Looks like it's MegaBus for my family in December

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rrdude

rrdude

Engineer
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
3,707
Location
Baltimore/DC Area
Made the RT via car this weekend from BAL to NYC to visit a friend, and bring back a big screen tv. I was just floored at how many MegBus and to a lesser extent, Bolt, and to an even lesser extend, Greyhound motorcoaches I saw traversing I-95 north and south.

So I got home, and checked out MegaBus' site, for our annual trip to see the Rockettes in NYC. Hmmmmm, leaving on Friday afternoon, it's above $600 RT on Amtrak Regionals. (I'm not about to burn 40 AGR points for this RT) or "just a stitch" over $100 for FT on MegaBus, for a family of five.

Now, the real clincher would be if I could somehow, almost be assured of getting the first four seats at the front of the upper deck. Then I'd book RIGHT NOW.

But I'm guessing that some of the BALT to NYC trips are "thru busses" from Richmond, and some are originating from BALT. Anyone know how I could find out which is which? (I've emailed MegaBus, but haven't heard back yet)

My kids love the train, but this should be a new experience, kind of "introduce them" to another form of public transit.
 
Anthony said:
Look up the schedules from Richmond and see if they coincide?
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I was afraid someone would suggest that.................
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Of course if one clicks on the word "VIEW", one can also see the schedule...........Pfffffffffft
 
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rrdude said:
My kids love the train, but this should be a new experience, kind of "introduce them" to another form of public transit.
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The form on which a sleep-deprived driver can doze off, swerve and hit a guard rail to flip the bus on its side and into a pole, which peels the roof open like a sardine can, decapitating a dozen passengers. Yes, an unforgettable introduction to bus transportation for survivors of ANY age! I'm sure the I-95 scenery is well worth the added risk. :D
 
WhoozOn1st said:
rrdude said:
My kids love the train, but this should be a new experience, kind of "introduce them" to another form of public transit.
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The form on which a sleep-deprived driver can doze off, swerve and hit a guard rail to flip the bus on its side and into a pole, which peels the roof open like a sardine can, decapitating a dozen passengers. Yes, an unforgettable introduction to bus transportation for survivors of ANY age! I'm sure the I-95 scenery is well worth the added risk. :D
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I love your smiley face at the end of that snarky, tasteless reply.
 
i boycott Megabus even if it is cheaper. They don't have stations or facilities, mooch off everybody else, and have an atrocious safety record. I'd rather take one trip by Amtrak than 6 by Megabus. Just my two cents worth.
 
I've occasionally taken Megabus, when it fit my needs. My last trip was from Buffalo to Toronto last May. Amtrak/Via Rail wanted $76 for Niagara Falls to Toronto, while Megabus cost $16. They left from a proper bus terminal in Buffalo, and arrived at a similar one in Toronto. For the short trip it was just fine, and the bus even had functional wifi. It would seem that my two cents differ.
 
I would recommend Bolt over Megabus....

While they both have similar pricing and operation, Bolt has a far better safety record, and their Prevost X-3's are a whole lot roomier and better riding than those double deck VanHools that Megabus uses....
 
For the safety records of motor carriers, one can request information from the federal Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) System HERE.

There may be an easier way to do this, but this is what I found at first glance.

I use to take a day bus from Baltimore to NYC for $35 r/t back in the day, but I really, really prefer the roominess, ride, bathrooms and overall better experience on Amtrak. Then there are the traffic jams that one can get stuck in on I-95 or the NJ Turnpike...
 
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The Davy Crockett said:
For the safety records of motor carriers, one can request information from the federal Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) System HERE.

There may be an easier way to do this, but this is what I found at first glance.

I use to take a day bus from Baltimore to NYC for $35 r/t back in the day, but I really, really prefer the roominess, ride, bathrooms and overall better experience on Amtrak. Then there are the traffic jams that one can get stuck in on I-95 or the NJ Turnpike...
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After an hour of reading both good and bad reviews, and considering the "source" of each reviewer, there's no way I''m putting my family thru the MegaBus process. If I were traveling alone, yeah, I'd chance it that I:

  • Wouldn't hit traffic
  • Wouldn't have a Hellashish line to wait in, with no real chance of sitting together
  • Wouldn't have working AC outlet at seat
  • Wouldn't have a smelly bus
  • Wouldn't have pax sitting next to me or my kids who didn't say "hello" to a bar of soap in a while
  • Wouldn't have to wait outside, in the pouring rain, or cold, for a bus that is often late, and then have to jostle with the crowd who is waiting for the bus that was supposed to arrive an hour prior.....

What was I thinking?
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God Da#$#% Amtrak is expensive, but compared to the "experience" that I could put my family thru, it looks like a bargain.

It's kind of like one of those times when you are in the middle of sh$%, and you say to yourself, "I'd pay any amount of money to get out of the situation that I am in..........." So I'm not gonna potentially put myself in that situation. I know, I know, Amtrak has it's "special moments" too, but, hmmm, doesn't seem like they hit the extreme like Megabus does.

Great concept, MegaBus, very poor execution, according to the hundreds of posts and reviews I've read.
 
Frankly, I've taken Megabus many times, and it's better than most of the other bus companies. Yes, the clientele is more lower-income than Amtrak, but here in the Midwest it's often overall better than the train when cost and frequency are factored in.

Yes, sometimes the bus is late, but much less so than the trains out here. There's not a station, and sometimes issues cropped up. But out of the 20+ "legs" I've done with Megabus (including a round trip from Omaha to Washington DC,) there was only one that had a major issue. In terms of clientele, it's usually college students, some middle-class people, and a few others. There wasn't the "rush to smoke" that Greyhound passengers seem to have. For 1/6 the cost of Amtrak, I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless waiting outside for a while is something that you just can't do. (I think Baltimore is at a park and ride, so you should be able to wait in your car if you aren't all that worried about seating.)

EDIT: That being said, I'm also a college-age student without a lot of money. In terms of seating, I've always found it adequate, even for sleeping (if you can get a window seat)...at least as adequate as a bus can get. I'm a big person, too (250 pounds), and I've found the seating to be acceptable, if not spacious. (They do stop occasionally, and I take most of the opportunities presented to stretch on longer trips.)
 
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My two cents: I took Megabus last year Chicago to Cincinnati. While I would have preferred a train, which barely exists on that route, the bus trip itself was just fine. The part I did not like was the freezing wait out on the sidewalk in Chicago.
 
Well, if you're not in a hurry, you could take MARC to Aberdeen or Perryville, Amtrak To Wilmington, SEPTA to PHL, NJT to NYC. For a rough estimate of $450 r/t.

I'm just kidding, of course. I didn't do the timing, so I don't know how long all that would take, but I'm sure it's a lot more than you'd want to consider.
 
AmtrakBlue said:
Well, if you're not in a hurry, you could take MARC to Aberdeen or Perryville, Amtrak To Wilmington, SEPTA to PHL, NJT to NYC. For a rough estimate of $450 r/t.

I'm just kidding, of course. I didn't do the timing, so I don't know how long all that would take, but I'm sure it's a lot more than you'd want to consider.
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IF I were to do that, and I know some railfans who probably would like this, "adventure", AU would have one less "living member", as my wife would have surely pushed me off the platform, and into the path of a speeding train by the time we got to NJ Transit. Who knows, I might have bear her to the punch, and jumped!
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rrdude said:
AmtrakBlue said:
Well, if you're not in a hurry, you could take MARC to Aberdeen or Perryville, Amtrak To Wilmington, SEPTA to PHL, NJT to NYC. For a rough estimate of $450 r/t.

I'm just kidding, of course. I didn't do the timing, so I don't know how long all that would take, but I'm sure it's a lot more than you'd want to consider.
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IF I were to do that, and I know some railfans who probably would like this, "adventure", AU would have one less "living member", as my wife would have surely pushed me off the platform, and into the path of a speeding train by the time we got to NJ Transit. Who knows, I might have bear her to the punch, and jumped!
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Jerry, my advice to you (as a middle-aged, at least, woman) - DO NOT suggest the Megabus to your wife. I do not know how old she is, but I know you are far from being a college student. Suck it up and take Amtrak. Just think about all those points you will accumulate. :lol:
 
I live in downtown Richmond and travel to DC and NY a lot. I much prefer Amtrak (leaving from RVM), but I'm broke most of the time, so it's either MegaBus, Greyhound, or Eastern (Chinatown) for me.

As far as I know, all buses that stop in Baltimore are through buses. And the stop is actually in White Marsh, and there are two different parking lots depending on which way you're going.

If you left from DC (MARC?), and were the first in line, you'd have a good shot at the seats you want. If you left from Baltimore, you'd be getting onto an already crowded bus and probably would have to sit in separate seats.

Also, don't rule out Greyhound. Check their website. I just bought a round-trip Richmond-New York for $2.00.

Bolt bus leaves from Baltimore near Penn Station.
 
guest said:
I live in downtown Richmond and travel to DC and NY a lot. I much prefer Amtrak (leaving from RVM), but I'm broke most of the time, so it's either MegaBus, Greyhound, or Eastern (Chinatown) for me.

As far as I know, all buses that stop in Baltimore are through buses. And the stop is actually in White Marsh, and there are two different parking lots depending on which way you're going.

If you left from DC (MARC?), and were the first in line, you'd have a good shot at the seats you want. If you left from Baltimore, you'd be getting onto an already crowded bus and probably would have to sit in separate seats.

Also, don't rule out Greyhound. Check their website. I just bought a round-trip Richmond-New York for $2.00.

Bolt bus leaves from Baltimore near Penn Station.
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Oh, wow, you got a really good deal for GLI. BoltBus is also owned by GLI, they have the same seats and equipment but GLI has more variety.
 
My mind is more than made up. The "idea" of taking MegaBus, and getting a seat in the upper-level, front, at a really low price, was the only reason I considered it. But thank God for the internet, and thank all-of-you, for your input and suggestions. I also polled several co-workers, and came to a pretty, (what I consider) reasonable decision:

No MegaBus for me and My family.

As stated before, I just didn't want to be in that position of having that sinking feeling of:

"I would pay any amount to be":

  1. On a train, with space to roam, cafe car
  2. Out of the rain, cold, weather, long un-coordinated queues
  3. in NYC faster, instead of crawling along I-95 on Friday night.
  4. Seated together with my family
  5. Yada, yada, yada.........

To sum it up: Traveling alone, I might test MeagaBus, but when family is tagging along, and the whole idea of a "weekend in NYC" is about having a good time, no way.
 

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