Megabus

Megabus is the worst. Disorganized, inconsistent, unresponsive, uncomfortable, long, late, broken, broken down, crowded, painful. I traveled twice with them to give them a total of 4 trips before I wrote a review. I tried to provide the feedback directly but they demonstrated zero interest at any level or department.

I booked Megabus for a recent trip to Chicago because I figured that it could not achieve that magic combination so often enjoyed when you fly: spending a confiscatory amount to arrive late (if at all). It turned out to be a fortuitous choice because a fire in the FAA facility in Chicago resulted in a cancellation of virtually every flight. That said — and prepare to be shocked! — the WIFI did not work and the driver waved off questions about it. I actually called Megabus customer service FROM the bus and got exactly zero assistance. Still, the vehicle was relatively clean and we arrived on time. On the return, there was WIFI. Sort of. And an amusing female driver gave the men on the trip an anticipatory scolding that had something to do with sprinkling on the [toilet] seat. I tried very hard not to listen because it was a vision that I didn’t want to have stuck in my head. On reflection, I can say that I will travel on Megabus again. If I am going to be crammed into a small seat and have to balance my feet on my carry-​on bag, I am glad not to have to pay $ 300 (the average airfare from CLE to CHI) for the privilege.

So I know Megabus usually gets a lot of hate, but I can honestly say they have never let me down. I have been on enough of these to say with confidence that as long as you understand you’re not paying for a luxury experience, you should have a fine time.
Here is the deal, you’re paying anywhere from $ 1 to probably around $ 45 to travel pretty substantial distances which normally would cost a fortune in gas. So sometimes they are an hour late or the wifi is shotty, what were you expecting? As long as you go into your Megabus experience understanding that you get what you pay for, you really shouldn’t have anything to complain about.
I have taken Megabus probably at least 25 – 30 times and I have always reached my destination on time and fully in-​tacked, and for $ 1, what more can I ask for?

Okay, I will freely admit something; I don’t travel that much. Usually, when I do, I rent a car for overland trips, and I’ve only been on a plane (at this writing) once. Like I said, I don’t travel that much, mainly because of expense.
Enter…MEGABUS!
My Wife and I took a trip to Michigan recently, and we had never taken the Megabus, but we’d heard it was efficient, inexpensive and decent.
Right on all counts. The fares are VERY cheap; example, from Cleveland to Ann Arbor (a line that, sadly, after this writing no longer runs,) 40 dollars for two people each way. The bus was clean, had wifi, and was fast. We did get in to our stop a bit late, but as a rule, we always allow for some extra time. I think there was a 20 minute lag at best. Not bad all things considered.
We had a very no-​nonsense driver who was very good and direct. I know some folks might have found him rude, but hey, with as many liberties as people take most of the time, I don’t blame him at all, neither did my wife.
The seats were comfy, and for a short trip (3 hours to Michigan,) they sufficed well. There was luggage stowage below for larger bags, and there was room for smaller carry-​ons under your seat if you needed it (No overhead compartments.) There are outlets at every seat to use computers or phone plug-​ins too. There is also a single restroom… closet…but hey, like I said, no frills, and it works.
The stops are usually no frills and are mostly located on college campuses across the route (we stopped at the University of Toledo as well as Michigan State, and the main stop in Cleveland is at the main bus terminal.)
The bus we had was a double-​decker and it was great to sit up that high and see the scenery go by.
I recommend this for folks who want to take a quick, cheap trip. I don’t think it would be great for kids because you don’t have a lot of room to move, but older kids would do just fine. Anyway, for if you’re feeling adventurous, and want to go on a trip that won’t strain your wallet, just pack your bags, grab your headphones and hop on the Megabus!

I was very disappointed on this, my first trip on Megabus, from Cleveland to Cincinnati. The trip got off to a bad start when the bus was late arriving in Cleveland and went downhill from there. The inside of the bus was dirty and there was no legroom between seats. The WiFi didn’t work, nor did the overhead lights and vents, and there were no power outlets. (The bus was leased from Lakefront Lines and was not a Megabus double-​decker.) The bus stopped in Columbus, where we sat for 30 minutes while passengers boarded at their leisure. We left Columbus in time to make to Cincinnati on schedule, but inexplicably we stopped for 30 minutes at a rest stop an hour outside of Cinti. After the rest stop a movie started playing on the on-​board video system. We arrived in Cincinnati 15 minutes late. The one positive part of the trip was the driver, who was very professional, although I wish he had kept us better informed about what we were doing.
If I had paid a dollar for the trip it probably would have made the experience a little more tolerable, but because of a last-​minute booking I paid over twenty dollars. I will probably try Megabus one more time; the experience might be better on a Megabus double-​decker bus. If the bus is different but the experience is the same it’s Greyhound for me from then on.

It’s a great bus but wifi doesn’t work and the bathroom was cover with toilet paper
.It was pretty nice though. the ride was smooth and the thicket 5 $ to Chicago and 1 $ Cleveland. I recommend it.

Let me start with the bottomline: my wife and I paid $ 10 per person for a round trip to Chicago. You absolutely can not beat that, which is why I give the service 4 stars.
Issues you as a reader probably care about:
— WiFi did not work on either trip. (Didn’t bother me because it was in the middle of the night.
— Outlets were hit or miss. I would say that only about 10% of them were actually working.
— I recommend sitting on the second level. It seemed to be much roomier.
— Seats are comfortable, but the bus was freezing on both trips. Bring a blanket just incase.
— The drivers and Megabus workers were rude, and not at all helpful. I would blame their salary???
— Expect people to have no common courtesy. The gentleman sitting behind me watched movies on his laptop WITHOUT HEADPHONES the entire ride home (from 1 – 7 AM).
We took the 1 AM from Cleveland to Chicago, and surprisingly we left at our scheduled time. However, the bus driver must have either been tired or new to the job. She missed her exit to get onto the turnpike, and then didn’t realize it for 20 minutes. On top of this, she drove 50 MPH on the through-​way (maybe because it was raining?), and chose to stop at a rest area for a full half hour. Needless to say we were an hour late to Chicago.
We then took the 11:30 PM from Chicago to Cleveland. It arrived a half hour late, but it made excellent time.