The princes' and the paupers' routes to NYC

By Irin Carmon, Globe Correspondent, 03/16/03

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It's a quick, cheap ride to one of the world's great cities, and college students know it. Thousands of Boston-area students call New York home, while others are drawn by a culturally lush city that doesn't shut down at 2 a.m. Among the abundant transportation options, price differentials may be counterbalanced by convenience, so be sure to check all options.

By plane. Despite Delta's recent discontinuation of shuttle packs, walkup student coupons for US Airways and Delta can still be purchased individually, usually at around $73 one way, though price structures vary. US Airways leaves every hour on the hour, and Delta every hour on the half hour, while American Eagle has been flying to LaGuardia almost hourly since last fall. Random security checks can be a hassle, and these flights are the first to be canceled in winter storms.

Still, off-peak planes frequently take off with empty seats, allowing an hour of roomy luxury to go with complimentary drinks, snacks, and periodicals. Since Delta and US Airways are neighbors at Logan, if not at LaGuardia, if you miss one, you can get the other.

Take the MBTA's Blue Line to Logan and get on a free shuttle bus to the terminal, or hop a cab, usually $25-$40 plus a $6 toll fee. From LaGuardia, public bus connections are not especially convenient, and cabs to midtown Manhattan are usually around $25.

By train. The Acela service, having survived its rocky start, has been cornering an increasing share of the New York-Boston route. One-way cost ranges from $64 for a regular 4-hour train to $119 for the 3-hour Acela Express. The Student Advantage card (www.studentadvantage.com), which for $20 a year or $60 for four years offers mainly transportation-related discounts, gets its holders 25 percent off regular Amtrak and 15 percent off weekend Acela.

Generally considered your safest bet during inclement weather, the train also offers greater mobility during travel, clean bathrooms, and a lounge car. Technocrats, take note: Cellphone use is possible, and you can plug your laptop cord into a 120-volt outlet without an adapter.

Take the MBTA's Red Line to South Station. At Penn Station, catch connections to the Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit, and seven subway lines.

By coach bus. Facing competition from cheaper Chinatown options, Greyhound now offers $25 one-way routes to New York, though they may sometimes climb to $42. Student incentives include pickup and dropoff at Northeastern and Boston universities and up to a 15 percent discount with the Student Advantage card. Upstart Coach New England has 13 nonstop departures on the weekends and some weekday service, for $25 each way.

Both leave from T-accessible South Station, but while Greyhound concludes at Port Authority Bus Terminal, Coach New England has a rare Penn Station dropoff that is more convenient to subway connections.

By Chinatown bus. Among Travel Pack, Sunshine, and Fung Wah, the latter is generally considered the leader in Chinatown buses. This thriftiest option draws a slightly more resilient brand of student traveler.

Cost varies from $10-$25, depending on time of day; Fung Wah and Travel Pack offer same-day round-trip deals for $20. Reserve online and show up with your ID. The comfort level on your bus may also vary: Some lack toilet facilities and make 10-minute stops.

Neither pickup nor dropoff points are directly proximate to a subway stop, so knowing your way around Chinatown (or toting a good map) is essential, particularly if you haven't packed light. Buses fill up quickly at peak times, but you can walk a few blocks to the next service.

Rent-a-Wreck. Road-tripping to New York in a rented ride might sound appealing, but it has its consequences. Factor in gas prices (up to $15 each way), hard-to-find parking, mile caps, and insurance fees, and it just might not be worth your while.

For those who insist, Rent-a-Wreck, despite the unpalatable name, is a favorite for its age-18-plus rental policy (at an additional fee). Each location's prices and policies vary; you have to return the car to the same location. Boston-area sites Somerville and Brighton offer weekend packages for $90-$105, not including surcharges, that are subject to extra mile charges and require an 8 a.m. return on Monday.

Examine more than one car, as some reportedly have seen better days, and ask about distance limits on roadside assistance.

For the Somerville location, take the Orange Line to Sullivan Square. For Brighton: Green Line to Greycliff.

Laptops in transit

Once the sole realm of business travelers, laptops have become a fixture of student transit, too. Students on the go, whether typing up term papers or watching DVDs, face the same problem as their executive counterparts: power.

Train travel makes it easy, with most Amtrak trains being equipped with a 120-volt outlet, allowing use with an AC adapter. But if you're going by plane or car, it's less simple past the capacity of your built-in battery; your best bet is to pick up an air/auto adapter, starting at about $60 (www.laptoptravel.com has a full range of options and accessories).

The truly mobile student may want to invest in some of the dazzling, if pricey, batteries now being unveiled. The slim Valence N-Charge battery allows for simultaneous cell and laptop charge, as well as up to 10 hours of power.

Meanwhile, while you're on board and clicking away, airlines are at work at enabling e-mail addiction. Airlines like Lufthansa and British Airways have begun experimenting with in-flight broadband Internet access for laptops on international flights, at about $30 per flight.

Irin Carmon, a student at Harvard University, has been an associate editor at "Let's Go." Taking Off, her column on student travel, appears the third Sunday of the month. She can be reached at carmon@fas.harvard.edu.