It’s an old-fashioned name for a remarkably extensive bus service: Hampton Jitney sends its buses and luxury buses from the Hamptons in Eastern Long Island to New York City, to Boston, around New England on tours and chartered trips, and to Florida.

Dogs are not allowed on board the buses traveling to Florida, but they are otherwise welcomed: You can travel with your pet “as long as your pet is in a D.O.T approved carrier that you are able to carry onboard with you. Also, pets are to remain in carriers at all times, there is a charge of $10 to travel with you pet. Keep in mind that your pet will have to travel on your lap if the coach is full.” [7/30/10 I learned today via telephone that Hampton Luxury Liner, a Jitney competitor, does not allow pet dogs onboard.]

This, it occurs to me, is a way to take your dog by bus from NYC to Boston. You’d have to make your way to Port Jefferson to catch the morning Hampton Jitney to Boston. The Jitney arrives at the Port Jefferson ferry terminal at 10:00 am and leaves on the 10:30 am ferry to Bridgeport, CT. There are a couple of morning LIRR trains from Penn Station that would work (the LIRR allows small dogs in carriers on board). There is a taxi stand at the Port Jefferson LIRR station, and it’s only a couple of miles from the station downhill to the ferry terminal. It’d be a long morning, but until Amtrak and the major bus lines allow dogs on board, it’s the best I can come up with.