a person’s life.

Yeah, maybe it’s sketchy. Yeah, maybe you were sitting next to a dead crack whore. Yeah, maybe you waited at the rest stop 30 minutes too long because the guy who was supposed to pick up the «care package» from the driver was late trying to duck the cops.
But for 15 bucks, look at what you get:
–A thrilling, white-​knuckle race to your destination, sometimes almost an hour ahead of schedule
–Flexible ticketing with no additional charges for last minute changes
–A front-​row seat to the full spectrum of humanity, and sometimes, if you’re lucky, livestock
R.I.P. Fung Wah (2÷26÷2013). Your praises will be sung by every Boston and Philly college student and drug mule until the end of time.

I guess if something had ever gone wrong with a bus (as it has apparently for many other reviewers) I’d be writing a different review here, but I have never had a problem with Fung Wah; rather, the opposite of the experiences I’ve had on Megabus/​Boltbus.
People always try to convince me to take Megabus or Boltbus instead of the death trap that is apparently Fung Wah. They cite internet, cheapness, and nicer buses.
I say this to you:
1. Every time I take a Megabus or Boltbus, they are 20 – 45 minutes late with zero explanation or apology.
2. There’s never any efficiency in boarding, or an explanation where to line up, or anything. It’s a free for all and it makes me nuts.
3. The internet NEVER EVER works. EVER. If it works at all, it’s slower than your 1990s dial up connection.
4. They’ve raised their prices to like, $ 25! No! I am too cheap for that! If there’s a $ 15 option, I’m taking it!
5. They sell out super far in advance. I don’t always know when I need to grab the bus after work.
Fung Wah is super flexible. You basically go up to the counter 10 minutes before, get your ticket, and peace out. They are super efficient; they know what they’re doing. They show you where to line up and make sure you behave yourself. The crowd isn’t a bunch of hungover college students who were away for the weekend; it’s normal working people who are trying to just live their life on the cheap. They’re good with the luggage. They have this thing down to a T. And while I’m aware they really haul ass up the highway, they have never gone too crazy fast while I was on the bus (thank God) but yes, we get there within four hours.
I love Fung Wah. I was taking Fung Wah before it was cool to take $ 15 buses. It’s as «crappy» as taking any bus service up to Boston… except it is not as annoying and inefficient as every other bus line that goes up there.

It’s 12:50 and I just boarded my noon bus. Not okay for a company that advertises service ever half hour. I have taken Lucky Star every other trip to Boston and they are always on time… too bad I wanted to compare the options.
ALSO IT TOOK 7 HOURS TO GET TO BOSTON. FML!

Cheap ticket price = cheap service.
I’ve frequented Fung Wah many times in the past and thankfully never had an issue (although some of my less fortunate friends have).
The best ride is in the morning out of NYC. The bus arrives fueled and cleaned from the previous night in Chinatown… while it is the opposite for the Boston to NY leg (refuel stop required and the bus is trashed).
A couple of tips:
–bring some snacks from Chinatown — the pit stop is short and usually filled with fast-​food nonsense.
–bring your own toilet paper in case you have a situation to deal with. and the staff forgot to check the bus’ bathroom.
–bring plenty of hand sanitzer.
Otherwise, have a happy and safe commute!

If you don’t book a $ 1 bus way in advance, this is by far the cheapest way to do the NYC-​Boston trip. There are always some funky characters on the bus with you, but honestly, there are funky characters everywhere.
However, If you arent looking for the super cheap, last minute ride to/​from Boston and NYC or are willing to shell out some more dough, I would recommend looking at other options. I know the Acela and Regional trains can be pricey, but the benefit of no traffic and comfier seats is an hugely underrated plus. Also, if you book it at least a month in advance, fares tend to be around the $ 50 – 60 range each way.
So, although I felt the Fung Wah did serviceable job getting me to and from NYC from Boston, I think I will plan ahead a little better and take the train.

This is my first choice to get to NYC. Yeah there are others (MegaBus, Bolt etc) but they are more expensive and they drop you off in midtown and who the heck wants to be there? There isn’t any bubble tea to be had there!
They are really accommodating; we had a 8pm ticket but wanted to go earlier, so it was easily changed to a 5:30 on the spot.
The seats are comfortable enough — tho I hate when two people that are together choose to sit separately hoping no one will come and sit next to them. It’s quite annoying.
The drivers we have had had always stayed within the speed limit and the flow of traffic. I felt very safe.

When I talk about Fung Wah with my friends, I usually hear horror stories: It’s not for the weak, it’s not for the faint of heart. Your bus will probably simultaneously lose all of its wheels, burst into flames and plunge into a deep ravine, sending you careening towards a rocky, bloody death.
Honestly though, I’ve taken this bus more than a dozen times, and I’ve never had an issue. I’ve experienced one overheating bus (we had to drive slower than usual, but still made it in a little under five hours), and one CRAY CRAY driver who got us from Boston to New York in three hours in pouring rain.
The good:
–Quick route in and out of New York, unlike some of the other bus companies that leave from Port Authority, then decide that it’s a good idea to drive up the entirety of Manhattan before getting on the highway in the Bronx.
-$ 15 any time any day!
–They’re very flexible with ticketing, and you can usually get on the next bus without a reservation.
–They’re pushy and not super friendly, but everything does function with that amazingly chaotic Chinese efficiency.
–They’re consistently on time. You hear that, Megabus? You and your cheeky hour-​late departures.
The bad:
–Usually very crowded. The word is out.

New York City Fung Wah is like all other places in New York Chinatown, you take it with a grain of salt. For a couple years there were some police barricades in front of where the bus would have stopped if it was able to. So as you bought your ticket you had to wait for the person with the Fung Wah shirt to direct you to where the bus would be stopping. This made me think it might have been a little less legal for companies to commandeer city streets for their private company use.
But lets be honest that probably was the least of the illegal activity that Chinatown is known for. No worries though, we all want a cheap trip and as I said in my review of Boston’s Fung Wah this business is legit. What I don’t like so much is the fact that they do outsource buses during their busy weekend holiday traffic. This means that not all the buses Fung Wah uses will be Fung Wah.
One of the companies they outsource from is Omega Express which aren’t always knowledgeable about the routes the regular Fung Wah drivers take. In addition they may or may not give a rest stop. Which is normally appreciated with the regular drivers because no one really likes using bathrooms on the bus. I cherish the 10 – 15 min stop at a McDonalds in Connecticut so I can stretch my legs and use a bathroom. If you manage to get a regular Fung Wah bus it’s all good but the other ones they might use might not be as good as it can be a hit or miss but I’d still take them over Megabus and Greyhound any day of the week. They’re still the most convenient one out there.

Yesterday I endured a 4-​hour ride from Boston to NY with no air conditioning and hardly any fan air venting in through the vents. A man a few rows in front of me was sweating so badly he had to start using his sleeve to wipe down his forehead. It was like mutiny was gonna break out on the bus. People were so aggravated and hot, muttering about how it was not ok, going up to the bus driver and asking was there nothing he could do? Could we take a break? He finally had a woman go and open the emergency exit door in the ceiling in the back, but that barely helped. The worst problem was not the heat but the lack of oxygen and breathability — I felt like I was suffocating from lack of fresh air.
2 hours in, I felt like I was going to pass out and tried to close my eyes and sleep but was too hot. I did breathing exercises to stay calm, feeling like I was doing some Lamaze up in there. What if someone elderly had been on the bus who had a heart attack or heat stroke? What the hell, Fung Wah??? Fix your buses! How many lawsuits do you have going on???
When I got out, I started to walk into the office to complain and ask for a refund (the $ 15 doesn’t really matter to me, but the principle does). A woman working for the company accosted me and said «Where are you going?» I said, «I’m going to make a complaint, and I want a refund. There was no air and we felt like we were suffocating, and we were also very hot.» She said no refund, she is sorry, but no refund. I said, «You cannot let that line of people waiting outside get on the bus we just got off of.» But for all I know, those cheapos probably let all those people get on and suffer just so they can make their buck. I asked to see a manager and she said he was not there.
When I got home, my boyfriend looked up the bus and of course, it’s not accredited on the Better Business Bureau, because what BBB in its right mind would accredit an organization like this?
I’ve ridden this bus many times with various problems. Sure, sometimes you have no problems and it’s a cheap ride, but they almost always go WAY too fast, or the engine seems to be dying and they go way too slow because they don’t want to break down. RUSSIAN ROULETTE BUS WITH YOUR LIFE
One time the driver did the 4.5 hr drive in 2 hrs. I was so scared I held on for my dear life and couldn’t sleep, read, or concentrate. I think he was going 95 – 100 the whole way. He must have been told by the base to hurry up.
I’ll write a letter, but it probably won’t do anything, because these people don’t care at all about your quality of life while on their bus. Find another way to get to where you’re going.

Well, if you like to travel for dirt cheap, Fung Wah is definitely a good choice. $ 30 for a roundtrip ride to and from Boston? Pretty sweet… but I mean if you value your life maybe this isn’t the best choice. The driver does drive a little too fast for my liking. I remember trying to sleep during my ride home but couldn’t because I felt like I was on a roller coaster. The driver was driving insanely fast and we made it from Boston to NY in about 2 – 2.5 hours. A week later I saw on the news that a Fung Wah bus had turned over while the driver was speeding during a turn.
In the end if you’d like to arrive at your destination alive, maybe Amtrak or Greyhound would be a better choice. It’s a few more bucks, but atleast you’ll get to Boston, ya know, NOT DEAD!

I used Fung Wah once before. The first time going down to NY, I kept my light on and wrote a paper on my laptop. I got very carsick. Also the two people behind me were yapping REALLY loudly. On the way back, I slept.
I appreciate Fung Wah because they let you switch ticket times around. even when I missed a trip (b/​c I ended up not going), i emailed them and they just credited it towards a separate trip. Also, this time around, I had a 7pm ticket but arrived and asked to switch to 5pm, which they did with no hitch.
Just make sure that when you go to their Manhattan location, you check in and get your ticket stamped.
This time to NY (from Boston), I first used Megabus. Then on my way back, I went with Fung Wah. HONESTLY, Fung Wah seats are WAY more comfortable. I also used their bathroom, which was very clean and smelled like babypowder.
there are definitely no frills, but they totally get the job done. Plus, I love Chinatown, so even though I don’t stay there, FungWah is a great excuse to walk through it. Stop by TenRen and grab a tea for the road!
It’s definitely not «as good as it gets», but for $ 15, I’m definitely a fan!

To get to NY I’ve only used Fung Wah, so I have nothing to compare it to. The ride is easy, they stop halfway through the trip and we’re almost always on time.
The lady that took my ticket said the bus had wi-​fi and no password was needed. I found the connection, but couldn’t connect. I asked the bus driver about it and he said there was no internet. I’m pretty pissed off about that.

Not my preferred chinatown bus
Lucky star bus is better. Fung wah buses are generally not in as good a condition, and the manhattan loading point is in an unmarked place that can be confusing. Nothing fancy inside the bus, this is budget travel.
I only go here when lucky star is full.
The benefit of chinatown buses compared to bolt/​megabus is that you dont need a reservation and most of the times can get a spot, although during busy times you will be put on the next bus.

Traveling with Fung Wah is like traveling in China: cheap, chaotic, confusing and dirty, yet you walk away impressed at how it all manages to work itself out and somehow get the job done.
In spite of the crowds on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, my dreaded first-​ever Boston-​to-​New York bus trip was cleaner, faster and more comfortable than I’d hoped for. Admittedly, for fifteen bucks, what I’d hoped for was merely not to die.
Be aware that they sell an unlimited number of tickets for each bus, so the time listed on your ticket don’t mean nada – you just rock up and go. When work is paying, I’ll take the Acela. When it’s my fifteen bucks, hand me my Kindle and strap me in for some Fung Wah fun.

Me: «I’m taking the Chinatown bus to Boston tomorrow… I heard 15 people died on that bus one time. Should I be scared?»
Friend: «Nah dude. I heard worse. I heard some people got beheaded on that bus.»
Apparently, everyone in New York has heard of a bunch of horror stories about the Fung Wah bus, which is probably why they have a sign that says «There are a few swindlers around this area, please ignore their make up stories.»
I took the bus and it was fine. The workers are pushy and straight to the point but I’m used to it (perhaps all my time in Asia desensitized me to everything). It’s not first class service but then again, you are paying a cheap $ 15 for a quick 4 hour ride to Boston.
You get what you pay for, people.

Reliable and cheap — and now with free wifi!!! If anyone has visited Boston before, they will know that driving there is a pain, so we decided to take the bus up. Whether or not you get a bathroom/​leg-​stretch break is dependent on the driver. I’ve had drivers just drive through the whole stretch. There isn’t much leg room, but you weren’t really paying for leg room now were you? Despite the rumors of crazy Chinese driving, I have yet to experience that — my rides have always been pretty safe feeling, which I always thought was odd, as I am sure these drivers are similar to the Chinatown-​Flushing minivan drivers, so why do they seem so much safer on the Fung Wah?
When you can’t get a cheaper bus on the Mega or the Bolt — go for the Chinatown buses!
Wifi plus spit bags plus low cost = good deal!

This time up, I took the bus both ways. There isn’t a pit stop for the evening trip, which was good because on the way back we were stopped for about half an hour – and still made it back in less than four hours.
I also used the bathroom this time, and I have to say it isn’t horrible; MetroNorth bathrooms are usually worse.
Admittedly, I haven’t taken any of the other bus lines – actually, a few years ago I took a Peter Pan RT to the Catskills for about $ 80, so there you have it – but next time I need to get to another city, I’ll do my research. Fung Wah is great for those of us who can’t afford to fly.

My friend and I took the 7AM bus to Boston. The ticket booth opened around 6 (though I think the sign says 6:30AM).
The ride up was great; since the bus was only about half full, we got to take up 2 seats apiece and sleep. We woke up once when we stopped at a rest stop (I think it was about an hour and a half in) and still made it to Boston around 11:15.
The ride back was horrible. The bus was jam packed; every seat was filled. Plus we couldn’t sleep since there was a little kid behind us who kept asking his mom if she would sign a slip to get him out of school the next day among other silly things. And there was AC on the ENTIRE ride back even though it was already freezing. (The bus driver made numerous attempts to turn it off, but the extra air/​noise while doing so made it even more unenjoyable and would wake us up from the nap we tried to take.)
Oh well, I guess you get what you pay for, and for $ 15 each way it’s not bad. Just remember to pack a hoodie!

It’s cheap and convenient, but I feel like there’s not air venelation in the bus. So, not an enjoyable experience, but the price is a constant $ 15 one-​way.
Recomendation
*the Fung-​Wah in Boston leaves like a half hour before it’s scheduled to leave, which is pretty scary to me
*I feel like they take longer to get into the city than other bus companies, so be perpared to arrive later than expected!