I was heading down to NYC on short notice and it was recommended I check out Megabus. I ended up finding tickets that allowed me to travel from Rochester to NYC round-trip for about $36 bucks. I drive a Jeep so I probably couldn't make it half way to the city for $36!
As soon as I booked my ticket, I was provided an email that told me where to find the bus for pick-up, and where I would be dropped off when I reached my destination. A few days prior to my departure, I was sent another email telling me my return trip had been cancelled and I would need to book for another time, or another day. Since I had chosen the lowest priced trip, it was nice that I was able to change my trip at no additional cost.
My bus arrived about 10 minutes early and we left exactly when it said our departure time was which was nice, but to anyone thinking about booking through Megabus, arrive early! Megabus likes to advertise the presence of WiFi and 110V power outlets on some of their buses; both of the buses I rode on boasted this feature. The WiFi works part-time. The bus is constantly trying to pick up the best signal to use so you may find that the WiFi goes in and out. Furthermore, the bandwidth is pretty small so don't plan on streaming any movies while you're on your trip. The power outlets would have been a nice touch, but I couldn't find one that worked on my buses. Certainly wasn't the end of world.
For the price, I would totally use Megabus again, but for anyone thinking this is a nice, relaxing coach bus, think again. The seats are decent, and they recline, but they're not as cushioned as your average coach bus, and they recline about as much as an airline seat (I swear that only gives you about 5º of movement!). While on the bus, you will be surrounded by a colorful array of personalities, but this is a bus ride so if you're not finding interesting people, you're doing it wrong. There was a couple sitting in the row in front of me and, although they found it necessary to talk as loud as possible and watch a movie without headphones, they taught me a valuable lesson for using Megabus: BRING FOOD! They pretty much had a picnic spread out around them and they avoided having to pay the exorbitant prices at the rest stops when we stopped.
So if you have a need to travel and Megabus services that area, give them a shot. Pack your picnic, bring a pillow, and make sure you've loaded your favorite movies, music, and books onto your phone and/or tablet (don't forget those headphones). Once you're on, just enjoy the ride. read more