firequall

Megabus operates on reservations. Greyhound operates on a first come, first served basis. If a bus is full they will try to bring an extra bus in if demand warrants it, otherwise you are stuck waiting for the next departure. Tickets bought at the station are valid for the entire day of departure.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I have a Mega bus trip tonight from NYC to DC. How early should I get there to make sure I will get a seat on the bus?

ClimberChick

George, hope you got a seat. Let us know how your trip on the bus was!

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

The buses were running very late because of an accident at the tunnel. The pick up point in Manhattan was hectic with not much information. However when the buses started to arrive the staff did a good job of loading quickly. The 9PM passengers were allowed to board what was the 815PM bus.

Of course, the bus was packed. There are not enough outlets and most did not seem to work. There is very poor overhead lighting so forget about reading if you are traveling at night. So I spent 4+ hours staring out the dark window. The seats are not as comfortable as Bolt Bus and there is a little less legroom.

The bus did make up some good time. The new and temporary DC bus stop is about a 5 minute walk to Union Station.

The real upside to Mega bus is that there are more buses and later departures in the evening. You should arrive about at least 30 minutes before your departure because it is very chaotic at the pick up point. Its outside so be warned when its very cold or raining.

But if you have a choice go with Bolt Bus.

MagicBubbles

BoltBus is usually pretty good but it does not necessarily guarantee you good timing on your trip. I took it ounce and literally left 30 minutes late from NYC and got to Boston over an hour and a half after the time indicated because of traffic. Since we left late we ended up riding during rush hour Anyways trip was pretty pricey for the bus so I would definitely consider Megabus next time...

BearX220

I am pretty sold on Megabus. I love the nimble business model and the price differential versus Amtrak in the NEC is impossible to argue with. I've paid $15 for my NYC-DC trips and even though I didn't get the $1 deal my fare was still only 10% of the Amtrak regional service... $150 or more for midday departures, and the bus takes only about 45-60 minutes longer. No-brainer.

Yes, both times I've ridden NYC-DC it worked fine, and I posted to Facebook all the way down the NJT.

I would say 45 minutes at least. It is pretty chaotic on the long block at 31st and 9th (right over the tracks out of Penn Station that lead to New Jersey). There's a couple of battered signs, but only one or two Megabus starters / dispatchers running things, too few to keep order or answer questions. The folks in line are pretty good-humored IME though, and will steer you to the right queue. On my trips there were lots of women traveling alone with no worries, and while the crowd skewed younger it was a very broad demo.

The article ClimberChick linked to upthread is full of excellent observations. People get all worked up about high-speed rail but Megabus-style alternatives, with low infrastructure and high energy efficiency, make 1000 times more sense on trips of 100-400 miles. Building new rail infrastructure will never pay off, flying is expensive and miserable and can take longer downtown-to-downtown, driving takes all day and a $50 tank of gas and tires you out, but buses rock in this niche.

I would book Megabus again without hesitation... the only qualm I'd have is waiting around without shelter on 9th Avenue when it's very cold or pouring rain.

fairviewroad

Of course, by "low infrastructure" you actually mean "low additional infrastructure" as I would not call Interstate 95 an inconsequential piece of infrastructure. It took generations of planning and taxpayer funding to build the network of interstate highways that Megabus uses. Whether the fuel taxes they pay contribute an appropriate amount to the upkeep of the highway system is of course an open question.

By the way, does anyone know what arrangements Megabus makes with local municipalities vis-a-vis their parking arrangements? It sounds like they are using prime parking spots as well as sidewalk space in large cities. Is this a taxpayer funded giveaway to a private company? Or does Megabus pay for the use of this space in the same way that you or I would have to plug a meter or buy a permit to park our car in a similar location?

BearX220

Well, Megabus pays road tolls like everyone else obviously, and I believe additional road taxes too. And if one Megabus run takes 50 cars off the road, that's a clear benefit which raises the question of who ought to be paying who.

The "Megabus Effect" article says the company is being hotly solicited by many communities to expand service, so I should think deals are being made. But no different from tax abatements, etc. to encourage new employers to move into enterprise zones. If being on the Megabus network is seen as worth encouraging, it'll be encouraged.

fairviewroad

If Megabus is drawing passengers who would have taken the train or plane, then one Megabus certainly doesn't take 50 cars off the road. I suspect a relatively low percentage of Megabus riders would have traveled by solo private automobile instead. A guess, admittedly.

BearX220

I very much doubt Megabus is attracting a lot of passengers who would have flown. On routes like NYC-WAS/BOS I expect Megabus passengers would otherwise have taken the train, driven (often, in the way of college kids, in group / pool situations), taken Greyhound, or not traveled. On routes where there's no convenient train alternative, outside the NEC, I bet a high percentage of Megabus customers would have used private autos instead, alone or in groups. In most cases Megabus is cheaper than driving one or two people in a car.

HotDogs85

Does Megabus run a direct route or are there stops along the way?

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

From NYC to DC there is a Baltimore stop but its a quick off 95 north of town (the bus does not actually go into the city of Baltimore). There are no rest stops along the way so don't get onboard hungry as its going to be 4+ hours before you have a chance to eat again. Most of the crowd at least the DC runs I've been on seem to be young professional types.

The Bolt bus goes direct to DC, however, the bus to Greenbelt, MD stops in Baltimore.

Besos78

This is actually the route I am interested in since I am going to visit a friend in DC over the summer. i will remember to bring some snacks for the road

HotDogs85

Took Bolt bus last weekend on the way back form NY and had a horrible eaxperience - bus was dirty, rude staff, late departure... next time i ll def give megabus a shot.

ClimberChick

Yikes, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Bolt. I hope Megabus works better for you.