Megabus

No AC again, … Megabus I hate you.

Been waiting an hour and a half in Phily on Market and 6^th for the 3:40pm bus and still not here. Made two phone calls to the number
provided and two agents can’t help. Spoke to a driver of another Megabus and he had no intentions of even looking at me. 5 of us waiting on the Phily streets. — at Independence Hall.

WOW. This company is HORRIFIC. What a HORRIBLE travel experience! I feel so terrible writing this because the bus drivers were wonderful. So friendly and fun. But they deserve to work for a better company.
It started when we were leaving for DC, and the bus showed up almost an hour late. When we arrived at the bus stop, the 5:00pm passengers hadn’t gotten on yet. We were for 6:00pm. The bus loaded all passengers who were supposed to depart from 5:00pm to 6:30pm at 6:50!!! We only got to our destination 10 minutes late atleast, can’t say the same for those who were supposed to leave at 5:00.
We’re now on our way back. We left on time, 6:00pm. But at around 9:00, the bus got a flat tire. We were stopped and told we would be leaving in 45 minutes. Well, it’s 11:00pm. We’re still waiting. They haven’t trained their bus drivers to change a flat tire. Wow.
Stay as far away from this company as you possibly can. Spend the extra 10 dollars for a company that gets you from A to B in a timely fashion. Seriously.

bad service they don’t give refund! they don’t change date for you! their bus can be late and u ask for refund they ignore your phone call. they don’t care about their customers. they ask for $ 5 if you want to take the bus early maybe I might still stick to easternbus. no matter how much you pay Unilocal to hide bad review here you have mostly bad review horrible customer service. all the workers got mad attitudes

Unfortunately, I was not able to choose to have «ZERO» stars instead of just one… I’m on my now to Pittsburgh bound from NYC… The Air conditioning is NOT WORKING … And Wifi is also not working… I have never seen such a bad service from a SERVING COMPANY!!!

Not sure why the rating is so low. It’s not a bad bus, and it’s super cheap! I went from Boston to NYC for $ 6 (including fees), and although it wasn’t the most comfortable bus, it got the job done. There is (very weak) Wifi on board and not a lot of leg room, but that’s sort of what’s expected from buses.

Yes, $ 20 from Boston to NYC with AC, power and enough leg room. Everything looks good if Megabus can arrive on time. By saying arriving on time, I do not even take count of the delay of traffic, since it is inevitable between NYC and Boston during peak time.
However, they usually don’t. I’ve experienced several times that the bus was delayed due to driver exceeding legal limit of driving time. Last Friday, after 3 hours’ driving, the driver stopped in a truck resting area and told us he cannot drive anymore due to the limit. He claimed another driver would be arrived in an hour but did not arrive until two and half hours later. Luckily, the driver eventually came and we arrived NYC around 2 am, which is supposed to be 11 pm.
Even worse, the costumer service is not helpful during or after the incident. One passenger called the costumer service during waiting, but they had no clue of what’s going on. I emailed them a day later and no response yet. No explanation, no apology, no refund.
Those delays, of course, can be avoid by preparing more drivers and reducing every driver’s driving hour to avoid reaching the limit. However, that will not be an option to Megabus, who is desperate to reduce their cost.
Bottom line: time is precious. Megabus provides cheap tickets during off-​peak time (like $ 3 ticket). However, it increases the risk of delay not only by traffic but also by their driver shifts. Is megabus a better option over others? It’s your time; you value it.

I have no idea why people not happy about Megabus. We travel in same day from Washington D. C to Philadelphia and back. Bus leave on time and arrived on time. Even bad traffic on a roads. I was impress.
Thank you for great service.

I’ve taken the Megabus between Boston and New York City about 30 times so far. I would say that so far, there were no complications about 80% of the time. The seats are usually clean, the ride tends to be less bumpy if you sit on the right side of the bus, and the average time that it takes the bus to travel from Boston to NYC and vice versa is about 5.5 hours. Traveling between Manhattan and the toll booth after Yonkers is usually a full hour, at least. Sometimes the bus goes into New Jersey to bypass Manhattan traffic, but this happens EXTREMELY rarely. Also, avoid sitting in the bottom seats that are near the bathroom, as you will be smelling strong chemical smells of ammonia the entire ride. I always sit on the top deck and do not smell anything.
With that in mind, I had a HORRIBLE experience on the Megabus today:
a) The bus drivers do not have GPS or any sort of warnings about which routes to take to bypass traffic. My driver unnecessarily drove into a traffic-​heavy route that caused us to spend an hour standing in traffic for 10 miles in the small towns right before the tollbooth into Yonkers.
b) After we finally escaped the traffic, the driver pulled up onto a truck stop right past the tollbooth and told us she has surpassed the legal limit of how much time she is allowed to drive and that we needed to wait for a replacement driver, who would arrive in 20 minutes. Twenty minutes later… we were told it would be another twenty minutes. Another twenty minutes later… we were told it would be another forty five minutes. Some passengers asked if they could be let off the bus and wait outside, or be picked up, and the driver started yelling at them that if they attempt to leave the bus, she would call the police on them. She locked the doors of the bus so that people could not even wait outside. Three Megabuses passed us during this waiting time. Overall, about 1.5 hours passed before the replacement driver arrived.
c) Passengers that attempted to contact Megabus customer service during the wait were told to call again after they get off the bus.
d) This bus had initially left Boston at 7AM, stopped in Yonkers at 12:10PM, started moving again at 1:40PM, and then spent another 2 hours in traffic in the Bronx, and another one hour in traffic moving down 9^th avenue in Manhattan. The bus driver did not attempt to drive down 11^th avenue to avoid the crazy Friday 4PM traffic between 57^th and 40^th street, where we moved a block per 3 minutes. Overall, the bus left Boston at 7AM, and arrived at 27^th street at 4:45PM. This was a 9.75 hour bus ride from Boston to NYC… The scheduled arrival time had been 12PM.
e) No explanation was given for the lateness, or why the replacement driver had not ALREADY been waiting for us, especially since the first driver had caused us to spend an unnecessary hour in traffic. Had we avoided the traffic and arrived at Yonkers at 11:10AM, would we have still needed to wait until 1:40PM for a driver to show up???
Overall, this experience really makes me reconsider turning to Megabus in the future.

I took this but to Boston so that I could attend a lecture being held at MIT. I took the 10: 10 bus which should have been sufficient to arrive in time for a 4 PM lecture. The bus did not arrive in Boston until 4: 30!!! I missed my lecture and I am very upset with this company. Take boltbus instead.

I use Megabus every time I need to get to Philadelphia. Most times I have travelled with them, we have left exactly on time. I suggest traveling when it is not rush hour when departing your city, or when arriving at your destination. The company can’t really do anything about traffic. I give this company 3 stars because the customer service isn’t stellar, although today everyone seemed friendly. I also wish that the lines were more organized during peak travel times, the employees made more announcements to keep the customers filled in, and it would be nice to have coverings over the lines (it always seems to be raining when I travel and hanging out in the rain is no fun). But honestly, you can’t beat the price of Megabus. The price varies on how far your trip is and also what day or time it is. It seems to be cheapest to travel midday during the week.
Anyway, I do recommend Megabus, at least for traveling NYC to Philadelphia. Much cheaper than Amtrak, and pretty easy to use.

They are the worst company, do not I REPEAT do not buy tickets from this company. They are nothing but scammers I had the worst experience with them. Customer service people are no help, their drivers are very rude I had to call the cops on one because he would not allow me to get on the bus he left me stranded where I was unable to get home. I had to pay extra money to take amtrack which btw they ate no connected with them at all, They do not refund money back.

Ignore 95% of reviews for megabus. It’s all based in negative experience but it doesn’t show what megabus is. Like any other bus company it has good and bad things and I noticed that people prefer to rage and write more about their terrible experience. My experience was good.
I took a bus from NYC to Newark, DE. The boarding was fine and the bus left NYC 15 mins late (not a big deal, but some people think that long distance busses must depart right on time, it rarely happens). Everything was fine. Outlets only work when the bus starts moving so you might see it’s not working because it was turned off by the driver, be patient and wait. Outlets work! The bus was clean and most people were sleeping. The driver was friendly.
I didn’t have any problems during my trip back to NYC, boarding was quick and easy with zoomed in copy of your receipt that you show to the driver. Arrived to New York about 20 mins late but again, not a big deal. Every bus company has terrible customer service but your experience most likely will be positive.
You can’t write negative reviews because of the weather conditions or location. Yes standing in the rain sucks but we can’t control it. I was waiting in my line for 40 mins and it was windy, not the best experience but I survived. Just check weather forecast and bring umbrella because lines are getting bigger right 30 mins before departure time (that’s where most people come). Follow city signs and talk to people. Someone will help you.

I was on the bus that departed from South Station in Boston at 10:30am and was supposed to arrive in NYC at 315pm. From the start after leaving the driver stated that we would be arriving at 3:30 — 4:00pm. Which I understand that occasionally there is traffic that may cause a delay. Although we didn’t arrive in NYC until 6:15pm. 8 hours after the bus departed. For a trip that should’ve taken 4 hours max.
That was not the only issue me and my husband Stephen encountered. The bus had broken air conditioning which made the bus get extremely hot and I was drenched in sweat by the time we arrived as was most everyone on the bus. I missed my dinner plans and missed out on the day I had planned in the city as everything was closing down when we arrived.
The bus driver seemed very incompetent and continued to drive under low clearance signs where it was one of the double decker buses. On one occasion he had to slam on the brakes and lower the air suspension on the bus to fit under a bridge which clearly was marked low clearance well before he approached the bridge.
After sitting in traffic for hours to get onto the George Washington bridge, he got off drove into New Jersey to take the Lincoln tunnel which clearly delayed our trip even more.
As a result, I cannot rely on mega bus for my trip home this coming Sunday 4÷24÷16 to be on time and was forced to buy tickets on a train which I can rely on.

I’m guessing most people only bother to write when something bad happens. So I’ll try balancing it out. I was kinda fearful before trying it having read those horrendous reviews of delays and filth. But the train was getting too expensive for repeated trips to philly so I tried the bus. I booked online the night before, and I spent the extra $ 1 per seat for reserved seats at the front upstairs, which are leather (or vinyl or whatever) and not the stained things I read about. And the bus left on time in both directions. The staff were fine, nothing broke down, nothing stunk, everything just worked.

I travel to both DC and Boston a good amount in the last few years. Megabus is an absolute last resort along with the Chinatown bus. Usually when I’m stuck taking them it’s because their buses run later than most other carriers. And they have more available busses which is why I give them as high as 2 stars. Also because the staff is friendly and hard-​working. Amtrak would be my first choice but is now the price of a plane ticket. A not-​so-​close second would be Boltbus since it’s clean and comfortable. Here are the problems I’ve run into with Megabus over the years:
1. Once on a trip back from DC I was bitten by bedbugs and had welts going up my arm for a week. I did report the incident to the corporate office. I should have been reimbursed for the ticket and expensive coat I was wearing that needed to be thrown out afterwards.
2. On another trip back from DC a patron came up to me and whispered to me «how hot it would be if I went into the bathroom with him and f#*ked him» Sick.
3. While we are on the subject of bathrooms the bathroom on Megabus always stinks up the entire bus. My last trip back from Boston I spent 2 – 3 hours trying not to throw up because I was sitting on the lower level and would catch a whiff of it every time someone would open the door. And it’s not just the usual smell of what goes on in the bathroom. It’s some chemical they are using in there. And it’s so bad that even my suitcase which was in the luggage hold stinks like bathroom.

The mega bus is okay for traveling.
Cons: They have cloths seats, that have stains and smells bad.
They don’t have a plug to charge your phone.
The drivers don’t tell you anything.
The bathrooms are disgusting and smell horrible.
The do not always leave on time.
They need to clean and refresh the bus. It always smells like cigarette and funk.
I don’t think they clean the buses at all.
Ill stick to Peter Pan.
Pros: A bus leaves almost every hour.
The customer service number really works.

Pesima empresa de buses.
Para salir a Washington dc tuvimos q esperar muertos de frio mas de media hora a q llegara la chofer.
Sin explicaciones ni nada, haciendo cola a la intemperie, horrible.
Cdo empezó el viaje la caradura de la chofer dijo q estábamos atrazados x el tránsito! !
WTF si aún no salimos!
Si tenes poco tiempo para visitar Washington no es la empresa!

My experience with Megabus has largely been one of amiability. I show up on time, the bus leaves on time. I mind my business, the person next to me minds themselves. And so, I continue to use Megabus for random jaunts to Boston, DC and Philadelphia.
So why just three stars then? Because of two big issues that corporate should hastily resolve:
1) The internet is ALWAYS shoddy. WiFi was the main reason I was converted from a lifetime of Chinatown buses. However, I have yet to take one trip with Megabus where I had a consistent internet connection. And I’m not trying to stream movies here. On my last trip, I had a lot of work to catch up on and wanted to get it out of the way before arriving in DC for a jam-​packed weekend. Ultimately, I had so much trouble sending emails from my laptop that I used my phone the whole time. This significantly limited my productivity and I ended up having to do work when I arrived at my hotel. Not good.
2) Half of the outlets don’t work or have loose sockets. I wish I videotaped my laptop cord falling time and time again to the floor since it never seemed to stay affixed to the outlet. Same for my phone charger. This was beyond frustrating. I ended up at my destination with a dead laptop and almost dead phone. Not good.
It’s a reasonable request for Megabus to work on improving connectivity and electrical maintenance on their buses, particularly if this is something they market as a competitive advantage. Other than this, Megabus is just fine. Their vehicles are clean, you can pay an extra $ 1 to pick your seat, drivers communicate with passengers and my items have never been stolen. Drop off points are usually convenient.

I can’t believe I’m writing a Unilocal review about megabus but my last couple of trips have compelled me to do so.
Couple of things to get out of the way. Their wifi sucks/doesn’t work. Their outlets almost never work. They are almost always delayed and late. They don’t like making stops because they are almost always running late and when they do make stops you pay heavily, in terms of time, for it.
Bus ran late every time I made the trip from NYC to Boston. 30 – 60 min late each time. They never stop at rest stops (I assume because they’re behind schedule like crazy).
On one particular trip back from Boston. I was on the 6:30 PM bus and we were making good time… Apparently so good that bus driver decides a 20 min food break is a good idea. This was around 9:30 and after the stop what happens? Road work. We were stuck in one road work for around 30 min and then hit another one for about 2 hours… TWO HOURS. If it wasn’t for that stop, we most likely would have missed the first road work entirely and the second one would have lasted around 30 min. Since the trip took so long they had to replace the driver which took another 30 min.
When we finally arrived at our NYC stop at 2 AM (3 hours after the estimated 11 PM arrival). The new driver had the nerve to joke about the trip being long. Oh but the fun didn’t end there. The driver for some unknown reason opened up the luggage compartment and stood at the door of the luggage compartment for 10 – 15 min standing just completely dumbfounded why dozens of pissed of people stood by waiting for their things.
The trip cost me $ 15 which, ironically, was the cost of my cab fair that I had to take in Queens after taking the 7 train since my local bus was running every other hour.
I got home at 3:30 AM.
When I emailed them a complaint. This is the response I got.
Dear Sir. Madame,
strives to provide you with the best possible service, and when
you feel that it fails to meet your expectations, it is important for us to
know. We apologize that you received service that prompted you to contact
us with a complaint, and we regret any inconvenience or frustration that
your experience has caused you. Please be advised rest stop breaks are at
the driver discretion and usually last anywhere 20 – 35 minutes.
Thank you for using
we appreciate your business.
Sincerely,
[REDACTED]
Megabus Customer Service Specialist
When I called their customer service up, they told me I should just email again.
Thank you megabus for making it so easy for me to no longer use you guys ever again. There are so many options like bolt, greyhound, and chinatown buses in NYC, why should I even bother?
I bet the chinatown that also left at 6:30 arrived on time… Probably cost less too.

I hate Megabus but I have no other choice but to use it. (The other bus companies are just as bad).
Here’s what you should know before buying a ticket for a bus at the 34^th Street stop:
1– You will wait in the broiling heat (or the pouring rain) because there is no shelter whatsoever;
2– You will have to contend with chaotic crowding as Megabus staff do not bother to monitor the lines and the many people who take advantage by cutting in line.
3 — You will be forced to inhale the smell of burning meat from the awful food vendor at the bus stop.
4– The bus will often be late with no explanation. Mine was 45 minutes late the other sweltering summer day.
5– The Wifi almost never functions.
6– The outlets often do not work
7– Just when you happily think no one will take the seat next to you, a large woman with a huge backside suddenly appears at the very last minute.