Recently, I traveled from Houston to Grand Prairie with MegaBus. It was my first time riding with the bus company and it was definitely an adventure. I must admit I was a bit nervous before booking my trip because I read so many mixed reviews online. I even polled my friends on social media and still received mixed opinions. At the end of the day, I’m always willing to try something at least once so I decided to book the ticket.
There are many perks to riding with MegaBus. It’s a green alternative way to travel. The tickets are reasonably priced. If you book far enough in advance, you can score ticket prices as low as $1 one way! I booked 2 days prior to my departure so I paid around $35. Also, you get to meet new people and that is always a plus. Honestly, there were a few new stories that made me hesitant to try it. I read a story of a bus catching on fire and another about buses breaking down. I figured these stories were few and far between so I decide to give it a try. Here’s what I learned from my experience.
7 things I learned from my first trip on MegaBus.
Arrive early for departure.
MegaBus recommends arriving 15 minutes before departure time. I would recommend showing up at least a half hour early. An early arrival will help reduce your stress. It will allow you adequate time to store your belongings, find your seat, and get settled in for the road trip ahead. My bus driver actually took off minutes before the scheduled 2pm departure time. One tardy passenger actually had to run out into the street to get the driver’s attention because her family missed the bus. Luckily, the bus was stopped at a red light. She and her family would have been left behind if the light had been green. The driver circled back for the ticketed passengers and then we were on our way.
Select your seat in advance.
MegaBus gives you an option to pay a couple bucks to reserve your seat during the booking process. I highly recommend it. Just be prepared to ask fellow passengers to move because people who did not use this feature will try to sit in any open seat. I argued briefly with a passenger who was sitting in my reserved seat because she was adamant that there were no assigned seats on the bus. After I very assertively assured her that there were, she gathered her belongings and moved. She ended up moving 3 more times because she kept sitting in any open seat she could find.
Paying the extra dollars will save you time and energy wasted moving from seat to seat. MegaBus does not seem to have an effective system that indicates reserved seating. I sat on the bottom of the double decker bus. However, the company recommends the front upper level seats for the best panoramic views.
Do not book a seat at the table!
I saw this option and immediately thought that it would be a fabulous idea to reserve a seat at the table because I would have a surface for my laptop and drink. Boy was I wrong! The table is so tiny. Realistically, it would not fit more than 2 laptops and maybe 2 drinks. The worst part about these seats was the limited space underneath the table. I couldn’t stretch my legs at all because I would end up kicking the person in front of me. It was super uncomfortable. My only saving grace was that the passenger next to me was a little girl so I could stretch one leg in her direction sometimes to get some relief. I was so stiff when I was finally able to get off the bus.
Dress in layers and bring a pair of sunglasses.
I highly recommend dressing in light layers to help aid in your comfort. Our bus was quite warm because it was a bright sunny winter day in Texas. There is no way to block the sunshine from all the windows on the bus. Bring your sunglasses to protect yourself from the UV rays. For extra caution, you could also put on sunscreen as well.
Bring an electronic device to keep you entertained.
The MegaBus comes equipped with free WiFi which is actually pretty good for internet surfing on social media. Unfortunately, you cannot stream videos from websites like YouTube or Netflix over this connection. However, the MegaBus does have its own app that allows you to watch dozens of free TV shows and movies en route. I would recommend downloading the app prior to your trip. Be sure to bring your headphones as they do not provide any for purchase like the airlines.
Bring antibacterial products for your journey.
The germaphobe in me and Registered Nurse highly recommends bringing hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes to clean surfaces, and a mask or cute scarf to cover your face if you’re feeling extra fancy. There were so many people coughing and sneezing on our bus. One passenger seated on the opposite side of the bus coughed the entire duration of the 4 hour journey! She told me she was heading straight to the hospital as soon as we arrived at our destination because she was so sick. All I could think is I hope I don’t get what she has! That’s the one downfall about being in close quarters with random strangers. You should try your best to protect yourself.
Bring along your favorite snacks!
A road trip is not a road trip without snacks and music! The MegaBus does not stop anywhere along the route from Houston to Dallas. If you start to feel famished, you will have to wait 4 hours or more to get something to eat or drink.
Luckily, there are bathrooms on the bus so you won’t have to worry about that. I didn’t use the facilities so I can’t give you any insight into how they were.
Overall, I had a great experience and I would definitely ride MegaBus again for regional travel. Our humorous driver got us to our destination safely and even a bit earlier than expected. It was a very smooth ride and I appreciated that the bus came equipped seatbelts for safety. The best part was the fact that I was able to sit back, relax, and let someone else worry about fighting traffic from Houston to Grand Prairie. I sipped my tea, did some blogging, and enjoyed the view from my window seat.
Have you ever traveled with MegaBus? How was your experience? What tips would you give fellow readers? Let me know in the comments below.
