Catching the Bus

Greyhound (800-231-2222, http://www.greyhound.com/) offers passenger bus service countrywide, with terminals in Washington (1005 First St. NE), Springfield (Metro station, 6770 Frontier Dr.), Triangle (18518 Jefferson Davis Hwy.), Woodbridge (1040 Express Dr.), Silver Spring (8100 Fenton St.), New Carrollton (Amtrak/Metro station), Annapolis (308 Chinquapin Round Rd.) and Frederick (MARC train station, 100 S. East St.).

* New York. Bus service from Washington to New York City starts at $20 one way or $35 round trip on Greyhound. Peter Pan Bus Lines (800-343-9999, http://www.peterpanbus.com/) serves the Northeast Corridor and shares terminals with Greyhound in Washington, Silver Spring and New Carrollton.

Several other companies offer service to New York's Chinatown and Midtown. IvyMedia/GotoBus.com ( http://www.gotobus.com/) charges $20 to $25 one way/$35 to $40 round trip, plus a $1 surcharge for some tickets. Washington Deluxe (866-287-6932, http://www.washny.com/), from Washington for $20/$35, and Vamoose (877-393-2828, http://www.vamoosebus.com/), from Bethesda and Arlington for $25 each way, can also be booked on their respective Web sites. The safety records of several companies have come into question; go to the adjacent link on "Chinatown Buses" to see how you can check out your bus company.

* Atlantic City. Several bus companies travel between the Washington area and Atlantic City. Eyre (410-442-1330, Ext. 3213, 301-854-6600, Ext. 3213, http://www.eyre.com/) has pickups in Rockville (Doubletree Hotel, 1750 Rockville Pike), Norbeck (Georgia Avenue and Norbeck Road), Burtonsville (Burtonsville Crossing Shopping Center, National Drive and Route 29) and Ellicott City (Route 100 and Long Gate Parkway). Cost is $27 to $29 round trip, with $20 returned in coins for use at Trump Plaza.

Martz Gold Line/Gray Line (800-862-1400, http://www.graylinedc.com/) offers Atlantic City trips from Union Station, Camp Springs, the Ramada Inn in Laurel and the Baltimore Travel Plaza for $38 round trip, with $20 in coins given back for redemption at the Tropicana.

Greyhound also offers service from the District; Dream Tours (800-336-4545) departs from Seventh and G streets NW; Springfield and Fairfax; and Wheaton.

* Bus tours. Organizations offering tours include:

# DC Tours (888-878-9870, http://www.dctours.us/) offers tours of nearby sights, including Monticello and Thomas Jefferson country, and Colonial Williamsburg.

# Encore! (202-223-1259) offers regional historical and cultural bus tours, including trips to Broadway, Philadelphia museums and Rehoboth Beach, Del.

# Martz Gold Line/Gray Line (see above) organizes trips to Williamsburg, Gettysburg and Charlottesville, among other regional destinations.

# Smithsonian Associates (202-252-0012, http://www.residentassociates.org/) offers regional study tours via bus, such as John Wilkes Booth's trail and Civil War sites near Fredericksburg.

# Trafalgar Tours (866-247-9880, http://www.ttusa.trafalgartours.com/) offers luxury motorcoach tours throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, South America and other international destinations.