# Anyone ride Megabus? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 14, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108 "2010-06-14T06:06:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/1 "2010-06-14T06:06:31Z")
Megabus just started a bunch of service out of Philly. When I go to NY or DC, I generally just drive since its a pain (and adds some expense) to take the train to 30th Street Station in order to hope on a bus for a two hour drive. But if I wanted to go to Boston, Pittsburgh or Toronto, it could be worth my while. In total, a trip to Pittsburgh would probably run me $50 in gas, about $30 in tolls, wear and tear on my car and the unspeakable hell of having to spend five-six hours behind the wheel of a car. But I could get a fare to Pittsburgh for about $15-$20 per person round trip plus $12 in train fare to Center City. So the economics work out. So if you have ridden them, is the bus comfortable? Does the internet service work? Are there unscheduled stops? Would you do it again? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/2 "2010-06-14T06:34:30Z")
I’ve ridden the Megabus from Ann Arbor to Chicago and back. It was cheap, comfortable, and the internet worked pretty well. There was a stop I guess was scheduled (although I wasn’t aware of it) for half an hour at a rest stop. No big deal. I’d definitely use it again. ---
**Author:** ![Rin\_Twisted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Rin\_Twisted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rin_Twisted)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/3 "2010-06-14T06:40:43Z")
I’ve ridden Megabus from St. Louis to Chicago, and I’d definitely use it again. Everything was clean, the seats weren’t too bad, and it took about as much time as it would to drive. Like Kyla we did have a rest stop, which they didn’t mention until the trip began- but I wasn’t complaining by then. The internet worked fine- a steady connection, though it was noticeably slower than the one I have at home. I don’t know if I’d want to watch streaming media over it, but facebook and general internet surfing worked fine. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/4 "2010-06-14T17:44:20Z")
[Link.](http://us.megabus.com/Default.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/5 "2010-06-14T18:03:48Z")
Long bus trips require food and water. Bring. And pie. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/6 "2010-06-14T18:19:50Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Long bus trips require food and water. Bring. And pie. This. Also bring a book, in case internet access flakes out - this happens occasionally, on both Boltbus and Megabus. You should also note that boarding the bus in NYC can be a little hectic - mild delays and large crowds are common. I routinely use both services to travel between DC and NYC, though, and I’ve had no real complaints. Easier than driving, half the price of a train even if you don’t score one of the ultra-cheap seats. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/7 "2010-06-14T18:21:14Z")
Yipee. They finally added Atlantic City as a starting point (though it only goes to Philly). Also, they are free if you enter LUVPHL as a promotion code. Looks like I will be using this for a trip to Boston this summer. About $5 round trip! ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/8 "2010-06-14T21:11:30Z")
I took Megabus from Buffalo NY to NYC round trip in late fall '08. The trip TO NYC was great, comfortable, etc. The trip back was on a newer bus and I swear there was no more than an inch of padding on those seats. MISERABLE. Plus, they had the A/C cranked up and we were freezing. I didn’t try the internet (no laptop at that time) and there was only one unscheduled stop. It was cheap, I’m thinking about $75 round trip if I remember correctly. But that reurn trip woulkd make me reconsider ever doing it again. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/9 "2010-06-14T21:16:18Z")
BTW, has anyone gotten to ride on the new double-decker buses on the NYC-DC run? Those look neat! ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/10 "2010-06-14T23:42:48Z")
I took the Megabus from Cleveland to Chicago.The bus was clean and comfortable,and plenty of empty seats so only couples were sharing.The bus was a double-decker,and sitting up top was fine. Downstairs they had tables between the seats which seemed nice for people who wanted to play cards or eat. The bathroom was a problem…I used it near the end of the trip, and it was full and not flushing. But we’d had two rest stops, so that was okay. I didn’t like having to watch the movie multiple times, but I could have just used my headphones more. Didn’t try the internet, because I had no laptop then. The driver made a wrong turn after one rest stop and headed back east instead of west, which put us behind schedule a bit, which was a problem for people making connections. Apparently some passengers were calling the headquarters to complain about the driver, and he got pissed. Threatened anyone who got out of their seat and came up to talk to him that they would be put out on the side of the highway. The driver on the return trip was less crazy. But all in all, I’d ride it again. I think I had to pay $15 one way, and $30 the other because I booked fairly close to the time of my trip and then made a change in my return day. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/11 "2010-11-28T22:38:18Z")
Bumping this to see if anyone has further experiences with Megabus. I’m going to be traveling from Chicago to Kansas City on the morning bus. The luggage policy looks very restrictive, and I have an external frame back-pack. I’d like to check that and carry on my laptop and small soft-sided cooler with food - am I going to have an issue, or is it more akin to Amtrak than an airline? The Internet connectivity is the main attraction. I don’t intend to watch videos, but it will be nice to read the Dope and edit Wikipedia. The bus shouldn’t be too crowded, as I just bought a ticket for $25 for the Wednesday bus. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/12 "2010-11-29T01:32:34Z")
I’ve ridden Megabus between Montreal and Toronto. It was clean and comfortable and on time, and the wireless was a plus, although it could get a bit spotty. I approve of the fares, and the double-decker part was a fun novelty. In general, it was not much different from Greyhound, but it was cheaper and, again, Internet (although I don’t recall there being power plugs…) ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/13 "2010-11-29T01:52:40Z")
Yea, the internet is pretty slow. I wouldn’t rely on it as your sole source of entertainment. But the bus is comfortable and spacious, and you don’t have to drive it, so it beats driving or the hell that is taking greyhound. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/14 "2010-11-29T01:59:17Z")
I took it from LA-Las Vegas. It was alright. I don’t remember if they had internet or not, as it would have been irrelevant to me at the time (no laptop). All in all, not bad. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/15 "2010-11-29T02:02:05Z")
Actually, ignore my post, what I thought was a megabus must’ve been a different service. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/16 "2010-11-29T02:07:14Z")
I rode it for a day trip from Chicago to Milwaukee last year. The trip up was all right, but on the return trip, they showed a movie. I had no interest in watching it, but there was no escape from the audio. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/17 "2010-11-29T04:20:28Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I rode it for a day trip from Chicago to Milwaukee last year. The trip up was all right, but on the return trip, they showed a movie. I had no interest in watching it, but there was no escape from the audio. I have my laptop, iPod and a good set of headphones. But what I don’t have is a laptop battery that can hold a long charge, so I need to make sure I can get to an outlet. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/18 "2010-11-29T15:03:15Z")
This summer the Megabus strayed from its usual route,took a wrong turn in the middle of the night and went down a road with a low railroad bridge (clearly marked, with height warnings, and it takes off the tops of two or three big trucks every year). There was a horrendous accident and four people were killed. Other than that, it looks like a fun ride… ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/19 "2010-11-29T17:08:39Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > This summer the Megabus strayed from its usual route,took a wrong turn in the middle of the night and went down a road with a low railroad bridge (clearly marked, with height warnings, and it takes off the tops of two or three big trucks every year). There was a horrendous accident and four people were killed. Other than that, it looks like a fun ride… Ok, don’t sit in the front row on the upper deck. Important safety tip. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108/20 "2010-11-29T17:37:58Z")
I took it overnight from Chicago to Minneapolis and back a couple years ago. The way up was fine. The way back was horrible. The driver - Vinnie B. - was the problem. The bus left Minnesota ~11pm, stopped in Madison, and got to Chicago sometime around 6:30-7am. Vinnie B. played smooth jazz over the speakers the entire trip. Vinnie B. announced at 2am, 3:30am, 4am, etc, exactly where we were in rural Wisconsin. Vinnie B. left his intercom on so the entire bus could hear his conversation with the lady in row one. That bus was Vinnie B.'s bus and Vinnie B. was not interested in suggestions. If you get on a bus and the driver introduces himself as Vinnie B., get off before it’s too late. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ride-megabus/543108.md?page=2)