I rode the Jitney bus from NYC to the Hamptons for $41. The bathroom didn't have a sink, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of my trip.

I took a coach bus from Midtown Manhattan to the Hamptons on Long Island. Elizabeth Blasi

• I took the Jitney coach bus from New York City to the Hamptons for $41.
• It was a pretty standard coach bus, and the bathroom wasn't great, but it was calm and quiet.

When most people think about the Hamptons, they picture the lap of luxury — and they're not wrong. The average weeklong trip for one person can cost over $1,500.

Although there are $200 luxury buses and $1,000 helicopters out to the tip of Long Island, transportation is the last thing I want to waste money on when planning a trip. Instead, I researched the cheapest ways to get to the summer hot spot from New York City and found seats on a Jitney coach bus for under $50.

Depending on traffic, the ride is only two to three hours long.

I booked a $41 one-way ticket on the Jitney from Midtown Manhattan to the Hamptons. To my surprise, the affordable coach bus was pretty great.