I was actually...very pleasantly surprised at the quality of MegaBus in respects to its price. For a round-trip from SF to Sacramento cost me a total of $20. Only $20, despite the fact that I picked the most expensive times (leaving in evening will almost always cost you a few more dollars, no matter what bus service you choose)! For comparison, a round-trip with Greyhound costs me about $40 after tax, and Amtrak is about $70. With the tickets so cheap, I expected the clientele to be much grimier, however, this was not the case. Maybe it's because its not so well-known of a bus service? If so, let's keep this our little secret :)
The location is very easy to get to (if you're in the city, take the N-line all the way to the Caltrain station. It's over by the bus rack). I can't quite remember if there was a sign that said MegaBus, but there was a telltale line of people.
With MegaBus, there's no tickets to be printed out, just a reservation number given at the time of purchase. You may either print the email with the number or, like I did, just show the person the number on your phone.
There are several reserved areas/seats on the bus for passengers who paid extra to sit in them, but besides that, its a free-for-all. If you don't want to get put right next to the staircase or smelly restroom, arrive a bit early. I sat in an unreserved seat on the top level, and the view from the large windows was fantastic. The leg room was generous, the seats were comfortable (not to mention recline-able!), and the power outlets between the seats actually worked!
Both the bus driver and the man who loaded/unloaded baggage (driver assistant? backup driver?) were very helpful and chipper!
The bus was very clean, the drive was smooth, and the bus was cold (very very important on a bus full of 50+ people, where the body heat can turn the bus air sour very quickly).
It should also be noted that the MegaBus ALWAYS leaves ON TIME. The time on your ticket is when they are actually driving away. Now, this can be either a good or a bad thing depending on your situation. A great thing if you're at the stop about 20 minutes early, but a bad thing if traffic/public transportation/misreading your departure time (which I am guilty of) causes you to fall a few minutes behind. I wish I was exaggerating. If your ticket says 6:30, the bus is pulling away at 6:29. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I definitely recommend planning on being AT the stop 10-30 minutes before your departure time. In addition to actually getting on the bus, showing up just 10 minutes early may be the difference between a lovely upper-deck window seat and the ones just in front of the restrooms.
One of the only negative aspects of the MegaBus is the lack of baggage check. On Greyhound buses, your luggage is tagged with a label that corresponds with your baggage claim ticket. To claim your baggage, you must present the person unloading with your claim ticket. No claim ticket, no bag; simple as that. MegaBus does not have this feature, which does save some time and formalities (i.e. no fumbling with tags/tickets, no weighing your luggage, etc.), however, there are bad folks out there who might feel it's necessary to be a bag thief. I had no issues with bag theft, but if you're worried, I recommend clearly labeling your stored luggage with easily identifiable name tags, as well as something to set your bag apart, like stickers or ribbons.
I can't speak on behalf of the longer MegaBus trips, but I do wholeheartedly recommend MegaBus as an alternative to Greyhound (as long as your destination is on the short list of cities they service). read more