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Royal Sprinter: The Newest Contender on the DC-NYC Travel Scene

March 25, 2014
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5 min read
Royal Sprinter - Interior 1
Royal Sprinter: The Newest Contender on the DC-NYC Travel Scene
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Starting April 4, Washington, DC restaurateur and real estate leasing agent Andy Seligman will launch Royal Sprinter, a luxury van service that will travel between DC and New York. Joining Vamoose, Amtrak and the Bolt Bus, this is just the latest in a fleet of options for frequent travelers up and down the I-95 Corridor.

The interior of the Royal Sprinter (photo by Terry Minix)

Royal Sprinter will initially roll out in two customized 14-foot Mercedes vans, each with eight diamond-quilted leather seats in a staggered layout designed to keep passengers from rubbing elbows. Two onboard routers enable the complimentary WiFi, and each reclining seat has its own seven-inch flatscreen monitor with 150 channels of DirectTV (including HBO and Showtime), as well as its own extending leg rest, tray table, cup holder and overhead cabinet space. Stocked fridges can be found onboard, and passengers can help themselves to snacks and bottled water, but there are no bathrooms onboard. Priced at $90 each way, the approximately four-hour journey will travel between the Park Hyatt at 24th & M Streets in DC or the Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and the Loews Regency New York Hotel at Park Avenue & 61st Street. The Sprinter's daily roundtrip service will travel DC-New York from 7-11:30am and New York-DC from 3pm- 7:30pm.

The Vamoose Gold Bus

Among the competition the Royal Sprinter is joining is the business-class Vamoose Gold Bus, which 36 reclining leather seats in a 1 x 2 configuration (as opposed to the cloth-covered 56 seats in a 2 x 2 found on the regular Vamoose bus). For $60 each way in a range of 4- to 5 1/2-hour journeys, Vamoose Gold offers one to two daily roundtrips between New York's Penn Station from the Virginia Railway Station in Lorton, Virginia, with stops near the Metro stations in Rosslyn, Virginia and Bethesda, Maryland. WiFi is complimentary as well, and seats come with 110V AC power outlets as well as tray tables, cup holders and overhead bin space.

The Bolt Bus

Though it's the least glamorous option, the Bolt Bus offers nine daily trips (between 7:30 am-11pm) from DC's Union Station to a choice of two New York stops: near the Javits Convention Center or down on 6th Street between Grand and Watts. One-way, non-stop service to either stop ranges from $20-28. Each air-conditioned bus has 50 wide, leather-upholstered seats in a 2 x 2, configuration, WiFi is again complimentary (and provided via hotspots at a speed that are less than ideal for large downloads), and there are 110V AC power outlets at every seat.

Acela first-class service on Amtrak (photo by Amtrak)
Acela first-class service on Amtrak

Venerable standby Amtrak continues to be the most expensive option overall, but also the quickest; travel time between D.C.'s Union Station and New York's Penn Station averages 3 hours or less. Two trains take this daily route almost every hour, the Northeast Regional (21 daily roundtrips, 3:15am- 10:10 pm) and the high-speed Acela Express (16 daily roundtrips, 5am-8pm); low-bandwidth WiFi service is available to all passengers on either of these trains. On the Northeast Regional, one-way prices for coach seats vary between $49 (unreserved and non-refundable), $84 (reserved and refundable with restrictions) or $164 (reserved and fully refundable) and $125 for unreserved business class seats. Acela Express has no coach seats; one-way business class starts at $259 and first class at $347.

Both the Northeast Regional and Acela Express offer complimentary, low-bandwidth WiFi and have club cars offering snacks and coffee. Northeast Regional business class seats and both business and first class seats on the Acela Express come with 120V AC power outlets, extra legroom, fold-down trays, and overhead storage; only Acela's first class, though, comes with at-seat attendant and meal service, as well as access to Club Acela lounges at both train stations.

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One of two customized, 8-seat Royal Sprinter vans

With prices relatively comparable to Amtrak coach seats, travel times that line up with Vamoose and Bolt, and more amenities than just about any other option (aside from Acela's lounge and attendant perks for about three times the price), it'll be interesting to see if Royal Sprinter will win the high-end commuter race from DC to New York. The seats certainly look nice, and the amenities sound good, but I personally wouldn't be thrilled to be in a van for 4 hours without the chance to get up and walk around. However, I might just try it out myself next time I'm traveling between the two cities, but if you get the chance to before me, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments!

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at American Express's secure site
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4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.