I read that Megabus now has several lines in the midwest (from Chicago outward with a couple additional lines from Indy). I looked them up and the rates are about as low here as they are in the UK (typically $9.00 round trip Indianapolis to Chicago per person). My question is: Anybody (especially UK dopers) have any opinions about these lines? Are they good forms of transportation for cheap or do you pretty much get what you pay for? Are there going to be double deckers in the US now?
Megabus is trying an auction-based pricing system in the U.S. Seats at the beginning of the auction may be priced as low as $5 at the beginning, but as more seats are filled, the price goes up.
The buses do not make as many intermediate stops on the way to their destinations, so the trips are faster than Greyhound. I don’t know if the buses themselves are more comfortable than the standard Greyhound model.
There won’t be double-decker buses because Megabus uses Interstate highways. Those have a maximum height limit of, I think, 14 feet.
So, does that mean that the tickets / times that were listed for $2.00 were basically the first seats to sell and the ones that were listed for $30.00 were close to the last ones to sell before the bus is full? If this is right, it is an interesting way to deal with supply and demand, although I can imagine the thoughts running through the head of someone who paid $30.00 for a ticket while sitting next to someone who paid $2.00 for theirs. Do you have a cite for this?
I believe I recall someone on the SDMB a few years ago having taken one a very long distance in the UK for £1. I also seem to recall it didn’t have a toilet.
The early UK operations were ordinary Stagecoach buses, which yes, didn’t have toilets. They’ve since invested in a proper long-distance fleet. As with everything else in the known universe, there’s more than you want to know on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megabus (It’s one of those moments when you think…“who on earth bothered to work on such a detailed article?”)
And 14’ as the maximum for interstates? I’m surprised, because that sounds low enough to eliminate a lot of large vehicles. No double-decker bus (and Megabus operate ones which are as comfortable as a single-decker coach) would be taller than a normal lorry.
If their arrival times are correct, the route from Minnesota to Chicago cuts about 2 1/2 hours off of Greyhounds time, making it maybe an hour longer then driving yourself. At $25 one way, that’s cheaper then the cost of gas, and under half of Greyhound’s cost. I’m impressed by their rates and timetable.
What you’re looking at is similar what is used by Dublinbus, they are rather tall and somewhat unnerving to ride (I’m always afraid they’ll tip over).
However, the Neoplan Skyliner which Megabus uses in the UK has a height of 13’ 1.5", so it seems there wouldn’t be any problem running a doubledecker on the US Interstate System. (Or at least in IL&IN).
I believe the standard clearance on Ontario’s highways is 4.5 metres (14.76 feet); anything under this has to be marked.
I know that one of the local Toronto bus companies, Go Transit, was testing (scroll down in the link) a double-decker bus for a time (they diverted one which was bound for Victoria, BC). The bus was 4.3 metres high. Given that I have seen plenty of clearance signs on older bridges stating 4.3 or 4.4 metres, anyone operating a double-decker bus in Ontario might need to take some care.
