Megabus

Terrible! Terrible! Terrible! Waited an hour and 15 minutes In the cold for the bus to show up. No explanation. No status updates. No tracker. No number to call. Never use Megabus.

The Ann Arbor park n ride is just a parking lot, which doesn’t even provide shelter to stand under if it rained or anything (luckily it wasn’t raining but it could’ve shielded the wind).
The way to Ann Arbor from Chicago was comfortable and enjoyable even if it was longer. Leaving Ann Arbor, this bus was about 20 minutes late and she wouldn’t let anyone on until she checked everyone’s passes. We’re not all together doesn’t make sense to wait for everyone as they load their bags.
She announced each stop as we pulled in so people are scrambling to collect their things. Which seemed a little stressful to me.
The wifi isn’t working and a majority of the chairs don’t recline (I jumped around to find a good seat) and we are going well below the speed limit making us even later than we were before. Probably more of a driver issue but that’s a big part of the experience!

Well, here I am again. Trying to visit loved ones, and the bus is delayed over an hour. And it started in Detroit, which is less than an hour away. So it’s delayed for no other reason than that it’s delayed.
Go f*** yourself, Megabus.

It’s a hit or miss with the costumer service and the clientele isn’t the classiest, but the prices can’t be beat and often the buses aren’t packed so you can have your own two sets of seats.

This was the worst experience I’ve ever had while traveling. As stated in the email from Megabus, I arrived 15 minutes early than the scheduled departure time for Chicago. The bus was supposed to arrive at 10:30. Me and everyone else waiting for the bus waiting outside for almost 40 mins. Finally, one bus came and said that they can only take 20 passengers and the other bus is 10 minutes away. So, I waited because I thought it wouldn’t be long and that there would be less people on the bus. Another 30 minutes went by and at this point, my body turned into an ice cube because I had been standing outside in 1 degree weather for over an hour. Other than the incorrect 10 minute ETA, no one called or alerted us about the delay, which really made me mad. What that says is that «we don’t care about you, as long as we got your money!» The bus finally arrived and we left for Chicago. The drive itself was ok, except the wifi is a joke (I’m not sure why they advertise free wifi because it doesn’t even work). Of course, I complained to the company and received a lousy two sentence apology about how they hope I ride with megabus again. This was the first time I rode the megabus and it was certainly the last I’d ever think about taking a megabus to any destination.

This bus stop is in a parking lot on State, about 10 minutes away from UMich. Note, if you are getting dropped off on game day, try to go a bit early because there is always a lot of traffic around the area because you have to drive past the stadium.
Since Ann Arbor is the second stop from Detroit, they always run a bit behind schedule (10 – 15 minutes). I was a few minutes late to my trip but I still had to wait for the bus to arrive from Detroit. There isn’t any shelter at the stop so try to wait in the car or have the person picking you up come right when you get there so you don’t have to wait in the snow.
There is a small shelter a few feet away from the stop so you can go seek shelter from the snow there like I did while I waited for my friend to pick me up.

They can be as late as they want to, charge u extra $$ if ur bag (in their opion… no scale availible) is over 50 pounds and stand behind their no refund policy regardless of poor customer service. I will not be traveling with them again.

For $ 1.00 I didn’t expect much and got what I expected. Glad I was able to wait in a friend’s car during the torrential downpour when the bus was over an hour late.

The price is usually reasonable, but not always the cheapest.
The driver can be a real jerk.
80% of the times I’ve taken Megabus, its late. It doesn’t show up on time nor does it arrive on time
I don’t like the fact that they don’t give refunds.
Many of times the bus driver puts his items on the row of two seats behind him leaving the passengers to find other seats (rude).
The wifi is pretty crappy.
Sometimes two bus drivers are on the bus. The one that’s not driving and sitting on the bus does not share his seat
Seats are very uncomfortable
There’s not much leg room
Sometimes the air doesn’t work on the bus
Just know the shorter the ride, the better!

I think everyone agrees that it is dirt cheap and you get what you pay for. I haven’t had to wait outside in the cold/​hot for that long but the buses are not always on time. The first one I used did not have wifi and my power outlet didn’t work. The most recent trip the emergency exit on the roof was broken so it wouldn’t close. It was cold, windy, and raining so I hardly got any sleep. I didn’t try the wifi/​outlet on that trip.

Two stars because it’s usually reasonably priced and generally «convenient» if you don’t mind the high potential for major delays.
I had taken the megabus between Champaign and Chicago with great success before, so I was all set to hop on the bus from here to Chicago. The stop is right next to my old apartment, so it was super convenient getting there. But it was cold, and the bus was running half an hour late… an hour late… hour and a half late… I think it finally came in two hours after the scheduled time.
Several others waiting with me called Megabus multiple times and were told the bus would be no more than 45 minutes late (after it was already half an hour late). When asked where the bus was, Megabus said that they were unable to contact the driver. Uhh… that doesn’t sound so good.
The bus finally showed up. Turns out it had been stuck at the gas station down the street for over an hour. So I’m boarding a bus that was broken down until not even 10 minutes ago? Well that’s reassuring. Plus I got stuck next to a lovely gentleman who was blasting music obnoxiously loudly. Even after turning up my own volume, I could still hear his music through his headphones over my own headphones. ugh.
The return trip was no better. Bus shows up two hours late again. I filed a complaint and said I wanted my money back. I received a code for a free ride in the future instead. Which is useless to me because after this experience, I’m just going to drive.

You get what you pay for, and then some.
I’ve never had any problems with Megabus, using it to get from Ann Arbor to Chicago a handful of times. No mechanical breakdowns, not running late (even getting there early!).
Grateful for the free wifi, it is decent!
Two level buses with room to store large suitcases before boarding. The top level sways a bit more so if you get motion sick try to get there early to snag a bottom level seat or sit at the front of the top level. They take rest breaks at nicer gas stations, like Love’s, which have clean restrooms and better food options.
Wish there were more routes!

Who doesn’t love a trip to Chicago, for less than a tank or two of gas? C’mon people, this is probably the cheapest way to get from Ann Arbor to Chicago, without worrying about anything bad happening to your car (while driving to and from) and not having to pay bucu bucks for parking in Chicago (for out of towners).
I’ve been on the MB, every single time I’ve gone to Chicago and have not had a bad experience in the past. Sure the seats aren’t as new as when they first came out but hello, your not going there first class. One thing that can be annoying is when the driver is speaking into the walkie talkie or the speakers just suck. I’ll definitely continue to use the MB when I head out to chitown.

This was my first time taking the Megabus. I had a great experience going to Chicago. There were a lot of empty seats so I could spread my stuff on the seat next to me. I could keep my phone charged while I played on it since it was a hassle to use my laptop since the wifi was spotty. The bus even arrived to Union Station early! If this was based on this I would have given the Megabus 4 stars unfortunately the return trip home was another story.
I arrived 15 minutes before and I saw a Megabus pull in. I thought that was my bus so I called my friend to see where he was at. He told me that he was on the bus. I immediately panicked thinking the bus had already left. He said he was on a NON Megabus bus in front of the Megabus that just pulled in. I saw the driver and went to confirm that this was the correct bus going back to Ann Arbor. He stated it was and as I was pulling up my confirmation email he said that was good enough for him. Had I known it would be that easy to get on the bus I could’ve saved myself $ 37 for my return trip!
This bus was outdated and extremely uncomfortable. The seats were even too small for me. I was lucky enough to have my friend next to me so my personal bubble wasn’t popped for the next 5 hours.
As we started our journey I heard Siri’s voice going turn by turn directions to get out of the city. I also noticed the driver had his family on the bus with him including children. I thought that was a bit odd.
We were about 45 minutes late in our arrival back to Ann Arbor. The stop at the Hardee’s/Love exit which was an hour outside of Ann Arbor didn’t help with that either.
I wish the bus situation wasn’t hit or miss regarding whether or not you will be on an actual Megabus. On the positive side. It is cheaper than driving and worrying about parking while in Chicago.

Wow, reading some of these reviews makes me feel really lucky. The worst thing I felt about my Megabus experience was them being 10 – 20 minutes late from A2 to Chicago and 20 – 30 minutes late from Chicago to A2.
PROS:
–Cheap fare! A roundtrip A2/​Chicago ticket cost me $ 32 for a Mon-​Wed trip.
–Enough legroom
–Overhead outlet plugs to charge laptops, phones or other portable devices
–Free Wi-​Fi; BUT the Wi-​Fi was very spotty and wouldn’t always work. Maybe I should put this in the cons section…
–They stop in Marshall, MI for a restroom/​food break. There’s a Hardee’s where you can refuel your stomach. The break they gave us was 30 min each time. Going from A2 to Chicago, it’s about 45 min into the trip. From Chicago to A2, it’s about 4 hours into the trip. I’d suggest they spread it out better and have the stop about 2 – 3 hours into the trip, rather than 45 min/​4 hours. I’m guessing they chose it like this based on proximity to the desired route or some sort of connection they have with the businesses there.
–Both times I boarded the bus there was someone to help place my luggage into its storage area. Caution: this apparently has not been the experience every reviewer/​passenger has had.
CONS:
–No structural area to wait for bus to arrive. Waiting outdoors, especially in the winter, is brutally cold. Not only is it cold, but if there’s mushy/​melted snow, you’d hesitate to place your belongings on the ground, but can’t hold it for 1 hour.
–Lack of prominent signs also make it difficult to find where the bus stop is for first-​timers. They’re out there, just keep your eye out for them.
–Wi-​Fi is pretty spotty and doesn’t always work. It got frustrating when I wanted to do some work.
–Seats are uncomfortable. Maybe it’s the shape or the positioning of the seats, but I had a hard time falling asleep during my trip. And I’m usually one who can fall asleep anytime, anywhere… even on planes.
–I appreciate that they were trying to keep the passengers warm from the 20degree weather outside, but it got really hot to a point where I started to sweat a little. There’s also no overhead coat bin or anything like that, so my coat was around my seat while I was seated and it made it a little warmer than it should’ve been.
OTHER
–You get a 50lb luggage to bring with you, which they’d store in the luggage area under the bus. You will NOT have access to it during the trip. You may also bring personal item onto the bus to hold with you.
–BRING A SNACK! The trip could feel really long for you before they make a rest stop.
–There is a bathroom on the bus. But the bus may get bumpy and (guys,) things might get wet around you if you’re splashing around everywhere on bumpy roads…
OVERALL
A 4 – 5 hour trip would be appropriate for Megabus. Anything more would feel too uncomfortable for me (ie A2 to NY might be too long for the level of comfort in the bus). I’d recommend Megabus-​ing for those on a budget going to Chicago, but if you’re not on a budget or have your own car, maybe flying or driving yourself could work out better. Personally, if I were to go to Chicago again, I’d give Megabus another try, since I did not experience any of the previously mentioned horror stories others have reviewed. Plus, it saves me the stress of driving. I’d also consider trying out the Amtrak, though…

Never ever again. On the way to Chicago — bus was over one hour late. I almost cancelled the trip and wish I had because on the way back the wait for the bus in Chicago was over TWO HOURS past scheduled time. At least when you fly there is better service and knowledge when it comes to delays. Unfortunately when I called Megabus both times to inquire about the bus delays the phone representatives had no idea why and provided me another number to call to see what the delay is and ETA. The second phone number also had no idea. So overall — very late buses and terrible customer service. Never again, I value my time.

I could just say ditto on Roshan’s review.
Time was when you could get a ticket on this thing for a song. Then I could put up with the crappiness that is a MegaBus experience. Last time I checked though it was a mere 10 – 20 bucks more for the train for the dates I was travelling. Hmmm. Do your research, if its not an absolutely amazing deal then skip it.
Because yes, you wait around like a bum in the elements for an endless amount of time before the trip ever starts, you are then put into uncomfy seating on a bus that is packed to the gills, there is no real service, things are never on schedule and ultimately there will be some miserable moments. Unless you are extremely flexible about travel and willing to be a bit less than satisfied overall, MegaBus may not be a bargain you are willing to suffer.
If you are cheap, skinny, short and prepared for any and all issues it can work I guess. Me I am just too freaking old and fat to deal with the hassle. Plus my ride where the air never seemed to work and I arrived at my destination looking and feeling like I had survived an unprepared trek through the Sahara kinda put me off the idea for good.

MegaBus is extremely hit or miss when it comes to service.
Inbound to Ann Arbor from Chicago? I had a blast (ignoring the malfunctioning Wi-​Fi).
Outbound back to Chicago. The buses are thrice overbooked, so we had to wait while another Megabus and a random charter bus were dispatched to us, all while the driver and employee ignored all the waiting patrons who were trying to see what was going on.
Also, why don’t they add seats or any type of cover in this parking lot? This place was hell when it was hot and stormy.

Save yourself the deep physical and mental anguish!!!
Okay first and foremost a few things why you shouldn’t take the bus (the executive summary):
1) It is never on time (arrival or departure).
2) The seats are extremely uncomfortable and barely recline.
3) There is no process for the loading of luggage or passengers and creates a chaotic frenzy.
4) The bus stop is not covered so in less than favorable weather you are exposed to the elements snow, rain, windchill, scorching sun, up until the luggage is loaded and you are boarded on the bus.
4) The entire experience make you extremely miserable and wish you had never traveled in the first place.
Anyway, I don’t want to waste my time stressing again how disorderly the whole experience was but do want to mention one thing which is if you are considering taking a bus to save yourself a drive or gas or money I recommend you consider again as the inconvenience is not worth it!!!

Megabus Bad Experience #287 — «The Drunken Bus Driver»: We baked in the 5pm Ann Arbor sun, waiting for the Megabus to pick up 70+ of us. Finally 2 buses rolled in, dropping people off from Chicago who promptly informed us that the reason the bus was so late was that their driver had been pulled over and arrested on the side of the road in Michigan for driving while impaired. How he made it from Chicago to Michigan with 54 people in his bus is beyond me.
The bus then left A2 and headed to Detroit, with the extremely angry driver (the one who had to go pick up the abandoned bus from the side of the road) yelling at us that he was going to Detroit, would get a new driver, and send the bus back for us in Ann Arbor.
At this point we called dispatch who provided us with a new departure time of 7:15pm. So we left and returned at 7:00pm to find a virtually empty parking lot. It seems the bus had come early, picked everyone who was there & would fit on the bus up and left a few others. The dozen of us who were left repeatedly called dispatch and were informed a second bus was being sent and would be there in «15 minutes». Dispatch was convincing in their ruse, they would even put you on hold while they «called the driver» and would come back saying «she’ll be in there in 15, she’s really close…». Lies lies lies…
An hour and a half later she arrived. The poor people who’d caught the bus at the first stop in Detroit had gotten the «she’ll be there in 15 minutes» for 3.5 hours so they never even got to leave the stop at all, they’d waited the whooole time.
Megabus Bad Experience #437 — «The Sub-​Zero Arrest Threat»: Megabus does not provide any shelter while you’re waiting for the bus, so be prepared… it’s hot in the summer and freaking freezing in the winter. On this February day the wind chill was biting and the bus was over an hour late. The Megabus group headed into Union Station (Chicago) for some warmth. The Chicago Police Department promptly arrived, notified everyone that Megabus does not rent space, that everyone was trespassing and would have to go back outside. When the bus finally arrived, it was a single-​decker (the double-​decker had broken down) so the driver said «if you get a seat, you’re coming with us, if you don’t get one, you’re not». I think you can imagine the scramble. Several people were left behind and offered «refunds». I’d rather get where I’m trying to go than get my $ 15 back…
Megabus Bad Experience #721 — «The Vomiting Lady»: At the beginning of the 5 hour ride from A2 to Chicago, the lady in front of us promptly leaned over and vomited into the aisle. She then, not wanting to be stuck by the rancid smell, stumbled to the back of the bus to get a fresh seat, leaving her vodka bottle on her old seat and everyone else to deal with the odor for the next 5 hours.
Megabus Bad Experience #639 — «The Almost-​Breakdown»: The bus left Chicago 45 minutes late. Trust me, standing on that corner gazing down Canal St. waiting, hoping that the bus will come around the corner at any moment suuuucks. Calling dispatch is useless because you and the guy next to you who calls separately will get completely different answers.
Finally we got on the bus and made it about 15 minutes down the road before the driver got on the PA system — «sorry guys, bad news… the check engine light is on and the transmission is making a noise… we gotta go to the garage and check it out». So we got a nice double-​decker bus tour of the South Side of Chicago as we were taken to the bowels of the Megabus operation — the garage. A mechanic hopped on the bus, revved the engine, and declared us good to go. The rest of the drive was uneventful, minus the driver pulling the bus to the shoulder of the highway twice during the trip to use the bathroom.
BOTTOM LINE: Great prices… and you get what you pay for. I have two words for you: NEVER AGAIN. If anyone wants to carpool on the Chicago/​Ann Arbor run, message me. I promise to actually answer my phone, provide an accurate time frame of when we’re departing, and only drink a Red Bull.