Update: The megabus.com stop for arrivals and departures in Columbia, SC will relocate to the parking lot between McDonalds and the Wells Fargo Bank, at 1278 Dutch Square Blvd., near the intersection of Broad River Rd. Pick up and drop off available only- no overnight parking.
My brother and I rode the Megabus (in June 2018) from Dallas, TX all the way to Richmond, VA, with a bus changes in Memphis, TN and Atlanta, GA. I'm going to share the same review with those Megabus Yelp business pages. Our trip took around 36 hours.
First, the bad: WiFi did not work on ANY of the three buses we rode. It's time consuming. Our journey was 36 hours end to end. Cleanliness of bathroom deteriorates rapidly as the journey wears on. I considered it "For emergency use only." There is no running water. There might have been hand sanitizer.
Now the good. Inexpensive. Nothing beat it. Not Greyhound. Not Amtrak. If you have more time than money, or just want an adventure, Megabus is OK. Buses were clean. Buses have a bathroom, but it's nothing more than a chemical toilet. It was an adventure. 110 volt A/C power outlets did work on all buses.
Oh, and since it was summer, there were no airline deals either.
The bus stops about every 2 hours for a break. It generally stopped at a truck stop, where you could use a restroom with running water, and get something to eat.
Our bus change in Memphis was long. It gave us enough time to take an Uber to Beale St. It was also at night. Neighborhood was kinda sketchy, but there was indoor waiting area with vending machines and bathrooms. There's a gas station next door that serves hot food.
Our bus change in Atlanta was shorter, but it was long enough to search out some breakfast within walking distance. It was morning for this stop. Neighborhood was OK. There was no indoor waiting area and I think there were restrooms if you went in the MARTA station (below).
We arrived in Richmond at night and walked to our hotel. I did not seeing any waiting area, though it is close to the (Amtrak) train station, in the Main Street Station, so there might be something there. There are waiting rooms, but I don't know the hours. https://www.yelp.com/biz/main-street-station-richmond
About the bus: It's a double-decker bus. If you are prone to motion sickness, there is less sway on the bottom, but try to get toward the front, as the bathroom is in the back. Upper seats have a better view, and the roof is transparent. During the day it was quite enjoyable.
There are reserved seats, and if they are available, will cost you a little extra. We only had reserved seats on one bus. Not having a reservation was not a problem. There are some sections, up and down, where the seats face each other (with a small table in the middle). So if you are a party of 3 or 4, it would be good to reserve these seats. You might want to hedge your bet, and reserve seats opposite of each other. This way you'll play footsies with someone you know, not a stranger.
It seems obvious now, but the reserved seats are the ones with BIG numbers on them. Once the bus is loaded, it seems OK to move into those seats, but you don't know if they are going to be reserved for the next leg of your journey. The bus does drop off and pick up along the way, though not necessarily at all stops. Some stops are just breaks to stretch your legs, and last 10 to 20 minutes.
You might want to bring an extension cord, or have a long charging cable. Sometimes the power is overhead. Brings snacks and drinks, but not alcohol, as it's not allowed. We asked a couple drivers what would happen if you were caught. The answer varied a bit, but it seems likely you will be kicked off the bus. Where you are asked to leave seems to depend on your attitude. If you need anything during the trip, bring it with you when you go to your seat. You can't access your checked bags en route. Consider bringing ear buds or plugs, and eye shades.
My conclusion: It was just too many hours. Man this trip dragged on. I would consider it for shorter trips, in fact I'd like to see more of Memphis. And them maybe take a riverboat to New Orleans, and Megabus back to DFW.
Note: It was funny stopping in Columbia, as that's where my niece recently graduated from, and I was there for the graduation. Fun city, sorry I could not stick around. This was on a side of Columbia I had not seen before.
Bottom line: Good adventure. No problems. No regrets.
Megabus Yelp pages, including this one:
Dallas - https://www.yelp.com/biz/megabus-dallas
Memphis - https://www.yelp.com/biz/megabus-memphis
Atlanta - https://www.yelp.com/biz/megabus-atlanta
Columbia - https://www.yelp.com/biz/megabus-columbia
Richmond - https://www.yelp.com/biz/megabus-richmond read more
