My three experiences with Megabus: 1. Freezing cold and everyone under blankets and pulling out clothing from their bags as the AC is broken and flooding the bus. But bus was somewhat on time and the journey was overall fine. 2. Bus breaks down 15 minutes from Philadelphia. Incompetent bus driver does not explain anything to anyone over the 2 hours we are stuck by the side of the road. The bus does not have the required spare tire so we had to wait for another Megabus to make the trip from New York and pick us up (although again, the bus driver didn't tell us that this would be the case). Numerous passengers had people pick them up at the side of the road to finish the journey. Wrote a letter to Megabus hoping for at least an apology, but no response of any kind. Oh and none of the outlets worked on the bus so after 4.5 hours and no way to charge a cell phone I was pretty much screwed. 3. Did not ride the bus this time, but went to drop a friend off for her bus. The bus arrived an hour and fifteen minutes late and left approximately 20 people out in the rain with no word. Basically, if you can take Bolt Bus you should and if you have the funds you should take Amtrak or even fly. I will keep Megabus on my list of cheap travel options when in a pinch but I think I have officially given up on the quality of this line. read more

My Megabus journey to Boston and back was unmemorable. God, you don't know how great it feels to say that. I have HAD it with eventful East Coast travel. In the past five years I've been in two Greyhound accidents, gotten slammed with unexpectedly doubled "peak fares" on Amtrak a bunch of times, been stranded on a street corner at night by an oversold Coach 2000 (Chinatown) bus... Megabus was smooth though. I looked at the map on their website which showed exactly where to get on the bus (you're already on the site buying tickets, people, just read a little further), showed up on time, and away I went. I didn't have to worry that I wouldn't get a seat. The bus itself was comfortable enough, cushier than Greyhound, pretty clean. I bought my tickets about six weeks in advance (for Labor Day weekend, which I knew would be crowded), and each leg of the journey ended up being a different price. All told, it cost $42 round trip to Boston--excellent when you consider on Amtrak it would have been anywhere from $160 to $366. The bus stop in New York is right in front of Madison Square Garden (aka on top of Penn Station NYC), which literally could not be more convenient. The stop in Boston is at South Station; again, the major transit hub for the whole city. With all those benefits, it seems mean-spirited to even mention that the wifi didn't work, there was no movie, and that the seats didn't have power outlets. For heaven's sakes, you couldn't even *drive* to Boston and back for $42, given the current price of gas! I'm not going to be an ingrate about not being able to charge my phone, jeez. Couple of tips: check out the map to make sure you know exactly where to get the bus. It leaves really, truly, precisely on time--this isn't Septa, folks, so be there a full 15 minutes before you think you need to be. And try and avoid sitting in the far back, not only because of the bathroom facilities (adequate and not too scary), but because it's a rear-engine vehicle and the back is noisy. read more

Why do I give megabus 1 star? The buses are nice; double decker, clean, apparently new... However I waited 25 minutes for a late bus at 2:40 in the morning. Standing on the street wondering if your ride is coming in a city you are unfamiliar with is not a good feeling. Especially since the bus stop is off the main street (Market). Then when the bus finally came (with a sigh of relief), he didn't even go to the bus stop... he stopped on 30th St. and honked his horn to flag us down. He made me walk to him to get on the bus. What the flying F. Then when I got on the bus, it was full of people (though not completely full) and I had to scramble around the dark to find a seat. You can at least turn on the lights for me. Damnit. I'm taking bolt bus from now on. Megabus was my only choice so late at night, which is why I took it. When 20 minutes passed by waiting, I called the megabus phone number, but of course they were closed since it was the middle of the night. read more

I hate Megabus. I have never not hated Megabus because they are consistently terrible. I can't remember a single moment when I didn't want to kick Megabus' employees in the throat. Why don't you just push your times an hour back if you are just going to be an hour late, every time? Every time. I understand that there are delays going to and from NYC now and again but you wanna let a customer know? "I don't know" and "It will probably be here soon" won't cut it. If it says the bus is going to arrive at a certain time, and it shows up 3 hours later, and the ride is another 2 hours longer than its supposed to be, I want my money back. But alas, Megabus does not offer any refund of any kind, "except where megabus.com has materially failed in its delivery of the service offered by this site." Whatever the hell that means. Never again. After waiting for hours, I opted for $95 for Amtrak rather than wait for Megabus to get their act together, cause they never will and if I didn't hop on the Amtrak, I might have never made it home. Yup, fuck you Megabus. If I could give zero stars, I would. read more

I hate this POS. Double-decker buses get hot and smell like feet. On two separate occasions, my bus left an hour late from Philadelphia AND New York. Leaving from the latter is like herding cattle. This way, that way, stand over here, walk over there AWAY from everyone else in the cold. And suffer while everyone else gets on a bus but you. Also, I don't know if this was particular to the bus I was on, but who the hell thought to put the outlets above the seats? Hi, let me dangle my whole adapter IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE. Ugh, awful. Take Bolt Bus. read more

We have taken the bus from Philly to New York several times without problems. We even have touted MegaBus over its rivals. We had a totally different experience today. We purchased 3 tickets about 2-3 wks ago online. We arrived for our 830 bus departure at 815 and waited in the NYC line. As we approached the bus a MegaBus employee named Calvert explained to us that we were not in line and he had sold our tickets. He had also sold two other persons tickets who were In line with us. He was unapologetic and and exceptionally rude. We asked what we could do and he told us we have to contact customer service. And then he walked away. We contacted megabus customer service and they also were very unhelpful. They said we had to show that we had to use other forms of transportation in order to get a refund. I warn everyone traveling from Philly to NYC to watch out for Calvert and megabus. Make sure you're in the proper line wherever they deem proper and make sure you do not have to contact customer service. I would recommend taking bolt bus in the future. We certainly will be in the future. read more

Yes, they can be late to the bus stop. Yes, they can be late to your destination (NY) because the bus is chugging up the NJ Turnpike no more than 45-50 MPH. Yes, the air conditioning on the bus might not be working too well. And yet..... * fares are still dirt cheap * there are (mostly) functioning power outlets * there is wireless * the bus conditions are still better than your average Chinatown bus * there is an additional stop at 6th & Market (but if you care about getting a good seat you should still get on at 30th Street) Bolt Bus is better but Megabus has a wider range of destinations from Philly. It gets the job done - just allow some extra time for yourself if you need to really be somewhere upon arrival. read more

In its infancy, I rode the Megabus from Ann Arbor, MI to Chicago before and it was kind of a pain. A friend and I were stuck cramped together in the back of a single-decker bus sick to our stomachs the whole five hour ride. So my expectations were pretty low for the trip from Philly up to New York going into it. But I was pleasantly surprised. The ride was quick and I slept through most of it, on the way up and on the way home. As someone experiences car sickness fairly often (when not riding up front), I was very comfortable. I was able to get $1 fares for both trips, although the trip home I rescheduled for a $5 trip. Still, an excellent deal. Very convenient, very easy, very fast. The bus boards on time, leaves on time, and arrives on time. Also, one of the two guys who check you in before boarding the bus at 30th Street (the taller one) said, upon seeing me flip my hair out of the back of my coat, "you got some pretty hair, lookin' all soft". I was like OH OKAY COOL, but I cannot and will not deny the truth. read more

On my previous review, I gave megabus a lot of credit and benefit of the five star review. Since that time, two years have gone by and some of the luster has unfortunately worn off, though the changes aren't all bad and some of them were probably designed to ward off abuses by gamers of the fare system. 1- The lines are disorganized at every boarding point I have been to EXCEPT Washington, DC. This is a disincentive for using megabus, although it really is a problem most of the bus companies do not enough to correct. Philly was not as hectic as Chicago, where people hoard the corner for three separate buses and there is no line. Philly at least had a single file line, but not all that well distinguished sometimes. Megabus has the advantage of providing real seat reservations, which you can't do on most greyhounds unless you buy a special reservation. 2- The app, which is designed to show status of where the buses are, often doesn't get populated with the real schedule. I am reluctant to spend extra money on the booking to get text updates, because I am wary of their ability to provide status updates on late buses. One time, I was not notified of a delay until after I was already on the bus. Another time, I was never informed about the whereabouts of my Philadelphia departure, which came 90 minutes late and jeopardized my connections with another Megabus at Washington so much that I decided to take Amtrak instead, and did get to DC in time but at a $36 loss. (Megabus gave me a credit on that one.) 3- The price of booking has gone from the 50 cents base to cover credit card costs to $1.50 which adds up for regular riders and makes it tougher to buy up extra trips for contingency planning. 4- The seat reservation fee for the "prime" seats negates the ability of someone arriving early to get the best seat. I guess this is an improvement, though because getting there early never even guaranteed much of anything, given the disorganized boarding process. 5- Wifi problems. It's gone from spotty to laughable. Maybe they shouldn't advertise they have something that is so frequently not working. I like it when it works, but phones with 4G are faster, it seems to work mostly in a 3G environment, or is speed restricted due to the load. read more

I absolutely do not like taking Megabus!!! The only reason I have been taking it lately is because they allow you to purchase tickets earlier than boltbus does but from now on I will patiently wait for boltbus!! There is no room for flexibility with Megabus like there is with boltbus. There are so many rules for travel. They only a allow one carry on and one storage bag with specific dimensions for each (umm excuse me?) also if you arrive for an earlier bus and there are standby seats they don't allow you to take them (umm why not? Megabus is still getting my money, if there are seats available why can't I take them?) If you miss your bus they do not allow you to take a standby seat - you have to buy an entirely new ticket - for the walk up price of $25. Ummm what?? Also, if they start loading standby before you show up you have "forfeited your seat". Excuse me!!! Boltbus gives you the courtesy of asking the last standby passenger who got on to give up their seat and wait for the next bus because a ticket holder has arrived. It's also touch and go with reliable outlets. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I can understand professional image but come on. There are just too many strict rules and no flexibility for a service that is supposed to be cheap, reliable and easy. I really do enjoy Boltbus better (and they go more places than Megabus) The next time I use Boltbus look out for that review. read more

This is a horrible company. They are consistently late and even when they are absurdly late (over an hour) they won't give a refund even when you didn't ride them (because over an hour late is totally unreasonable, no matter the price). I'd rather have them respond "we're a cheap sh*t company and you know it, no way we can give refund, do yourself a favor and use our much better competitor, Bolt Bus" - at least then they would be honest instead of standard "We care about your concerns blah blah blah, but 'can't' do anything about it." What a crock. In sum, use at your own risk - for a 2 hour ride, schedule 6 hours of commute time with this piece of sht company. Love, Jon read more

Nice, clean buses (double decker a plus!). But the wi-fi doesn't work, they blast the AC, and the zoo of a boarding process is NOT cool. I fully appreciate Bolt Bus' numbered boarding process (a la Southwest Airlines); MegaBus severely lacks organization. Plus, they started blasting the AC with 30 minutes left in the trip, so everyone (on the top level, at least) was FREEZING. I had a fleece jacket on, and I couldn't go back to sleep because I was literally shivering. It was a decent ride, a few steps below Bolt Bus, but worlds apart from the ghetto Chinatown bus. read more

It's a hit or miss when choosing the MegaBus as your choice of transport. I've used it on numerous occasions to get to and from NYC from Philly. Because I'm too lazy right now to write in complete sentences/paragragh form (and you're probably too lazy to read it that way), here's some bullet points (you're welcome): pros: - unlike other buses, MegaBus stops at two in Philly: 30th St. Station and Independence Hall (6th and Market). This is great since I live in Olde City and can walk to the 2nd stop. - it's pretty cheap - $10-12 each way, and a $1 if you get the promotion deals - generally clean and comfortable - free wifi on the bus - runs frequently cons: - if it's rush hour, expect a crowded full bus, as well as traffic, so account for delays. - if the bus has issues, they will stop at a gas station and you'll have to wait for another bus to get there to finish the trip - if there's a stop on your trip (there's none from Philly to NYC unless there are bus issues), they WILL leave you if you don't get back on the bus on time. They don't take head counts to make sure everyone got back on. read more

Use them and expect: $, basic service that comes with the budget price What I got from it: I noticed that Amtrak has low prices to local cities from DC if you purchase tickets in advance. I forgot the advance part of the deal, so 12 hours before my trip to Philly, I decided that Megabus seemed to have the best deal. Leaving on a Thursday morning seemed to provide some cushion from the tourist crowd. Megabus themselves seemed to also be on task with everything: on time, clean bus, smooth ride. Leaving on a Friday night seemed to produce almost the opposite: late bus arrival, uncleaned, and we even had to pick up other passengers due to another bus breaking down, so it was definitely crowded. But my friend and I are definitely fans. It's such an inexpensive fare! Why would I expect more from a one way ticket that costs as much as parking in DC? Or costs less one way than some dinners do in most neighborhoods of the city? Totally recommend this service if you don't mind doing the budget travel. read more

I should have known better than to take the megabus from Harrisburg to Philly to NYC on a Friday afternoon. I should have known that because of traffic, I'd miss my connector bus and be delayed. I should also have known that the arrival time into NYC would be 3 hours after what was listed. No more megabus for me! Next time I'll just suck it up and amtrak it. If you're looking for affordable fare and have a very very flexible travel time, then megabus is okay.... read more

The Philly Megabus stop is literally just like... standing awkwardly on the street outside of 30th Street Station in a messy glob of people. Once the bus arrives (it WILL NOT arrive on time,) all semblances of lines are forgotten, and it's a mad dash to see who will make it to the bus first. The attendants here are perpetually grumpy and not helpful at all. However, I will say that, thus far, the buses leaving Philly (for NYC, Baltimore, DC) have always been on time for me (*crosses fingers*), though the bus rides themselves are generic Megabus quality--shoddy Wifi, outlets, pretty uncomfortable seating, but still overall an affordable ride without any major issues. ...if you can deal with the harrowing experience of boarding the bus. Stay warm, dry, and sane, if you can. read more

I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the Megabus. After a few bad experiences with New Century Travel and a horrible experience with the Bolt Bus, I'd almost given up on bus travel to NYC. After reading all the awful reviews of Megabus, I was prepared for the worst. Luckily everything was fine! We took the 11:30am bus from Philly to NYC on Saturday (note: we didn't take it on the way back so can't comment on the NYC to Philly end of it). We arrived about 10 minutes early. It was easy to find and not confusing at all. The Megabus boards right next to the Bolt Bus, west side of 30th St. Station and New York was the only bus boarding at the time. Everyone was standing in an orderly line and we had no trouble finding 2 seats together. And we got to ride on top of the double-decker bus...fun! We left about 10 minutes after the scheduled departure time. We got to NYC well past the 2pm (scheduled ETA was 1:30pm) due to traffic, but you can't fault them for that. I did not use the outlets or Wi-Fi, so I have no idea if they actually work. One complaint is that it was COLD on that upper level. I was wearing my winter coat, scarf and gloves and still felt the chill. Unlike the Bolt Bus, the seats are first come, first serve based on when you arrive to the bus, not how early you book your ticket. I like that, as most of the time the trip is a last minute decision. I guess Megabus is hit or miss and I happened to have a 'hit' experience. I'll keep using it until I have a 'miss'. read more

Remember when you were a kid and you went to a carnival or disney land? Good times right? You got to ride the teacup ride that spins and makes you sick and then after a couple minutes you get off and rest a little, grab some ice cream, and leave. Well. Megabus was almost like this. Oh wait. Except I had to wait 3 hours to get off and rest. No ice cream either. My seat was broken. On a full bus. It was completely derailed and so every time my erratic driver braked spontaneously (which was OFTEN), my seat went flying forwards, backwards, all over the place. Add this to a hungover person with horrible motion sickness and you have a nightmare bus ride. Now the key word was hungover. I decided to give Megabus a clean slate when I got back on for my return trip. Besides the unorganized lines, I got on the bus pretty easily. Only to find that yes. Yet again, my seat is broken. When I leaned against the back it fell onto my neighbor's legs. I was basically lying down on her. I had a chance to move but this is still ridiculous. It's completely unsafe and I think Megabus should inspect their seats before allowing people on! Even if the seat issues weren't enough, the driving is horrible. The drivers brake and hit the gas like they're tapping their feet to a tune. If I never have to get on another Megabus it would be too soon. read more

When you buy a ticket for a megabus that departs at a certain time and arrives at a certain time, what you're really paying for is a bus that has a pretty low likelihood of departing and arriving at that time. The departure times and arrival times could easily have a note next to them that says "fingers crossed." And when they say "free wifi," they don't actually mean "free," (since you paid for it in your ticket), and they don't even actually mean "wifi" (since the wifi often doesn't work). What they are really selling is something more like "partial wifi included." And as for the "Tickets as low as $1," this only matters for the people who are getting that price for their ticket (if they exist). For the rest of us, I just recommend ignoring this part. But seriously, the ticket you do get is so cheap that it's worth every penny. Does it get you to the destination? Oh yeah! Does it have wifi some of the time? Better than no wifi! It's cheaper and more energy efficient than a plane. You're more likely to make a new friend, compared to a plane (and compared to greyhound or chinatown bus). You have more space than a plane. You don't have to go through airport security. There's free* wifi** I've taken 3 trips with megabus, and none of them has left AND arrived on-time. With one trip from Richmond to Philadelphia, we were on track, but then we got a flat tire within 20 minutes of our destination. This experience (waiting about an hour until a friend picked me up) sparked more conversations than all of my other megabus conversations combined. The bus got me close enough, and that's what I cared about. Everything else was an adventure. note: They keep the buses cold, so I recommend taking a small blanket. read more

Overview of my first experience on megabus from NYC to Philly: -Waited in line in the direct sunlight in NYC -Electric outlet worked intermittently -Bus departed NYC 15 minutes late with no explanation or apology -Driver pulled over for 25 minutes at a rest area on the NJTP to wait for a relief driver, because she is not allowed to drive over 10 hours per day. (how she did not know she would exceed this limit before we departed on a known 2-hour drive is a mystery to me). No driver materialized. -Driver then drove to another exit where we waited another 5 minutes for the relief driver -Relief driver drove to a bus terminal where we waited 10 minutes for ANOTHER relief driver. Scheduled arrival: 5:50 Actual arrival: 7:30 I'll stick with the train from now on. read more

Mega bus. Have to give it 3 stars because you get what you pay for. Thank God it wasnt late or anything. Took the bus to Philadelphia leaving NYC. First time on. The seats were uncomfortable and the wifi didn't work. The top part of the bus didn't have outlits for phones or wharever you want to charge up. Kinda a lost on that part. Bus drivers are safe and did get us to our location back. Would i take it again? Probably not. If its a last resort. Would have to. read more

I think you have to be the right type of person to be ok with taking the Megabus. Yes, they're not always on schedule, the wifi doesn't work half the time, and sometimes the bathrooms are beyond disgusting, but it is absolutely the cheapest method of travel, period. My most recent experience with Megabus has made me like them even more. I had booked a round trip ticket months ago from Philly to Boston for 50 cents. It turns out that the weekend I picked to visit my friends also happened to be the weekend that blizzard Nemo decided to hit. I received the cancellation email and was so disappointed because I figured that this low-price bus service wasn't going to do anything about cancellations due to weather conditions. But after reading the email more closely, I realized that they offered to rebook or refund my ticket at no cost. After some initial struggles trying to get a hold of them over the phone because their system had crashed, I was able to reschedule my ticket for a few weeks later (with a better itinerary than my original trip) at no cost. I was pleasantly surprised by their great customer service regarding my ticket change. Although I've experienced my fair share of ridiculousness for taking the megabus (I've had to stand outside in a thunderstorm at midnight waiting for my 2-hour late bus because they don't have an awning to stand under), I'm willing to put up with it to pay next to nothing for travel. read more

I loved having internet, an outlet on my computer, and an uncrowded bus to harrisburg. The tickets to harrisburg are rarely under 15 dollars (unless you book very much ahead), but the train is now 30... I say this is an awesome alternative. Now, my bus driver was a little crazy. Talked on the phone while driving, etc. But it ran on Christmas day. That's wonderful. Sims for 2 hours, or talking with family ahead of time... the ability to say you're a little ahead of schedule... Blesseth thee, oh megabus. read more

I just had an experience with them on Friday. All my paperwork said 2980 Market st. Which didn't seem valid. After waiting about 10 minutes, I called the customer service line who confirmed the bus will be at 30th and Market within 15 mins or so. Kept waiting, other people were starting to join me in the wait. We see a megabus go by and not stop. So I called customer service again who again told me 30th and Market. I asked if there was anyone in Philly I could talk to. She connected me to an office in Jersey. The rep there very rudely told me the stop is at 29th and JFK! She told me the bus had already left and I wasn't supposed to be where I was and they will put me on the next bus...at 7:15 pm.. It was 1:30 pm when I called. I just went off on her when she told me she could give me a credit. Everyone I spoke with besides her said 30th and Market. Sorry but there's a huge ass TRAIN STATION in the way and I magically can't see a Mega Bus sign a block and a half away.. She ended up refunding my $$ but now I was stuck without a ride. Another passenger and I decided to just say eff it and take the train. I left Philly @ 2:11 and got to Hoboken @ 6:3!!!! On my way back Sunday, I decided I couldn't go through all the trains again, I would hang myself, I took Amtrack, which is really nice and REALLY pricey but the whole trip was 53 minutes.. So that's my experience with Mega Bus. Eff them and they rude ass customer service!!! read more

Always cheap, sometimes ridiculously cheap. When their prices are at their highest, it's still cheaper than Amtrak, Greyhound, or even driving. Wi-Fi and power outlets are a big plus, if the Internet's working. Perfectly comfortable. Always timely. I don't know what else to ask for from a transportation service. read more

I experienced and witnessed a complete lack of care and compassion by this company today. First off, I was in Baltimore trying to get home to Philadelphia today. I arrived at 1:45pm to the bus stop with debit card in hand and cash in wallet ready to purchase a ticket; they had 7 free seats but refused to sell me a ticket because I did not purchase one online. I called the dispatcher to try to purchase one over the phone, and they told me they still could not because the computer system removes the time slot a half an hour before the bus is about to be at that stop. Even though there are seats available, they still would not budge. It was a direct line to Philadelphia with no other stop before hand, so it was not like they were reserved for other customers, but they are robots and will only do what the system tells them they can do. Since they would not sell me a ticket then, I had to wait till 9:45pm because that was the only ticket available online for me to get home. When I was waiting for my bus, I witnessed a family of four (a young couple with an 8 yrs old daughter and an elderly father of 81 who had tickets to go to Boston, but the bus was over booked, so the driver would not let them on the bus. I tried calling Megabus on their behalf to help them maybe secure a hotel room for the evening because they had no place to stay, but once again Megabus was unaccommodating. I then proposed to my bus driver to let them on our bus since there where free seats for them, and I would put them up in my place, but the driver's response was "but they don't have tickets for my bus." So they were left behind in the cold with their daughter crying because she was exhausted and no place to stay the night. Whatever happened to customer service, compassion, and heart? Have we already replaced ourselves with robots since we allow computers to dictate to us what we can and cannot do? Totally Dissatisfied and Boycotting Megabus...Spread the word! read more

I have to knock my original review down 2 stars (at least-- I'm being nice here). My boyfriend tried to purchase a ticket to NYC today, and the website wouldn't accept his reservation. Then, when he showed up to buy a ticket in person, he was told they don't accept walk-ins. What? Megabus, really? I would think you'd be clamoring for any and all sales, especially on a Wednesday afternoon when I'm sure your bus is 90% empty. So Megabus lost a customer to Bolt Bus today, despite an offer of a generous tip to the driver. I could've sworn I've seen other people buy Megabus tickets the day of, so maybe this is a new policy. Something to consider, fellow cheap travelers! read more

I've never had a completely smooth, headache-free journey on Megabus. From the bus being 2 hours late to not allowing bicycles (even when the wheels were off and there was TONS of room in the luggage area) to the fact that it will actually add 40 minutes to the trip by driving through Center city and back to 76 for no apparent reason (probably to get some brand awareness from its giant billboard)..Megabus is reliably frustrating. Yet, despite how many times I've uttered "never again!!!!" it's hard to shell out $48 for the train or choose the often stinky Chinatown bus. Sadly, until Bolt Bus FINALLY decides to provide service from Philly to DC, Megabus is still the most cost effective way to get there. read more

Needed to get to NYC and this is the least painful way to go. Prices are reasonable round trip. I'd pay more in gas in tolls I think. Just make sure to book your ticket in advance and arrive at least 15 min before you're scheduled to go. You'll meet the bus at the northwest side of the 30th St. Station. Saw a guy miss his bus by 15 seconds. It was pulling off the curb as he ran over and knocked on the window, but the attendant stopped him and sent the bus on its way. I've taken similar buses before and like all the others, the WiFi is usually unavailable outside the city and if any, it's extremely slow. The buses are clean and new. The double decked feature is a nice option; it gives you great views as you pass. The trip is slower than driving, but you can sit back and relax the whole way through. read more

As far as bus transportation from Philly to NYC goes, Megabus is a top notch way to travel (Thanks for the tip Kirk)! There are two convenient stops in Philly - 30th Street Station & Independence Mall. Most of the buses are double-deckers and the buses run hourly (for the most part). The buses are clean, the drivers friendly, and the ride convenient! Oh did I mention the price?! It's anywhere from $11 - 20 round trip to NYC! read more

Megabus - NYC in the background - Buses Near Me

WOW! I LOVED THIS! I took the bus from NY to Philly...and later in the month I'll be going Philly to NY and back...but, with my initial expectations revolving somewhere around my experience with the Chinatown Bus (boo), I was more than pleasantly surprised!! I had some issues with the loading of my confirmation initially..but the personnel were very quick to respond and send me my confirmation via e-mail. And the bus was a double decker! Very clean. Also - when I took the late night bus (which only cost me $1!), there were only about 10 people aboard. Typically they have a 1 bag/person policy as there is not storage beyond underneath the seats, but with that few people, it wasn't an issue at all. I'm not sure how crowded the daytime buses are. Later this month a friend and I are going to New York and back - for both of us round trip it cost $10! You can't beat that. For serious. read more

I was worried about taking the Megabus from Philadelphia to NYC after reading so many negative reviews but I just couldn't justify the cost of the train. My daughter and I were pleasantly surprised. The bus was on time, left on time, was clean, air conditioned, and got us there quickly. The people on the bus were very nice (we had a few moments to chit chat since we got there early). read more

If you are looking to take a bus out of philly to another city, there is no reason to take Megabus. I'm going to tell you right now, take Bolt Bus. It is usually cheaper, on time much more often, and better customer service. Yeah it'll get you where you want to go, and you may even have a pleasant trip. Most are double deckers with each seat having its own personal outlet. But as someone who has taken a bus outta philly quite a bit times (mega like 10 times, bolt about 7) bolt has been much much more reliable. Mega has been late for me arriving and also been late to leave. They sometimes change drivers mid trip at a pit stop, which bolt does too sometimes, but mega always takes longer. The bolt bus drivers stand out to me as actually caring about the passengers and they will typically make some nice small talk. This review is just making me realize I need to make a positive review for bolt. I can't review this without comparing it to bolt. It's a direct competitor and they even pick you up and drop you off at the exact locations mega bus does. Side note: Some friends of mine used mega bus to take them from LA to Seattle. The bus broke down, and they were stranded to wait for another bus for hours. Sure it sucks, but things like this happen. Mega of course would refund or at least partially refund for this right? Nope. Nothing. They contacted customer service numerous times and NOTHING. No apology, no refund, barely an notice. They called, emailed, everything. And nothing. Yeah this isn't a part of my personal experience, but this is something other customers should know about and it says a lot about the company as a whole. This gets two stars ONLY because it will get you where you need to go.....but with a fairly high chance of nightmares read more

I've taken Mega bus 3 times from Philly to NYC to see my boyfriend. I would leave Friday afternoon and return on Sunday. The first 2 times were seamless. Got on, left, got to NY, and got back safe and sound. It's a great way to travel for cheap but it's not the lap of luxury. The wifi is slow and restrictive on some sites and there arn't outlets at every seat. On the other hand, I usually would get my own row so this is great for sprawling out and sleeping during the 2+hour trip. The bottom bus is better than the top; the ride is smoother, you don't have to worry about falling down or climbing up stairs, HEAT RISES so the bottom is cooler, closer to the exit...on the other hand, the bottom does have the bathroom and it's just a little gross to be so close. My only complaint is that they don't clean in between trips. On my way back to Philly there was a god awful smell on the lower deck. This made my ride extremely uncomfortable and I know everyone else could smell it too. Something may have been spilled on the ground (food, drink, puke) and it probably wasn't even bothered with. I would probably take mega bus again somewhere I haven't been like Boston or Pittsburgh. I guess you win some you lose some... read more

Dear Megabus, Thank you for being awesome. Living in Philadelphia without a car has been complex at times (mainly due to gold-plated ticket$ (Amtrak), train service at bicycle speeds (SEPTA), and the fact that no one ever wants to take me to the Poconos to go snowboarding). Your loss, people. Tangent aside - you, Megabus have solved these issues with flying colors by flooding convenience into my life. You are generally on time (I haven't left more than 15 minutes behind schedule yet), you are always clean and, unlike my mother after middle school sports practice, you always show up. I also greatly appreciate your extremely affordable prices. Thanks to you, I can guiltlessly splurge on a fancy NYC sushi dinner and still return to Philly with pants on. With all my gratitude, Sarah H. PS: Minus a star for unreliable wireless and your Baltimore stop being annoyingly far from downtown. PPS: I know it's not your fault that a rather portly fellow chose to sit next to me last trip, so I am not holding any grudges. Although that doesn't change the fact that at every sharp turn, I feared death-by-squishage. read more

As a regular traveler from NY-PHL (and back) for many years for both personal and work-related trips, I can now say that Megabus is my pick for the best option when weighing both speed & cost. -Amtrak (the fastest and most dependable) will run $80-120 round trip and take anywhere from 1 hour to 1.5 hours depending on the train. -NJ Transit/Septa runs about $40 round trip and takes 2.5-3 hours, including the transfer at Trenton (which is a pain and doesn't always work out to connect) -Megabus typically costs $20 round trip (or as low as $2 round trip if you book way in advanced) and takes 2 hours. I took a Friday 6:30am bus leaving Philly, which departed at 30th & JFK (right where the LUCY buses leave near the Septa Station across the street from 30th St. Station). They also pick up at 6th & Market. Since it was a super early bus, it wasn't crowded at all, we left on time, I fell asleep, and before I knew it, we were at Penn Station (31st & 8th ave) exactly on time at 8:30am. Returning to Philly, I took at 7:45pm bus from Penn Station. It's definitely way more crowded and confusing at Penn Station since there are multiple Megabuses leaving around the same time but for different cities (DC, Baltimore, Boston). People tend to make their own lines, but the real line is behind the small Megabus sign closer to the corner of 8th Ave. I do wish they were a little more organized with the buses leaving outside Penn Station so you knew more easily what line is what, but the Megabus people are very nice and will direct you to the right line if you're not there already. The ride back was exactly 2 hours again and the driver was polite and helpful. My only complaint from my trip was the constant chatter from a very talkative passenger (who happened to be on both my trips and could not stop talking) could be heard through the whole bus. But that is to no fault of Megabus. Final thoughts... I'll still take Amtrak when traveling for business since there aren't as many possible delays from traffic, but for personal trips, Megabus is my new way to go. read more

Megabus is what it is. Cheap, easy, and convenient. Luckily, my bus was on time for both trips (thank goodness). The Wifi worked on the way to Boston but not on the way back from. The bus was clean and more importantly, the bathrooms were clean. It isn't First Class, but it works when you need a cheap way to travel. read more

Megabus goes to a lot more places than the Boltbus. It goes directly from Philadelphia to 13 different cities. It goes to the 3 places that Boltbus goes to but the big ones are Baltimore, Boston, New York, Richmond, Dc, and Toronto. Megabus looks to be slightly cheaper than Boltbus, but Boltbus might be better in quality of the trip. read more

Megabus - Megabus and boltbus are basically on the Drexel campus and 1 block from 30th street station - Buses Near Me

I visited Philadelphia over the summer for a work trip. I wanted to be sure and extend my trip so I could visit New York. I was pondering over whether to take a plane, train or automobile (literally). A Philly local mentioned the Megabus to me as being a great, cheap option. The Philly Megabus is located downtown near the train station and was quite the adventure. First Impressions: - Scary! I was in true tourist mode, suitcase on wheels and all walking along the streets of downtown Philly - I felt a little unsafe walking down the street only because I was all alone in a new city - Not a lot of signage - wasn't sure if I was in the right place until I asked some people standing in a line up against a chain link fence -The actual Megabuses are gorgeous, clean and new looking Would I go back? Absolutely! My trip from Philly to NYC was $12. Yes you read right....$12.00. The ride was about 3 hours but was scenic. The bus was nice though my AC plug didn't work. I felt like the driver was good. We didn't have any near misses or scary moments. I would absolutely recommend this service for your short distance east coast travels. I hope to go back soon. read more

One thing important to know about the Megabus trips from Philly to NYC is that they aren't all operated by Megabus. The thing I will make sure to do from now on is only use the actual Megabus, not the trips run by Eastern Travel. I took the Megabus from Philly to NYC and it was great the ride was very comfortable and the price can't be beat. I picked up the bus at the Independence Mall stop and it was clearly marked and the bus came right on time. It dropped me right in midtown Manhattan. My trip from NYC back to Philly was a different story (this one was run by Eastern). The Eastern buses pick up in Chinatown and the stops are not posted anywhere. We soon found out that people were waiting in the same place for the Washington DC and Philadelphia bus. The entire sidewalk was completely filled with people and no one seemed to have any idea if we were in the right place. Eventually a woman came running over about ten minutes after the bus was supposed to be there and told us to walk about two blocks down to get the bus. So all the people going to Philly grabbed their gear and made a mad dash for the bus. The bus ended up leaving about half an hour late and it kept stopping every couple of blocks and picking up people who didn't know they had moved the pick up point. The bus itself was really unpleasant (really hot) and smelled like bathroom cleaning supplies. All in all both trips are a still a great deal it is really just a question of what you are willing to put up with as far as comfort. I would just suggest you make sure to use the Megabus run trips only. Also I paid $8 for each way but you can get tickets as low as a dollar and both bus services have free wireless which is great! So I give Megabus a five star rating and Eastern a two star rating. read more