Megabus

I wasn’t Unilocaling when i did the megabus thing. in 2013, my husband and i went from KC to Chicago. I had waited to book until the day the newest schedule came out. We went for a dollar each way each. SO round trip to Chicago was 4 bucks.
It wasn’t terribly comfortable, convenient, etc. but it was A DOLLAR EACH WAY. i feel we got way more than «what we paid for»
I just see all these criers about Megabus and I wanted to say… «whatevs.»

I have used the Megabus service 3 times now. On my way home from the last experience we got overheated and was pulled on the side of the road in 100 degree heat for over 3 hours. Then were moved to a Casey’s to sit until another bus came. except no one (including the bus driver) knew when or where it was coming from. CUSTOMER SERVICE DIDNT CARE AT ALL. We were lied to, multiple times. They lied to the bus drivers, who were clueless what to do. after waiting for over 6 hours, in the heat, with a pregnant lady, lots of children under 5, and elderly people with severe illnesses we were told a mechanic was there working on the bus, which he wasnt. They told people he was already there, except they told the bus drivers we were waiting on a bus… that they didnt know how long it would be. They lied to customers and employees. I was picked up by my family who had to drive an extra 4 hours to get me because nobody seemed to know anything. this is completely the fault of customer service. When i left 6 hours after breaking down they were told a bus was coming. it was anywhere from 4 – 6 hours away. this was at 10pm and our arrival time was 5pm. I am completely baffled by how little megabus customer service cared. it ruined all of the experiences i have ever had there. I will never use a company again who seems to care so little about their customers in such an important situation.
it is not worth it. the money saved is not worth being on the side of the road in 100 degree heat if the company doesn’t seem to care if you make it back okay. If they can lie to not only the customers but the employees too, what other awful things can they do? leave you on the side of the highway…

This is a review about the awesome service I received from MEGABUS on SUPER BOWL Sunday. A group was traveling from Atlanta to St. Louis and Chicago over SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. Once our bus arrived in Memphis, TN, we were unable to proceed because of a winter storm. On SUPER BOWL SUNDAY at 7am, MEGABUS was making housing reservations for those who were stranded. Some of us were so incredibly lucky to be booked in the luxurious DOUBLETREE HOTEL in downtown Memphis. We also received $ 30 in food vouchers. It was the best SUPER BOWL SUNDAY ever thanks to MEGABUS. Thank you so very much.

My experience was pretty uneventful, but in a good way.
I went ahead and placed my duffle bag in the luggage compartment even though it was pretty small. I wish I didn’t now because I’m sitting next to someone with an even bigger duffle in the seat next to her and I’m jealous.
I wore shorts on my trip and found out that the seats are incredibly itchy. These are the same blue seats that someone posted a picture of. I would suggest either wearing pants or having a blanket or jacket to put under you if you don’t want that feeling on your legs. I have a jacket in my duffle bag, which is another reason I wish I didn’t put it away…
Overall, at least I didn’t have to drive and the ride is pleasant enough.

The Megabus got me to and from my destination and you can’t really ask for much more than that, right?!
The experience was actually better than I expected it to be, especially since we found tickets for only $ 5. (because who really wants to go to Chicago in February?!)
The bus was very warm which was nice during the winter weather. There is a bathroom on the lower level and outlets on every seat. We had the over-​night ride and even with sleeping pills, you just can not, by any means, fall asleep on a super hard bus seat. It’s impossible. There’s also 2 mandatory breaks in the middle of the night, one in which you HAVE to exit the bus (at like 4 am). Needless to say, don’t expect to sleep for more than maybe 1 hour.
The people were more respectable than a imagined. Naturally, there’s always that one obnoxious person that has to talk very, very loud on their cell phone in the middle of the night. But, in general, the passengers were quiet and well-​behaved.
The Megabus cost $ 5 to get to Chicago. I didn’t sleep and need a massage from the uncomfortable seats. Overall, I’d say its worth it.

It’s… not awful.
No, really, that’s all I got.
Took the overnight bus from Chicago, back home to KC. First things first — the Chicago stop is not sheltered, and in my case, nearby Union Station had closed. End result: standing out in the rain — or huddled with 20 other people inside a tiny CTA bus shelter. Neither of which was fun.
Also — my bus was set to leave at 11:55pm. I arrived at 11; and was told I was waaaaay too early. Really?
No complaints about the drivers; they were personable, drove well (although hitting the shoulder rumble strips did worry me a couple of times), and kept us informed about pit stops and such. Timing was perfect — left a few minutes late, but arrived in KC exactly on time.
I naïvely thought that I’d be able to sleep on board. (I’ve always wanted to use an umlaut in a Unilocal review.) I wouldn’t count on it. While, chances are, you’ll get a pair of seats together — there’s no way on Earth to turn that into a makeshift bed and sleep comfortably. Plus — there are overhead lights that stay on all night long (not bright, but juuuuust bright enough), and an open top for the second deck (which means light comes through there too). Your mileage may vary, but it’s incredibly difficult to get quality zzz’s.
They promote that there’s free WiFi… and yes, there is. But… think of how your local Starbucks WiFi works when there are a bunch of people on it… combined with the fact that you’re moving. You’re not going to get super-​fast broadband speed. At some points, I didn’t get any connection at all. (It’s not their fault; that’s just how technology is.) There are electrical outlets at (most) every seat, so at least charging the phone on the bus is a no-​brainer.
Their other big draw is the price point — the one-​way from Chi to KC cost less than $ 40. And… I got what I paid for. I arrived home in one piece. It wasn’t super comfortable, and I probably wouldn’t do it again — but — I made it home.
One last tip: the pick-​up/​drop-​off in KC is the transit center lot in the River Market. The signs there say «No overnight parking.» I don’t know if they’ll actually tow — but — I did find free, streetside, no time limit parking nearby.

I’ve rode the Megabus on more times than I can count and I have NEVER had a problem. The only thing that really irks me is they advertise *FREE* wi-​fi that I have never known to exist. I have rode it from Kansas city to Chicago (vice versa) everytime I ride it.

The bus left on time, arrived on time, was fully air-​conditioned, not at all crowded (can’t imagine the 5:45am bus from StL to KC would be, lol) and was a great experience. Definitely an upgrade from last time.