Considering traveling with Megabus? I won't be anymore.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/10/12 at 5:38pm

I've been a frequent rider with Megabus for several years. Well, file this one under "you get what you pay for".

On a 4 1/4 hour trip from NY to Boston, we broke down at 3:30am. (Breakdowns happen.) However, we were left stranded for 4 1/2 hours before a recovery bus showed up to bring us to our destination (only an hour away). Mind you, stranded means: no food, no water, no sanitary facilities (and the bathroom on the bus was not working satisfactorily.) We were never given any more information other than: it will be at least an hour.

They have yet to personally respond to my letters or emails.

Additionally, Megabus drivers have caused three accidents this past week to 10 days, including hitting an elderly pedestrian!

Please share this information with loved ones.

Happy to provide more info should anyone want it.

[Addison D.]

Posted: 8/10/12 at 5:52pm

Yuck. I'm sorry you went through that.

I'm about to leave for the Cape and invited some friends to join me for a few days. I encouraged them to take Cape Air to Ptown, but they were contemplating taking Megabus to Boston, where I would pick them up.

I have forwarded them your posting.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 8/10/12 at 6:00pm

For the past couple of years, I've had the worst luck with Megabus. Nothing like your experience, but their buses have been consistently late, and I've waited as much as two and a half hours, which was the length of the trip I was taking in the first place. And the last time I rode with them the driver also hit a pedestrian while driving in the city.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 8/10/12 at 6:22pm

After several horrible experiences with the Megabus wherein riding conditions were extremely unpleasant and the operators were blatantly dishonest with passengers, I forsook them. Now I ride only Greyhound and have had nary a problem.

I'm sorry for your story. I never recommend Megabus to anyone anymore.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/10/12 at 7:40pm

Addison -- You can suggest BOLT Bus to them. Same deal, but I'm hearing they are pretty reliable.

I've been hearing more and more horrible stories in the last 48 hours.

I'm happy to say that the other patrons were great. People remained very civil, friendly -- and it could have turned ugly.

I would have said nice things about the driver BUT....once we were finally back on the road for about 20 minutes, our driver got a call (he was not driving THIS bus) that a patron was left behind. He was sleepinng upstairs -- and the bus driver didn't do a final sweep before we left!!! Yikes.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 11:52am

That's why I always used to use Fung Wah for my Boston/NY trips- cheap, always reliable, and frequent.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 2:30pm

Quinn calls for Megabus investigation following 2 fatal accidents

[winston89]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 4:10pm

I have never taken (and based upon what I am hearing won't) megabus. However, I have used Bolt before and they were great. I do believe that Bolt is owned by Greyhound so maybe that is part of it.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/11/12 at 6:03pm

Bolt.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/13/12 at 10:12am

Bolt seems better. I only took them once, but I didn't run into any problems.

One time my friend bought a ticket from New Haven to Boston through the $1 special fare. The bus never showed up (if it did, she was gone by then). When she inquired about it, some workers laughed and said Megabus was a big scam.

I think moving forward I'll be taking the Amtrak, even if it costs a lot more...

Updated On: 8/13/12 at 10:12 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/13/12 at 3:56pm

I've gotten the $1 fare a good number of times, and had only one other issue.

I've got Bolt reserved for next week -- so we shall see!

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 8/13/12 at 8:42pm

I've been doing the Albany-NY run for years and haven't had much in the way of drama...time delays, but nothing crazy.

However...will never do the Toronto run again. Delays, bus problems than turned a five hour trip into something approaching 12. We were stuck in Buffalo forever and eventually gave up the ghost, bought Trailways tickets to Syracuse and then still had to drive home to Albany. We did get our money back from Megabus...small comfort since the Trailways tickets cost more than them and those we couldn't get refunded.

I prefer Amtrak but when it comes between a $72 round trip and a $10 one? Cheap bastard will win out most of the time.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/13/12 at 9:37pm

I've never had a problem with BoltBus, myself - I've only taken them about ten times, though.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 8/14/12 at 1:07am

I use to take MegaBus a lot from NY to Philly, but after issues of waiting up to two hours plus for a bus and being on a non-MegaBus coach bus that had none of the MegaBus promised things [electrical outlets, among other things], I have now switched to Bolt and not had a problem since.