Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with megabus

Chicago to New York for cheap with a week of notice?

jordanlewis — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:26:00 -0800

Please help me find the cheapest way to get from Chicago to New York late next week! I need to travel from Chicago to New York on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of next week to celebrate my father's birthday. I don't have a car. Is there a cheaper way of doing this than taking the major train/bus/plane carriers? The prices I've found are:

JetBlue: $199
Southwest: $199
Amtrak: $~130 (and super slow, according to this question)
Greyhound: $77

What I'm wondering is whether there is a sneakier way of traveling, perhaps using multiple cheaper carriers. For example, a MegaBus to Cleveland is only $35, and perhaps there is a cheap way of getting from Cleveland to New York that I am unaware of. Do you know of any routes like this?

All suggestions are welcome.

Frequent Midwest Travel Transportation

yellowbkpk — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:05:12 -0800

Alternative methods of traveling between Milwaukee and Minneapolis? I travel between Milwaukee and Minneapolis every 2 weeks. Earlier, I took Amtrak but their fares have gone up into the $40-100 each way range, so I switched to Megabus ($1-30 each way). I just finished my 21st Megabus ride and I've never had a normal, on-time trip. Bus breakdowns, 2+ hours late, drivers forgetting to make scheduled stops, etc. are all taking a toll on my ability to deal with this cheap travel.

Driving is $50-60 each way depending on where I stop.
Flying is $250-300 each way.

Can the AskMe universe think of a better (not necessarily cheaper than Megabus) way to travel between the two cities?

Help me get my little brother back!

mhz — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:49:01 -0800

What's the best way to get my little brother (16) home (NYC) this weekend, from Street, MD? My brother is in summer camp in Street, MD. I need to get him home by Thursday afternoon, and he'll leave again Sunday morning. The closest and seemingly best option I've found is a Megabus leaving from the Park n Ride at White Marsh, MD.

So assuming that is the best option:

-I've narrowed down the White Marsh Park n Ride (at the White Marsh mall) on Google Maps, but is there an address I can give him, so he can be driven by an inexperienced counselor who is unfamiliar with the area? On the same note, are there signs etc. nearby that will help the counselor find the area?

-About Megabus:

--Are there prices likely to rise in the next couple of days while I figure al of this out? Currently they're at $18 on the 7/31 (MD-NY) leg, and $17 for the 8/3 (NY-MD) leg.
--Is the code really all he'll need? No ID, no credit card? I ask only because of Greyhound wanting to fleece me $15 EACH WAY for booking a ticket for a kid without his own card.
--Will a (pretty street-smart) 16 y/o kid have a problem? It's a direct bus, but is there anything I should have him look out for?

And of course, if there are any options better than this Megabus, what are they?

Thanks!!

Megabus issues

jk252b — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:15:19 -0800

Waste-of-question-filter: Help with Megabus from Boston to NYC. I've taken Greyhound/Peter Pan and the various Chinatown companies numerous times, but this will be my first on the new Megabus. All the other companies have you buy a ticket for a particular departure time, but when you actually leave depends on when you get to the station and how many people are in line in front of you.

I have a ticket for a 12:30 Megabus. Is this a real reservation as in I have a seat reserved, or a false sense of security like the rest? If real: How long before my bus leaves am i supposed to be there?

As a bonus question: all the other companies give you actual tickets. I only have a "reservation confirmation" email from Megabus that claims my 24-digit reservation is all i need to board. Is there really no ticket to print and give them (I really ask this because I got a payment error on their website, but the email confirmation came through anyway, and I'm wondering if something screwy happened and i missed the ticket).

Megabus vs. Boltbus

elisabethjw — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:48:03 -0800

I'm traveling to New York from D.C. soon. Megabus? Boltbus? Your experiences? In a few weeks I'll be traveling to D.C., and while I'm there I'm planning on spending a day or two in NYC visiting some friends. I've looked at prices for both Boltbus and Megabus and both appear to offer round-trip for less than $40 (significantly less, in some cases). I would probably want to leave early on a Thursday morning (in between 6 and 7) and return late Friday evening (...in between 6 and 7). I have a few questions, though:

I've read mixed reviews on the internet about the two services. Are they really too good to be true? I can handle my bus being a bit late, but is it likely to be significantly late / delayed (I hear the New Jersey Turnpike can be a bit difficult at times). Would it be crowded at those times of the day?

If you've rode either service and had a good / bad experience, let me know.