Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on August 10, 2012 at 10:53am

"Harmless" seems an exaggeration, if you absolutely need to get from point A to point B then I suppose you would overlook a few faults.

Van Galder is great by comparison but getting the bike to downtown Chicago on their bus is touch and go these days. Van Galder might ask you to take the O'Hare bus instead as they have started running double deckers to compete with Megabus. They still run the buses with large luggage compartments to O'Hare for obvious reasons. If that service goes I'm stuck riding a folding bike on my Wisconsin tours.

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Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on August 10, 2012 at 10:55am

They allow folding bikes in a bag.



JeffB said:

I wasn't even aware Megabus went to Madison.  I always use Van Galder, which is owned by the same company (Coach).  My experiences with them have always been good.  They run a regular schedule btwn Chicago and Madison and you don't have to buy tickets in advance (coming back, you do have to buy them in the student union bldg in Madison before boarding though).  The best thing is that you can bring your bike without boxing it; Megabus doesn't allow bikes at all.

Matt M. said:

My Megabus from Madison last year had a flat and the driver went all over looking for someone to repair the tire.  The driver continued until the tire blew, which was very unsafe, and we had to wait on the side of the highway for another bus to come from their Milwaukee depot.  The bottom line was the driver should have stopped and gotten another bus instead of going on a wild goose chase and endangering the safety of his passengers.  What an ass.  I mean, we could have been waiting at a rest stop instead, you jerk.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on August 10, 2012 at 11:16am

Coach USA owns both megabus and van glalder.

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Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on August 10, 2012 at 5:31pm

Never had problem one with Van Galder. Frequently see the same drivers on the Madison-Chicago run.... You get what you pay for.


Cameron Puetz said:

Van Galder and Megabus are both owned by the Stagecoach group and operated by their Coach USA holding company. The differences between them are largely branding. There is even some sharing of equipment and staff between them, particularly at peak times when routes are selling out.

Matt M. said:

"Harmless" seems an exaggeration, if you absolutely need to get from point A to point B then I suppose you would overlook a few faults.

Van Galder is great by comparison but getting the bike to downtown Chicago on their bus is touch and go these days. Van Galder might ask you to take the O'Hare bus instead as they have started running double deckers to compete with Megabus. They still run the buses with large luggage compartments to O'Hare for obvious reasons. If that service goes I'm stuck riding a folding bike on my Wisconsin tours.

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Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 2, 2014 at 4:11am

Old post, but this reminds me of my experience in St. Louis in 2007. I had a 4-5 hour "layover" between flying in and Amtrak-ing out. I thought, "Great! Will get to check out downtown St. Louis for a few hours!"

 

It was a weekday during the middle of the day, and there was like...nothing?...downtown? I was like, where do all these office workers eat lunch???

 

Maybe the Loop used to be like that in the 80s and has spruced up since then, but I don't think so.

 

(Since then, I have explored some of St. Louis's neighborhoods and they are lovely.)

Naomi Ruth Jackson said:

Megabus is harmless. I've taken it to St. Louis and back several times. It's clean, it's cheap, and makes several trips a day. I've even used it overseas as it contracts with the train and bus lines in and out of London. 

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Permalink Reply by Andy J on February 2, 2014 at 4:22am

Just came back from a weekend in St. Louis last month - same experience. Great town: The Arch, City Museum, Meramec Caverns, all lots of fun, but downtown is a ghosttown. My understanding is that the area is ripe for gentrification and that number of 20-30 year olds is trending upward. Probably a good opportunity for real estate speculation.

Alex Z said:

Old post, but this reminds me of my experience in St. Louis in 2007. I had a 4-5 hour "layover" between flying in and Amtrak-ing out. I thought, "Great! Will get to check out downtown St. Louis for a few hours!"

 

It was a weekday during the middle of the day, and there was like...nothing?...downtown? I was like, where do all these office workers eat lunch???

 

Maybe the Loop used to be like that in the 80s and has spruced up since then, but I don't think so.

 

(Since then, I have explored some of St. Louis's neighborhoods and they are lovely.)

Naomi Ruth Jackson said:

Megabus is harmless. I've taken it to St. Louis and back several times. It's clean, it's cheap, and makes several trips a day. I've even used it overseas as it contracts with the train and bus lines in and out of London. 

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Permalink Reply by Alex Z on February 2, 2014 at 6:23am

On a weekend I could understand, though...I mean, on a Sunday in January it's not exactly like the Loop is hopping. :) It was the fact that it was a workday that threw me.

But I think you're right about young people moving in to lofts, etc. in the downtown area.

Andy J (9.2 miles) said:

Just came back from a weekend in St. Louis last month - same experience. Great town: The Arch, City Museum, Meramec Caverns, all lots of fun, but downtown is a ghosttown. My understanding is that the area is ripe for gentrification and that number of 20-30 year olds is trending upward. Probably a good opportunity for real estate speculation.

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Permalink Reply by El Dorado on February 2, 2014 at 5:26pm

I think I would feel safer riding on a motorcycle than a Megabus. Keep in mind, I have never been on a motorcycle in my life.

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Permalink Reply by Julia 3.5/7.5 mi on February 2, 2014 at 5:40pm

I've taken probably about 2 dozen or so Megabus trips over the past few years. It used to be my go-to when I was car-less in the city. I've gotten the 50c trips, $1.00 rides, all the way up to $70 for a last-min NYE bus. IMO, it used to be much better. The overnight busses were barely full, they were a lot more on-time, and drivers were cheery. Now that they have 8x the infrastructure, it's a bit more of cattle herding. Bottom line - it'll get you there, but as others have mentioned there are sometimes crazy (and othewise preventable) delays.

I don't think anyone's mentioned seats yet - try to get towards the front of the line to board. (If you're traveling solo, this isn't always possible since they collect luggage first). My favorite seats are the tables downstairs or the 3rd-ish row behind the stairs on the second level. Those stairs can't be used when the bus is in motion, so you can sorta stretch out over the top and let your feet dangle. Most comfy spot to sleep I've found on a Megabus yet. Earplugs are a must. There will be at least 4 people snoring.

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