The photographs in this article are courtesy of Megabus.com
I’ve had quite a few interesting bus experiences in my day. From a stomach-churning run up and down the mountains outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in what I could only describe as an antique on wheels to a 60-hour ordeal on five Greyhound buses from Las Vegas to New Orleans, I’ve been through my share of trials and tribulations.
Bus travel is unavoidable in the budget travel world. When Jen and I were planning our recent two-day trip to Washington, DC, I was surprised when she told me she already booked the tickets with Megabus, a company I had never heard of before.
The next day we trained it down to Manhattan, exited Grand Central Terminal and proceeded to walk over to Penn Station, about fifteen minutes away. The sun was beating down on us relentlessly as we approached the massive crowd standing on the sidewalk in a hodge-podge line, clinging to their suitcases and backpacks. There were two or three buses parked there already, loading and unloading herds of people.
I looked at the time. Ten minutes to take off. The ticket information said we should arrive a half-hour early. Worry was setting in. Which line was it? There were no signs.
What if the bus already left?
I asked someone who appeared to know what was going on.
“Is this the line for the Megabus to DC?” asked I, hopefully.
“Yeah, this is it.”
But how could I be sure? How did this person really know? There were no signs! Not a minute passed, and someone approached me.
“Sir, is this the line for the Megabus?”
I nodded and said that it was. A few seconds later someone came up and asked him. A line was forming behind us. I looked at the time, it was almost a quarter-to-ten. Jen and I exchanged confused looks.
I spotted him. Man wearing a Megabus cap. Carrying a clipboard. Our saviour had arrived!
My worry melted away, only to be replaced by annoyance. The bus was already twenty minutes late. It was getting hotter.
At last, after what seemed an eternity, the Megabus rolled up like a great ocean-liner on a sea of concrete. A double-decker of mammoth size, I was unable to contain my amazement.
“Jen, it’s got two stories!”
“I know,” she said. “It also has WiFi.”
Finally, A Rewarding Bus Experience
I have nothing but good things to say about Megabus. First of all, the WiFi is excellent. On our way to DC my connection was very fast, and I was browsing and tweeting my way into oblivion the entire way down. On the way back, we sat on the top floor all the way in the front, which must have been a WiFi deadspot, because while I picked up the connection I couldn’t make anything work.
In addition to WiFi, Megabus offers overhead A/C at every seat, much like most commercial flights. You’ll also find a 110-volt outlet at every seat, so you don’t have to worry about batteries running dry on long trips.
The seats are comfortable, reclinable, with plenty of room. The aisles and seats are clean as you could hope for. Five stars all around.
Aside from the bus picking us up late from NYC, the entire experience was a first for me: a bus trip that I actually enjoyed.
The prices range anywhere from $8-$20 dollars each way, depending on destination and the time of departure. Peak hours are a little more expensive. This isn’t really a bad deal. Trains might run you a little more. For all the widgets included on the ride, it’s a steal.
Megabus serves destinations around the Northeast and Central United States, as well as Toronto in Canada. New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Memphis, Washington, and Cincinatti are just a few of the places you can go.
If you’re traveling around North America’s East Coast, I highly recommend Megabus for your inter-city transportation method.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
They run a pretty damn good service. Significantly better than their Chinatown bus predecessors, that’s for sure – at about the same price or cheaper. I love the free WiFi, but I’d be sick by the the time we left Manhattan if I was trying to do anything on my laptop!
A very cheap and efficient option for getting around the East Coast though.
@Matt – We pretty much had a choice between Amtrak, Megabus and Boltbus. We chose Mega, though I’m sure Boltbus is good as well. Overall though, we were both really impressed at the comfort of the ride. A four hour ride in an uncomfortable bus can be a really bad time.
Sorry to hear about your motion sickness
I used to get in when I was a kid, nowadays it still happens, but rarely.