In The Loop Travel
  • Home
  • Destinations
    • The Americas
    • Caribbean
    • Mexico
    • Europe
    • Asia/Pacific
    • Africa
  • Fitness
  • Cruising
  • Travel Tips
  • Videos
  • Work With Us
  • My Work
  • About
  • Colorado Craft Brewery Guide
  • Media Kit
  • TBIN Influencer Network

I Survived a Ride on Megabus -- and You Can, Too!

11/21/2017

4 Comments

 
Megabus in Miami
Megabus runs routes between major cities all over the U.S. Check online for schedules and fares for your trip.
By John Roberts

I was visiting Miami for a few days, so I figured I should go ahead and make a side trip to Orlando to visit my brother, as well. After all, I was in no rush to get back to New Jersey in mid-November. Yes, I do prefer days of endless sunshine to gray skies and bitter cold!

But how to get cover the distance. A flight? Too expensive. Rent a car? Ditto.

Bart had told me about his experiences using a bus service to get around the state. Megabus features routes from Orlando to Miami and back (with stops in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale), and the fares can be incredibly cheap.

Megabus sometimes runs promotions and sells seats for as low as $1. The earlier you book your fare, the best chance you have to snag the lower fares: $1 and $9 seats, for example. I booked a week out from my trip and paid $25.50 ($23 plus a $2.50 admin fee). Still, not too bad to get from Miami to Orlando, a 4.5-hour hour ride.
Megabus line in Miami
People line up to wait for the bus and to be able to get a preferred seat.
The Bus

It's a double-decker, with seats on the lower level from the middle to the front of the bus. The upper deck has seats all the way from front to back, and any movement of the bus swaying will be more noticeable up there. A bathroom is in the middle of first level right next to the steps that lead up to the top. The space at the back of the bus on Level 1 is used for luggage.


Seats are soft, so the ride was fairly comfortable. I found it a bit tight, though, as I am 6-foot-4, the bus was full, and I had a seat mate in my row. The seats recline, and the bus I was on had no tray tables. There are a few quad seat groupings that share a table area between them. Outlets to charge your devices are located in several spots on the ceiling throughout the bus and in between each seat near your knees.


The rides offer free Wi-Fi, but as my driver said "If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't."


OK. Fair enough.


The Ride


You can book online at US.Megabus.com. The confirmation and ticket is sent by email.


I clicked on the ticket link that I received in my email and took a screen shot of by reservation in case I lost my Internet connection at the bus terminal. You simply show up to the bus waiting area ahead of your scheduled departure. I arrived a half-hour early at the Intermodal Center at Miami International Airport and joined the line that was already forming at the Megabus area (the center services other buses, such as Greyhound). You can pay more to reserve a particular seat, but people typically just pick whatever is available.


When the bus arrives, the driver checks for your reservation, has you place your luggage to be stowed in a neat lineup and tells you to go ahead and get onboard the bus. The driver then stows the bags, hops on the bus and takes off. Our driver gave us a quick overview of the trip, pointed out the restroom area and the features of the bus (mainly just the outlets and sketchy Wi-Fi) and then the bus was mostly silent as we completed our journey to Orlando.
Picture
Seats are soft, but a tight fit for me. As you can see, I settled in for a ride in solitude. Netflix kept me occupied as the miles and hours passed.
Picture
Good to Know
The Wi-Fi on my ride was not working well, and from what I could hear from others, they had little luck. I have a good data plan so I didn't need it anyways. If you want to use a laptop to get work done while riding the Megabus, you should make sure you can provide your own data. I downloaded some Netflix shows to my phone and just watched them during the ride, which helped the time pass nicely.

Pack plenty of water or other drinks to keep hydrated, as well as a few snacks. This is essential if you are on a nearly five-hour ride.

My trip was blissfully uneventful. I have heard that you often encounter unique characters on these trips, but everyone I rode with was respectful, quiet and polite. At least on the first level where I was seated. (Who knows what kind of party was going on upstairs?)

I hope this helps if you are considering using Megabus.
Thanks for reading, and always travel happy!
JR
Subscribe today to get the latest reviews, tips and tricks to help you have your best adventure ever.

4 Comments
Ryan Biddulph link
12/17/2017 09:06:01 pm

Hi JR,

Good deal dude. Seems like the price was right too.

As for characters on buses, we take NJ Transit back and forth from NYC, so a trip to Port Authority sometimes introduces us to colorful people. Missed the last train to NJ after flying back from Thailand earlier this year. That meant a walk up to the Port Authority and a bus at 3 AM, meaning tons of ummm....fascinating people at the PA LOL.

Ryan

Reply
JR
12/18/2017 09:53:58 am

Hey, Ryan!
I use NJT trains quite a bit and am always expecting to enjoy some people watching -- especially late at night and on weekends. Lol. Gotta keep it interesting!.
Peace and happy holidays.
JR

Reply
Elena link
12/18/2017 01:24:45 am

I used to ride the Megabus from DC to NYC and back at least twice a month. Granted, it was before I suddenly had a revelation and drastically changed my lifestyle to leave 9-to-5 job and become a digitsl nomad, so it was a long time afo. Still, I really liked the whole experience. Happy travels :)

Reply
JR
12/18/2017 09:52:30 am

Hi Elena,
I found it to be a nice budget option Twice a month, though. I bet that can get tiresome. Haha. Thanks for reading and happy travels!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    AIDA Cruises
    Alaska
    Albatros Expeditions
    Alicante
    AmaWaterways
    Amber Cove
    American Queen Steamboat Company
    American Queen Voyages
    Amsterdam
    Antarctica
    Antigua
    Arctic
    Arizona
    Aruba
    Asia
    Atlas Ocean Voyages
    Australia
    Austria
    Avalon Waterways
    Backroads
    Bahamas
    Barbados
    Barcelona
    Belize
    Blue World Voyages
    Bonaire
    Bora Bora
    Brooklyn
    Budapest
    Burma
    Cabo San Lucas
    Cadiz
    California
    Cambodia
    Cancun
    Caribbean
    Carnival Cruise
    Celebrity Cruises
    Celestyal Cruises
    Christmas Markets
    Cologne
    Colombia
    Colorado
    Corfu
    Costa Rica
    Cozumel
    Craft Beer
    Croatia
    Crystal Cruises
    Cuba
    Curacao
    Dominican Republic
    Dubrovnik
    Egypt
    Emerald Cruises
    Emerald Waterways
    Europe
    Expat Life
    Explora Journeys
    Fathom Travel
    Fitness
    Florida
    Fort Lauderdale
    France
    French Polynesia
    Galapagos
    Galveston
    Germany
    Grand Cayman
    Greece
    Grenada
    Guatemala
    Halifax
    Harmony Of The Seas
    Hawaii
    High Line Park
    Hiking
    Holland America
    Hong Kong
    Houston
    Hungary
    Ibiza
    Iceland
    Isla Mujeres
    Italy
    Jim Thorpe
    Key West
    Kotor
    Labadee
    Lake Minnewaska
    Las Vegas
    Lisbon
    Lithuania
    London
    London Eye
    Maine
    Malaga
    Mexico
    Miami
    Minnesota
    Mississippi River
    Monte Carlo
    Montenegro
    Monterey
    Montreal
    Moorea
    MSC Cruises
    MSC Divina
    Netherlands
    Newfoundland
    New Jersey
    New Orleans
    New York
    New York City
    New Zealand
    North Carolina
    Norway
    Norwegian Cruise Line
    Nuremberg
    Oceania Cruises
    Oregon
    Orlando
    Panama
    Panama Canal
    Passau
    Paul Gauguin
    Paul Gauguin Cruises
    Pennsylvania
    Philadelphia
    Pickleball
    Ponant
    Portugal
    Prague
    Princess Cruises
    Puerto-rico
    Queens
    Regensburg
    Regent Seven Seas
    Rome
    Royal Caribbean
    Saint-Tropez
    San Francisco
    Santorini
    Scenic Cruises
    Scottsdale
    Seabourn
    SeaDream Yacht Club
    Sicily
    Silversea
    Sintra
    Sorrento
    Spain
    Star Clippers
    St. Maarten
    St. Thomas
    Symphony Of The Seas
    Tahiti
    Travel Gear
    Travel Tips
    Tunisia
    Turkey
    Turks And Caicos
    UnCruise
    Un-Cruise Adventures
    UnCruise Adventures
    Universal's Islands Of Adventure
    Uniworld
    Utah
    Utica
    Utica Boilermaker 15K
    Vienna
    Vietnam
    Viking Cruises
    Washington
    Windstar Cruises
    Wisconsin

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2013 | All rights reserved | Ewing, New Jersey.
Contact | About | Media Kit