"The Chinatown Bus is the bus only masochists take." - one of my friends. Is this bus as cheap as megabus or greyhound? Nope; well, yes on holidays. (Always a fixed $20, one way.) Does this bus have wifi service? Haa. You're funny. Does this bus have friendly service? If you speak Chinese, maybe. Are the seats cramped? I'm 5'3 and petite so nah. My tall friends say otherwise though. Is there a bathroom? Yep, but youre better off destroying your bladder. Are you guaranteed a seat? Only if you're good at wrestling your way through crowds or squeezing through them like me. (On a real note, its not bad. It just depends when you go. Eg. On holiday times, a prepurchased bus ticket dont guarantee you a seat.) So why am I giving this place 4 stars? Why take this bus? It's convinent and flexible. The bus comes every 1.5 hours starting at 8:00am till 10:30 + some extra times (128 Central Ave to NYC) 11 buses in one day! Megabus and greyhound have maybe 4-5 buses each in one day. You can purchase tickets on gotobus.com with a credit card but they don't require you to buy a bus ticket ahead of time. You can just show up and get one (CASH ONLY.) Decided to make a spontaneous trip to the city in the next hour or woke up late and missed the bus you need? The Chinatown bus has got you covered! read more

See all

I've taken one of the Chinatown buses to Philly and figured the experience would be similar. The bus to Albany does have WIFI. Not the best but it does help to past the time and lets you check your emails. Some of the seats are broken. People always snack on the bus. So crumbs galore! Customer service is meh. Never had a problem with the Philadelphia bus but this one is definitely a "don't slow us down" kinda place. But for $20 one way, cheapest option I had for the trip. Took me to walking distance of Albany Med Center which is where I needed to go. Would I take it again...probably. $40 flat and 20 min walking from the hospital. No need for uber. read more

This bus is definitely great and amazing they even got a bus paper like that you know when is the next bus coming or on the way

totally unbelievable. The car was packed with people yet there's no AC. Were never told that AC had problem when got on the bus. Ended up sweating like crazy during the trip and my family member had medical issues and it almost turn into an emergency. Called the company line no answer. I encourage everybody to complain about this company shady practice of transporting people without proper maintenance to their fleet. The number of FMCSA new york office is: (518) 431-4145. We live in the 21st century and riding this bus reminds me of some train rides in india... this is how bad it feels. BTW, the driver says he has no control of the fleet and upper management is trying to save money by not doing check ups regularly.. This company needs to be stopped by the government before tragedy happens to passengers taking this bus. read more

Ok so I know about the asian time and everyone else's' time. Today's noon bus is just WAY too late or canceled. Either way it ain't coming today. Waiting for the 1pm bus right now. I just wanted to get to the city with a flexible bus schedule, so I opted for the chinese fox bus that comes around for pick up and drop off at nyc every hour or so. There are 2 pick up locations in Albany, 1245 central Ave aka asian supermarket with the red roofing, you can't really miss it bc the entire exterior of the market is in bold red. The other location is downtown Albany 125 central ave, it's a small building where you can wait for the bus inside. 2 drop off locations in nyc as well, midtown Manhattan (ktown area) and Chinatown. It's very conveniently located in these popular places. I often choose the midtown drop off since it's closer to the places I wanna go in nyc. You can purchase bus tix right when you get on the bus. It's $20 one way. At the second Albany stop a lady collects the cash. read more

Single happiness maybe, but double happiness..... I don't know about that. The crowd on the bus (as noted by other reviewers) is less polite than I've found on the train or even the megabus. They kicked a guy off before we even left. Right or wrong, they called the cops and left without him. Black people and Chinese people don't seem to get along. It does take you to New York, and after some jerking around with traffic they will get you back home. The George Washington bridge is $12 to cross now so a $20 bus trip is a good deal. read more

Harmonious Bus Tour / Xinnix Bus / Double Happiness is all same shit, different name. They continuously change their name to avoid being associated with their shitty service. I booked a trip accidentally for the wrong day, and they made me buy another ticket because they refused to correct the date on my unused ticket!!!! What kind of bullshit customer retention strategy is that?! For the same price you can find other bus tour companies to travel with, but please, take my and other unhappy past customers' advise and avoid this shit hole! read more

Fox Bus (Albany Branch) are scammers. I bought bus tickets online (Wanda Coach) and waited at 259 Central Ave (Albany, NY) which is where my ticket said to wait. I was approached by a chinese woman who told me if I was waiting for the bus I was waiting at the wrong stop. I was told no buses stopped there and to go to 128 Central Ave instead. I mentioned I already had an e-ticket and she said okay. However, when I arrived my e-ticket was rejected and I was told I must purchase another one which was nearly twice as expensive. I was one of several people who were told to come to 128 Central Ave and all of our tickets were rejected. It's clear this woman manipulated us into missing our bus by giving false information in order to further her own business. I missed my bus, but I refuse to buy one from this conniving company. This review is a warning to other people, if you are approached by anyone telling you to go to 128 Central Ave Fox Bus, do not be fooled like I was! read more

I used to use this bus company a lot but it's really gone downhill. They no longer give priority to people with eTickets and they are constantly overbooking the trips. They are rude and will continue to sell tickets for trips that are actually sold out. A few months ago, I recall waiting being told to wait for the 5pm bus despite having reserved my ticket online and getting there early for a 2pm bus. Apparently the bus had left the Asian Market stop too early and could only take on like 5 more people from the 128 Central stop. They didn't offer any explanation or guarantee that those of us who'd been patiently waiting would get a seat on the next bus (which came & left early too). I even watched in disgust as they tried selling more tickets for the already overbooked bus. I dislike Megabus for its constant tardiness and making me feel like I'm in a tuna can when I ride it, BUT I won't be taking Double Happiness again. read more

OK I love this bus service I found it about 5yrs ago it had it up's and down it's change of name but it still beat's grayhound. $15 one way and $25 round trip can't beat that but get ready for crowds on somedays&weekends holiday heck what bus airports and Amtrak ain't busy. I just hate the fact that ppl take cigarette breaks while we on this 21/2 hour ride and they don't ever have toilet paper& bathroom always smell like they never empty the septic tank. Out of Towner's bring your toilet paper ferzze spray cologne perfume. And try to stay in the middle and enjoy you nap if ride not too bumpy are noisy. But I pretty much love this chap way of traveling and prices don't change cause it's holiday like grayhound and other bus& Amtrak companies do. read more

See all

This bus was okay. It was a cheap way to get to the city. One of the problems I found was that unless you knew the city, it was close to impossible to find the stop to leave. We looked for almost 30 minutes before we finally found it- 2 minutes before the bus was leaving and no place to sit. On the way to the city, the driver was on his phone the whole time and practically yelling into his Bluetooth- in Chinese. On the way back, he was driving so fast you couldn't read the signs as they came. But as I said it was a CHEAP way to get to the city and you get what you pay for. read more

The bus driver was extremely rude, mean, and downright nasty. When I confirmed with him if the bus was the right one, he said he didn't know and didn't bother to let me know if I was on the right bus, so I had to check with a passenger on the bus, who was far nicer, more friendly, and more helpful than the driver. The driver got so impatient even though it was his fault it was taking so long to confirm if this was the right bus since he was absolutely no help whatsoever, and I think it got to the point he sounded like he was yelling at me to sit down. And then, when we finally arrived, he told us all to "get out." If you want to be treated like a human being and not cargo on its way to a concentration camp, I highly recommend that you don't take this bus. read more

My girlfriend was visiting me in VT from Yonkers, NY and she was going to take this bus to get back home. Naturally I drove her to Albany and didn't expect a problem. Well, we got there right on time - it was a 6:30pm bus and we got there at 6:30 - to find that there was no bus. She went inside the office and we found out that it had already left, and that it had been absolutely full anyway - even though she had already bought a ticket online. We decided to go home and try to make a different bus in the morning, as waiting for the next bus would mean she wouldn't get home till 1am. Well, turns out we couldn't exchange our ticket! So it was just our tough luck, that money was gone. I was flabbergasted. We had bought a ticket, which evidently did not guarantee a reservation, and we could not have our money returned or the ticket exchanged in any useful way. Evidently you are supposed to get there 30 minutes early or else they could give up your reservation to someone else. This is their actual policy. We drove an hour to Albany, and then back, and spent money on a ticket, for nothing. We are not using this service again. read more

Worst customer service I have ever experienced! The lady behind the window is incredibly rude, asks for your I.D and then throws it back at you! The buses are filthy and water leaks from the overhead. Not worth a penny! read more

IF YOU EXPECT TO GET HOME, DO NOT TAKE THIS BUS!!! My boyfriend and I were left stranded in New York City because the bus didn't show up to take us back home, 3 hours away. Luckily, we had enough to catch the Amtrak train. We waited in the bitter, December cold for 2 hours for this bus, called the company multiple times (they told us it was on the way, then never answered the phone again, despite my many calls. When I tried to leave a message, the voicemail box was full). Altogether, we paid 75 dollars for the trip. The bus was late when it picked us up initially, we arrived 2 hours late to New York City, and when the bus was supposed to pick us up to take us home, it never came! We still haven't gotten our money back yet. Why? Because this business is shady and they refuse to answer the phone. I HOPE THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS SOON! read more

They've really cleaned up their act in the past few years. It's hardly the same fly-by-night company pre-shutdown...in fact their safety record is respectable on the FMCSA website. Customer service is still lacking, as with most Chinatown companies. Delays happen, drivers call in sick and Harmonious Grand pushes hard to put an aggressive schedule. In general, my buses have been on time (plus or minus 15 minutes). During holiday weekends I've had a bus arrive 45 minutes late due to traffic. It happens. Unfortunately, their answer to any question was "10 minutes." Online tickets go first and guarantee a seat, but are non-refundable and cannot be changed two-hours before a trip. Cash tickets go second, but can go on any bus. I'd also recommend checking Capital Bus Tour or Megabus. Sometimes they have cheaper fares. read more

The bus I took was on time, the seats were decent and the driver brought me to the advertised destination. It also has an actually-in-business office in Chinatown where you can wait for your return bus to Albany. I can't say any of these things about the competing Albany-NYC Chinatown bus service! One thing to note - 'Double Happiness' was actually closed down, but reopened with the name Xinnix Bus. 7/2013 Edit: It looks like they've changed their name again? GotoBus now lists them as 'Harmonious Grand Tour' read more

Will never use this service again. Dont even know where to begin. The bus that showed up late, filled with smoke? The "busdriver" who blasted the heat and the radio and divulged to us while the full bus was pulled over for gas that it was his first day on the job? The strange noises the bus made the whole way to NY? No thanks. I'll be happy to make it back alive. Never again... read more

its a killer bus on the road!!! Once I was driving in front of a double happiness bus on freeway into New York, the driver kept on tailgating me, after i changed lane, it kept on driving alongside me, if I slow down, it also slowed down. Eventually I decided to drive faster, then this bus just suddenly speeded up and changed into my lane, almost hit me! Murder on the road!!! Shut down double happiness!! read more

If I could give them 0 stars I would. The only good thing about them was the fact that they were cheaper for my family to take from NYC to Albany and back and that they drop us off within walking distance from home. However I've had the final straw. They never know how much to charge for the children: one day I'll pay the full $35 round trip price. The next it'll be $10 each way for them or $10 one way and $20 the other because they never know how much to charge. NONE of their employees have their act together. Oh, and the other day my boy went to use the bathroom and the light didn't work. Forget double unhappiness. I'll stick to megabus even if the trip may be more expensive. read more

I give it 2 star because the price round trip $15 you can't beat that. The bus is old and beat up they shut the AC off during summer time go fig I think I dropped 10 pounds from the ride to the city. The bus smelled like BO can't blame anyone. When you got no AC on its gonna smell like BO read more

We traveled from Wilmington, DE to New York, NY on 12/30/09 with Double Happiness. We were very upset with the service from start to finish. But since they don't understand english well, we got the run around from what time the bus would get there to getting a refund. Below were the problems. The bus: it was dirty, smelled, air/heat didn't work Service: very disorganized, didn't speak English so even if you asked them a question, there was no way at all for them to communicate with you, came a hour late (correct time was 7:20 am and from my unserstanding this happens alot as those who were there who took this bus before said so), even with pre purchased tickets people still were not able to get on the time they chose due to over booking. Yet it says to hold your seat you need to get there 20 minute's before. Then once they bus gets there, it's a free for all. Lots of pushing, fighting and cussing. So your ticket holds nothing, it's just a way for them to take your money. My biggest concern, is that there was a fist fight on the back of the bus, about 4 rows away from our seats, with children on there, people were hitting on another and the people who ran the bus DID NOTHING! It was the customers who called the police but they did not show up. We sat there for 30 minutes, waiting for the fighting to calm down. We didn't have no other way home, so we didn't have a choice to wait and it was too cold outside to wait another hour with our son. They still let the people ride the bus. We will never take this bus ever again! I'll pay more to ride the megabuss and drive farther just for my safety. read more

The 2 stars are to be divided for 1 star each way. I took the bus from Dover to NYC. A jitney picks you up at a shopping center, takes you to Wilmington where you get on a regular bus, then proceeds to NY. The bus was on time to Wilmington but was late leaving there, thus making it late into New York. The regular bus looked nothing like the picture in the ads. It was old and cramped. The foot rest would not stay down and kept digging into my shin and there was barely enough space for my knees. I could hardly wait to get out. Returning the bus was 1/2 hour late and evidently 1-1/2 hours late for the earlier bus. There was a stampede to get on when it arrived and as many were turned away as were on the bus. Some were waiting on the sidewalk at Macy's much more than an hour. The representative did not speak English and did nothing to help passengers or give information. This bus was more comfortable than the morning bus. but the rap music on the jitney from Wilmington to Dover did nothing to soothe me. Baggage was stowed in the aisle and if I had not protested really loudly I would have had to hold a baby stroller from Wilmington to Dover. As it was, someone else got stuck doing just that. I'd try to find another way to go. Oh, and don't try calling for information unless you speak Chinese. Otherwise, they just hang up on you. read more

I purchased tickets from Albany to New York a day prior to the departure date.The bus never showed. 10+ ppl were standing outside in the cold, no station or communication from the foxbus or GotoBus customer service. Tried over 20+ times to contact the repsresentives to verify the bus travel and schedule. Either line was disconnected, busy, or representive did not communicate, yell, would not transfer to a manager and did not speak English. This has been a 10+ hour travel and still stuck waiting for any communication or verification of a travel schedule. Demanding a refund for our troubles and still no contact or resolution. I will be calling nonstop, will go to the headquarters in person whenever the chance I actually get to my nyc destination and will file a formal complaint about the trash and unprofessional mannerism that is this company. You should be out of business. I demand a refund and the fundamental basic costumer service and communication that you fail as a company to supply. Be at mind, I will be writing this review on every travel website affiliated with this name until I get someone to call back and communicate. read more

Longtime customer out of necessity but I try to avoid taking this whenever I can. Pros: you can just buy a ticket right before getting on. Cons. Literally everything else. It's somehow more expensive than all the other bus services, regularly tardy, bus drivers are speaking loudly the entire time and the buses don't seem to have ever been cleaned, which is a problem when the entire bus smells like bathroom. I speak fluent Chinese and I would REALLY REALLY love to support Chinese businesses but despite the many times I have complained about the ways they treat their customers, they have refused to make changes to their service or treat customers with the minimum amount of respect. read more

The chinese bus from Albany, NY to NYC. Not for the feint of heart, definitely a life experience. Upsides they do have outlets to charge your devices on in the bus. Downside fighting to get a seat. Cheaper than Amtrak. read more

Be warned do not make reservations to ride any bus this company runs. Your reservation means absolutely nothing to them, it will not hold you a seat. We took this bus from Baltimore to NYC one morning and that worked out just fine. We were 20 minutes late leaving, but they still made it in to new york on time. When you make a reservation they tell you to be there 20 mins before or you could loose your place. This was not followed as they didn't even check tickets or take cash until a minute before we left. As I said your reservation means nothing, so even if you showed up 20 mins before, if the bus is full, oh well. The return trip back was where it got really bad. We had a 5.30pm paid reservation, ticket in hand. There were a ton of people waiting for this bus and it picked up downtown NYC before our 34th St stop. When the doors opened people stormed the bus pushing kids to get on. I watched as the ticket lady took cash from people as they got on the bus. I went to walk on the bus with my mother in law and child and they said it was full and have to wait for next bus and hour later. (it was 28 degrees) When I protested and showed them my ticket they just shrugged their shoulders. We were not the only ones this happened too. We did get on the next bus, but not without all the pushing and shoving again. Cash tickets were sold again. Then someone who again had tickets was pissed (understandably) as they could not get on their scheduled bus. She refused to get off, they called the cops so there was another 30mins of hanging around. They then proceeded to make unscheduled stops on the way, we realized later it was to kill time so they could meet the 7.30 bus from NYC in Wilmington and transfer over those passengers to our bus. All these people also had tickets for an earlier bus. Now in the normal world you would board your ticket passengers first and then take on standbys. However this is just about the money, they couldn't give a rats arse if you paid and make it to your destination. This certainly was not the first time this happened and I'm sure it will not be the last. read more

my luggage got stolen from the luggage compartment. They left a decoy luggage that looked similar to mines. I boarded in Albany and by the time I got to China town my luggage just wasnt there. Christmas ruined? You bet. If you're riding these buses, please be aware: you're riding along the scum of the Albany-NYCity corridor. Be aware at all times and please, please, do not leave you luggage in the bottom compartment. read more

Terrible Service. I booked online and arrived around 10 minutes early. I tried to get on the bus but the bus driver closed the door on me. There was a lady inside the office selling tickets and she sold my seat to somebody else and once that passenger got on, the bus left. I went inside the office and tried talking to the lady but she wouldn't even look up at me so I just waited until she would say something. Finally she said, "What do you want!" I explained to her that I had a ticket and that the bus driver closed the door and wouldn't let me in and then drove away. She told me I have to be there 45 minutes early otherwise she will sell my seat to somebody else and she can't give me any money back either because the ticket is not refundable. I would rather pay more and be treated like a human being. I will never book again with this crappy company. read more

Horrible experience. The bus was dirty. The bathroom was horrible. AND the oversell tickes on the street prior to the bus arriving. Everyone crammed into the doorway and there were a number of us, that had pre-purchased tickets, that were bumped. My 10 year old daughter and I were standing on the steps when they told us "Get off, no more seats." I asked what does that mean? They said "Next bus" and left. We stood on the street for an hour waiting. Before the next bus arrived they started overselling again... we made it on that bus but there were some that were again turned away -- even though they pre-purchased tickets. I will NEVER use this bus line again. read more

I had the worst experience with this bus company on Sunday 7/24/11. I have vowed never to use them again, even if they offer .50 fares. I was in NY headed to MD and the young Asian guy who collects the money and an older Asian woman were in front of Macys. They gave me such a hard way to go (still havent figured out why), that the bus ended up leaving me. I called the police who came and ended up getting me on the next bus. It's just not worth the hassle with these people. My friend stopped riding when she gave them a 50 dollar bill and they claimed it was a 20. After she made a big stink, they gave her her money back ($50). Unreal. Too much headache. I'd say go with Bolt, MVP or Megabus. Theres nothing happy about riding with this company. read more

Awful. We had reservations, but they would not allow us on the bus due to them making a mistake by overbooking. They were very rude and did not try to make up for their mistake. The bathroom was smelly and gross. Stay away!! read more