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Taking MegaBus to Washington and then DCA

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Taking MegaBus to Washington and then DCA

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Old Feb 11, 2011, 6:19 am
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Taking MegaBus to Washington and then DCA

As anyone have experience taking MegaBus to Washington DC and then connecting to the Metro to DCA. Bolt Bus arrives at Union Station but MegaBus has an overnight trip that would avoid the need for a hotel room.
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Old Feb 11, 2011, 6:59 am
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No experience in riding the Megabus, but the stop where you get on is on the same block as our office (well for the next week, we're moving )

There are times the lines are very long, if you did not know that. Like to the corner, around the corner, and down 33rd a bit.

So if you do it, leave some time to get there early so you aren't way in the back, and if it's cold out, dress warm, the wind kills you on that block.
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Old Feb 11, 2011, 7:02 am
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Not a hard thing to do at all and Metro is much more luggage friendly then our own MTA.
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Old Feb 11, 2011, 7:04 am
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I once considered doing this for a 6am flight out of DCA, but when I looked into it I realized that the DC metro doesn't start running quite early enough to make it work. When you say that Megabus has an "overnight" trip I hope you're not making the same mistake!

Coming from New York, the lack of 24 hour service on the DC Metro is definitely frustrating, and it's kind of ridiculous that our nation's capital can't run trains at that hour. I'd wonder if there might be buses that run from the District to the Airport at that hour, but I didn't find any bus schedule that seemed to run then either.
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Old Feb 11, 2011, 8:14 am
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While it might cost as much as the MegaBus ticket, I'd be inclined to take a cab from Union Station to DCA at that hour. As noted already, the Metro connection might not work that early in the morning, and there won't be material traffic from Union Station to DCA, so a cab trip might be as quick or quicker than the Metro ride.
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Old Feb 11, 2011, 10:56 am
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Originally Posted by dchristiva
While it might cost as much as the MegaBus ticket, I'd be inclined to take a cab from Union Station to DCA at that hour. As noted already, the Metro connection might not work that early in the morning, and there won't be material traffic from Union Station to DCA, so a cab trip might be as quick or quicker than the Metro ride.
Actually did a little research. Megabus lets off near the Metro Center Station while Bolt Bus lets off at Union Station. On the weekends (Saturday and Sunday early morning), the last train from Metro Center to DCA leaves at 2:53AM arriving DCA 3:10 (which would ok for any very early morning flights). Trains from Union Station run later but Bolt Bus has no overnight trips. Megabus has a bus leaving NYC at 9PM and arriving Metro Center at 1:20AM, enough time to catch a train to DCA on the weekends.

Megabus has a later bus arriving at 3:20AM. How available are cabs in DC to hail from the street like NYC that time of night/earning morning. Is that area safe enough to be out that time of night.
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Old Feb 11, 2011, 11:36 am
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Originally Posted by newyorkgeorge
Actually did a little research. Megabus lets off near the Metro Center Station while Bolt Bus lets off at Union Station. On the weekends (Saturday and Sunday early morning), the last train from Metro Center to DCA leaves at 2:53AM arriving DCA 3:10 (which would ok for any very early morning flights). Trains from Union Station run later but Bolt Bus has no overnight trips. Megabus has a bus leaving NYC at 9PM and arriving Metro Center at 1:20AM, enough time to catch a train to DCA on the weekends.

Megabus has a later bus arriving at 3:20AM. How available are cabs in DC to hail from the street like NYC that time of night/earning morning. Is that area safe enough to be out that time of night.
Yes, you will be able to get a cab and yes, it is a safe area.
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Old Feb 11, 2011, 12:22 pm
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Originally Posted by newyorkgeorge
As anyone have experience taking MegaBus to Washington DC and then connecting to the Metro to DCA. Bolt Bus arrives at Union Station but MegaBus has an overnight trip that would avoid the need for a hotel room.
Don't know if you have bought your ticket yet, but try code WOW200K or ILUVDC. May bring the price down. I traveled to Providence from NYC last month for 50 cents.
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