I rode the Megabus from Baltimore to New York and survived!
Okay okay I’m totally being dramatic. Of course I was fine riding the Megabus. Before Thursday (or rather before Thursday morning when I saw a fat $280 round trip Amtrak ticket staring me in the face) I would’ve said you can lock me up in the trunk of a car before I travel by bus.
Know what type of traveler you are.
I’m just not a bus kinda girl.
Why? Well, we’re all different kinds of travelers and I’m one who happens to prefer cars and planes, ships and trains. Buses rarely come in to play unless I’m in a foreign country.
I don’t particularly care for buses because they tend to be slower; are usually filled with “interesting” characters; and the journey can be a different kind of uncomfortable. After riding the Megabus last week, I’ll say that this particular journey wasn’t that bad.
Here’s why:
1. The price was nice! I can’t say anything about the price. At all. I made a super last minute travel decision to go to New York for an event. It would’ve cost me over $250. The Megabus from Baltimore to New York cost me $56 and according to my girl Tonia who loves taking the bus from DC to NY, even that’s on the “high” side. For a quick turnaround trip that you book less than 2 hours from your departure time, that price is AWESOME!
2. I was able to book a reserved seat. I like guarantees so I’m all for paying an extra few bucks to know exactly where I’m sitting. If you’re rolling with the kids you’ll want to consider this unless you’re down for lining up early. I’m not. I’m an impatient soul. I wanna roll up and roll out.
If you have a reserved seat, you usually board first. Even if you don’t board first, you won’t be scrambling trying to find an optimal seat because you would’ve already secured one. You’ll get exactly what you paid for.
Let me forewarn you, the seats are pleather and kinda slippery which you’ll have to deal with on those bumpy bouncy roadways like parts of the NJ turnpike. Avoid wearing rayon pants or the like – you’ll be sliding all over the place.
The bus tries it’s best to leave on time. It was fairly prompt when I traveled. I’ve heard that it can be painstakingly late at times. This is one of the biggest trade offs between its price and convenience.
Even with Megabus’ suspect punctuality, I’d say play it safe and be there 15 minutes before departure as the website recommends. If you have a reserved seat, you can probably cut it closer but don’t be late.
Bare essentials
Don’t expect pretzels or nuts when you get on the bus. Don’t expect help with your luggage either. I had a day bag with me so I was fine. You’ll see plenty of people traveling with luggage. An older woman carrying a suitcase received no assistance. She was simply directed to the storage bay.
Hey, you can’t complain when you’re not paying much for a service.
3. Wifi service on the bus. WiFi is great when it works for you. With so many people on the network and the bus moving along spotty reception areas of the turnpike, it’s hard to get consistent service. I just switched back to my 3G when I really needed it.
Best seats in the house
What I liked a lot was having outlets to plug my devices!! That’s super important for me as much as I’m online. Several seats have outlets under the seat but not all of them.
The front row top deck seats have four outlets, one for each passenger sitting in that row. Seat 9, where I sat on the journey going up from Baltimore to New York did not.
I’ll say, although I liked having the bus-driver style view in seat 3, as well as the outlets, seat 9 was more comfortable. Sitting in the aisle seat I had more space to stretch my legs forward. In the front row, there’s nowhere to stretch your legs out.
It’s those little nuances that make you wiser for the next time. And that’s why I chose different reserved seats for the round trip ticket – so that I can compare and share.
Did she just say “next time?”
Why yes, yes I did. I won’t be taking the kids on the bus – it’s much easier and more comfortable for me to take them by car. However, IF I have a last-minute trip to Manhattan again, I won’t count this bus out as an option for myself.
Thankfully the ride wasn’t that bad and there are no additional stops on the Megabus from Baltimore to New York.
Travel hack
Another passenger told me how he’s ridden the bus for $5.00 without even having a ticket!
Essentially he said that he rides standby, using one of his old reservation numbers which he writes down on a piece of paper, He tells the bus attendant that he missed his earlier bus. If they have room, he just has to pay the $5.
It’s risky if you have somewhere to be but some people don’t mind chancing it to save a few bucks.
Final tip for riding the Megabus from Baltimore to New York
If you plan on parking, be sure to print out your parking pass which will be a link in your confirmation email. The skimmer that I am, I didn’t notice this until I was in route to catch the bus. So, I ripped a white sheet of paper from my son’s story book and made it look like the pass I saw in another car. I also wrote my reservation number – just in case.
Thankfully I didn’t get ticketed or towed from the White Marsh stop. It was a long shot (and a risk) but thought I’d better give it a try. Do as I say, not as I do: Be sure to print out your parking pass before you park and ride.
What do you think about buses? Like ’em, hate ’em? Would rather do a death march before you step on one? Share your thoughts with me in the comments.
I did not know you need a parking pass to park in the White Marsh parking lot. Where do you get it from or how do you get it?
I don’t park in White Marsh parking lot. I just drop off and pick up my visitors. Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for you on that one.