Peter Greenberg: Better Bus Travel
By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2008-02-23
'Don't Go There!'
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My daughter was telling me there are new bus services (NOT Greyhound) that are just as cheap but much nicer? What are they? Are they safe? How can I find out about them?
–Tracy, Elgin, Ill.
Your daughter is probably talking about two relatively new bus services called MegaBus and BoltBus. Both offer relatively cheap transportation at rates that are comparable (and in some cases, cheaper) than Greyhound.
Since you live in the Chicago area, Tracy, you'll probably be most interested in MegaBus. MegaBus, which launched in 2006, serves the Midwest and the Northeast corridor up to Toronto. It used to service the West Coast, but quietly eliminated that route due to lack of demand.
But where it works, it really works. We’re talking nonstop service between 18 cities in the Midwest and 12 in the Northeast, guaranteed seating on single- and double-decker buses, power outlets at each seat, and free Wi-Fi. The secret seems to have gotten out: MegaBus report sales jumped 217 percent between October 2007 and October 2008.
BoltBus, a division of Greyhound, covers the New York City-to-Washington, D.C., route, with stops in Philadelphia and Cherry Hill, N.J. Launched in 2008, it quickly became a strong competitor to other Northeast corridor transportation options, such as the Acela Express by Amtrak and shuttle services from Delta and US Airways. The BoltBus also offers Wi-Fi and power plugs and boasts an extra 3 inches of legroom over Greyhound.
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