Hola Bus

DON’T FORGET if you’re using HolaBus: *** PRINT OUT YOUR TICKET***
Crucial point for travellers!
NOTE: Holabus aka EasternBus aka GotoBus aka iLikeBus (your bus may not say HolaBus)
You cannot beat the price since Megabus no longer does $ 1 tickets (I caught that wave when it was good — $ 1 bus ticket from DC to Toronto… Winning… but that was long ago)
for $ 45 return from Rockville to MD — it wasn’t so bad, unless you need to use the bathroom — Disgusting! You could smell the bathroom 4 rows of seat ahead of the door, which smelled like an old dirty redneck bar urinal, and to top it off had the yellowing urine stains outlining the seat. The bathroom light did not go on when you walked in and there was no hand sanitiser or bathroom tissue — which may explain why it smells like a mens urinal — because it wasn’t equipped at all for women. When I explained to the guest team member (who accompanied the travellers from the Chinatown (DC stop) to Baltimore) that there was no paper, he did nothing about it.
Ugh — I kinda put it to the cheap tickets — but with a full bus it should have been much cleaner.
The staff (aka filing you in line in NYC and the driver) will treat you like cattle class — the more questions you ask the more irritable they get.
Look it’s only a 5 – 6 hour drive — and the toilet is just a bus toilet — I wasn’t expecting the W hotel :)
Please be aware though that they stop in Delaware for a coffee/​food/​toilet break for 10 – 20 minutes (so factor that in to your travels if you’re running on a specific time)
and PRINT OUT YOUR TICKET!
(I know this is inconvenient for some, but they want a printed copy)

Hola bus is a deceptive deal, not to mention sketchy and unreliable. From the disorganized customer service at pickup, to the poor professionalism of the driver, to the unscheduled drop offs and stops, my ride from NY to DC was horrible. It would have been better to spend the money to take the train. I’ve learned my lesson.

I took Hola bus this weekend from NYC to DC and it was a pleasant trip. The wifi was spotty but it wasn’t any better than the wifi on Megabus. The outlets worked the bus temp. was comfy and the bus was clean and spacious. I would def. take this bus again over megabus any day. My only issue is the locations of pick up drop off as well as the printing of tickets VS being able to show you the ticket on your phone.

Stupidly, Iv’e taken this bus more than enough times. They are ALWAYS an hour+ late to their destination. I am never taking this bus again. Best bus is great! I will take them way more. Xoxo

I’ve taken the Hola Bus (which I think is also Eastern Bus & GotoBus but I’m not sure) 4 times now and had a good experience. Let’s be clear, this is a discount bus company so there are many no-​frills things compared to Greyhound, Bolt or Mega but I did not have any problems.
The buses are not as new as their competitors but I find them to have the most leg room and they are clean enough for a public bus. The WiFi worked really well on all of my trips (I cannot say that about the competing bus companies). They do not have outlets so consider that if it is important to you.
No question that it is a little wonky finding them in Chinatown in DC so if it is your first time traveling with them then give yourself a little extra time and expect to find the bus on a street corner and not at bus station or storefront. You also need to make sure you print your ticket and bring it with you.
For $ 22 each way from DC to NYC I feel like I get a good deal, very good Wifi, and I get to/​from in good time. Their website says it costs $ 35 round trip but I’ve only been able to purchase tickets for $ 22 each way so it is either not possible to buy at discounted round-​trip price or I’m missing something.
Again, no-​frills basic service at a cheap price. Also, the Chinatown/​DC location is more convenient for me than Union Station in DC. I like the option in NYC of Chinatown or Penn Station pick-​up/​drop-​off.
Good luck!

Pretty terrible.
We got to the bus right at 2, which is departure time. The guy griped at us for being late. But I don’t think you have much of an argument when your bus is completely unmarked. We only knew it was right because of the place it was parked, and honestly I still have my doubts.
25 $ one way ticket to NYC.
Air conditioning was broken for 40 minutes so we sat in an 85 degree bus for that long.
TVs are on the bus. But there are no operational controls. There is no wi-​fi like the Internet claims. I think HolaBus is just like others had said– a ticketing service for private buses. Because this bus we are on right now?
It is not pink. Will not ride again, I will spring 2 more bucks for a reputable service. I just hope it doesn’t break down.

It’s quite possible I’ve just been lucky. I haven’t experienced any unpleasantry, felt scammed, or died like some others might make Chinatown bus companies like Hola Bus seem. I’ve used them numerous times on trips to DC and beyond, with no hassle and no problems.
Like some folks, I’ve booked a majority of my tickets online. Print it out and make sure you’re on time for your bus. When the occasional overbooking happens, don’t fret, there is always another bus coming along. Peak hours will most likely be the early morning and afternoon, but it’s empty time otherwise.
The buses themselves have been every bit as clean and comfy as any of the grey hound or casino shuttle buses. Sometimes there are TVs on board and if you’re lucky, some buses include a tolerable (ahem, not outstandingly fast) wifi and reclinable chairs. There are certainly far worse ways to spend $ 30 – 35 round trip.
I believe Hola works in conjunction with Apex and Eastern Bus, assuming they’re still even in operation. There have been questions raised at the drivers manning these buses as well as the legality of the people running the service. In terms of my experience while riding the Hola line, I haven’t had much to complain about — I can only boast of a relaxing, hassle free, and reasonable priced ride to and from DC proper.

Hola bus seems to be just a ticket selling website; a front for a non-​descript chinatown bus company calling itself Eastern Transport. The guy next to me bought his ticket from the website «go to bus». The set-​up does not inspire confidence.
On my roundtrip journey from DC to NYC, the wifi didn’t work on either leg of the trip.
It was supposed to arrive in Chinatown NY at 2pm, but took the Lincoln tunnel and dropped off people at penn station. That would have been great if my fiend had been waiting for me at Penn Station at 2pm. Instead we arrived at Allen street (Chinatown) at 2:40.
My experience was mediocre. I can believe other people’s horror stories, but I still might take this service again if the other bus companies are sold out when I want to travel.

I am on the bus right now to NYC from DC and its completely infested with roaches. Flying thru the bus, crawling everyone, and even climbing under shirts. It’s absolutely disgusting. Called corporate and no solution or refund offered. We are all scratching and vigilantly killing the live ones. At least 30 have been spotted and killed. It is unreal. Never mind no working wifi or power outlets. I will never EVER ride this bus again. And you should avoid it at alllll costs. $ 22 is a great price but NOT worth a dime considering the unsanitary and unbearable buggy conditions! Zero stars for sure.

Please do not bother.
1. They were one hour late to leave NYC.
2. The bus broke down somewhere in New Jersey.
3. It took them 4 hours to get a new bus.
4. The new driver actually got lost.
5. The bus was scheduled to leave at 7:30 am. It is 7:56 pm and my mom has yet to arrive in DC from NYC.
6. Let’s see if they at lease offer a refund.
7. It is inhumane that this bus company has people on the road from 7:30 am until? We will see when they arrive.

Hola Bus is honestly GREAT! the overall experience was awesome. The drivers are nice and the drive is as smooth as it gets. I take Hola every week and I have never encountered a «smelly» bus. (note: i always take them at different times.) They have never made any stops when I ride and I believe the reason behind it is because people are paying to get to DC in 4 hours (unless there is traffic of course). I love their service, I wouldn’t go to any other company. I notice at times they don’t ride with many passengers, and I really wish people would give them a try because they really do provide great service.
p. s. To Nicole: I believe it was HOLA not apex. because from what I know they are the only ones that pick up and drop off at Union City.

The other reviews here are a bit strange. I take this bus every weekend (DC to NY fridays, NY to DC sundays) and have had only one «bad» experience, the fault of terrible traffic and not the bus company.
Before converting to Holabus, I rode MVP (along with a few other Chinatown buses) and after their buses were 30min to 1hr late showing up, about four times in a row (once while it was pouring outside) I swore never to ride MVP again. Hola has never been late by contrast and is usually waiting at the pick-​up site 30 minutes before departure.
The buses are very clean overall. In my many weekends of riding this bus, I’ve learned the follwing: movies rarely get played (although occasionally the driver will put in a movie when riders ask) and the bus stops at a NJ Turnpike rest area about half of the time. I’ve never smelled the port-​a-​potty, but in my experience, if you sit next to the port-​a-​potty on ANY bus you are probably going to smell it. Just sit somewhere else.
The buses with the «Hola» silkscreen on the sides all have electric outlets, and most of the time have Wifi. I have noticed, though, the use of «contract» buses and those are hit or miss In terms of wifi/​electric outlets. For a company as small as Holabus, some «contract» buses are expected and I don’t hold that against them.
In terms of where this bus stops — Chinatown to 40^th & 8^th is perfect for me, because I live within walking distance of Chinatown, and there is a subway on the corner of 40^th & 8^th (42^nd st-​times square subway) which has all the lines you could ever need. Literally 30 or so steps from where the bus stops.
EDIT: Hola has been bought out by Eastern Travel. Service isn’t that great anymore. I’ve gone over to Megabus now.

I’m posting my review under Hola Bus and Apex Bus because I really have no idea which company took me from DC to Union City, NJ and back this weekend. I booked on
, and my ticket said both Hola and Apex.
My trip was great. I didn’t have any of the problems that other reviewers had. The bus was clean, didn’t smell (I sat in the front and didn’t venture toward the bathroom), and left on time. I was super surprised about that last one because there were only 12 people on the bus going to NJ at 9:30 Friday morning, and only a few more coming back today (Sunday) at 1:15. I thought for sure they’d delay departure until a few more got on, but they left right on time.
We got to NJ about an hour late on Friday not through any fault of the company but because of a bad accident that shut down the highway. The trip today took the estimated 4 hours. We made a rest stop on Friday but not today. There were no movies played which was fine with me.
I suggest taking the bus earlier in the day if possible, to avoid lateness and rush hour traffic.
One thing: they will drop you off in Union City at an address different from the one on your ticket. They dropped me off at 30^th closer to Palisade, a few blocks from the Domino’s. But they will pick up at the Domino’s.

The bus smelled a little like garbage and a little like a port-​a-​potty, though it wasn’t overwhelming. We made two 15 minute stops in New Jersey. The driver played two movies very loudly. The first was a psychological horror film starring Sanda Bullock. The second was a prison/​football comedy remake starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. There were lots of jokes about gay sex. We left from a block next to the Port Authority and we arrived on a dimly-​lit block at 6^th and I. The experience was identical to riding on the buses from Chinatown.

I think this is the Dragon bus reborn, after they sold out to MegaBus. Mexicans don’t drive this rig contrary to the name on the side. For $ 5 less than the competitors, you don’t get wifi and you don’t get ac outlets, but you do get a half full bus with plenty of room to stretch out. Not bad, but not great. Works for me since it leaves from Rockville towards NYC. The drop off in NYC is about 4 blocks from Penn Station. A bit of a hike, but hey you saved five bucks.

It seemed nice at first. It was clean and not too crowded. My opinion quickly changed when we left NYC almost 30min late waiting on somebody’s friend who never showed up. We arrived in DC in about 4 ½ hours: average. The return to NYC 2 days later prompted this review. Not only did they leave late (again), the bus was packed, there were no reading lights for the evening trip, the TV programs they show had no sound and there was only one trash bag for the bus, next to me of course. Goodbye Hola Bus, never again.