Megabus No Longer Goes West Outta the Burgh (bus, train)

[pman]

Originally Posted by Hopes

That's a good idea. He could handle that. That's leaving Pgh at 2 am and arriving in VT at 8:45pm. For $94 more, it's a 3 hr 45 min flight with one transfer in Newark arriving at 11:30 am. What's Newark like for transfers?


I like that idea, but the arrival times don't work for the connecting trains.

have you considered the ethan allen which goes to rutland vt (as opposed to the vermonter)?

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by TheYO

I knew the western routes were doomed when there wasn't a Pittsburgh > Cleveland > Chicago route. I know in theory you could take the bus from here to Cleveland and then another bus from Cleveland to Chicago, but Megabus service can be so unreliable that I'd never trust them for making transfers. I never saw Detroit as an attractive enough final destination to sustain the route.

I know I would have taken a Pittsburgh - Chicago route. I've driven to Cleveland and took the bus to Chicago a few times since I've lived here.

The first route Megabus ran from Pittsburgh was the Cleveland/Chicago route. No one rode it. Cleveland is such an easy drive, most people would rather have their cars. Pittsburgh to Chicago by bus is a very long trip. Most people would rather just fly.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by pman

have you considered the ethan allen which goes to rutland vt (as opposed to the vermonter)?

The Ethan Allen is the one I have been using. It that leaves midafternoon. The Vermonter leaves late morning, which is way too early. Maybe the Vermonter will work with a bus that leaves the evening before.

[sparrowmint]

My sympathies Hopes. I have similar struggles trying to get to Toronto since I don't like flying (the puddle jumper that goes from here to Toronto is a terrifying experience for me). It's ridiculous how inconvenient, if not completely infeasible, the options are.

[Debbie1125]

I still use Megabus to get from Philly to Pittsburgh. I wish they hadn't made the trip longer by adding a stop in State College though. Plus they used to leave here 8:15 or 8:30....and now the earliest bus to Pittsburgh is 7:30 a.m. It also takes a little over 7 hours to arrive at 10th and Penn now.

Even with these changes I like Megabus better for travel to cities like Pittsburgh, Boston, and NYC. I tried Greyhound express last year and while it took less time, a little over 5 hours, every seat on the bus was filled and it was so noisy I had a headache by the time I arrived in Pittsburgh.

[Hopes]

Is Megabus's schedule dependable enough to coordinate with other forms of transportation?

There's a Megabus leaving Pittsburgh at 6am and arriving in NYC at 2pm. That might be enough time to catch a taxi over to Penn Station for a train at 3:15pm, but it's a little too close for comfort, right?

ETA: It's only a few minutes away via walking. Can we depend upon Megabus running on schedule? Is an hour and 15 minutes enough time for delays?

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by sparrowmint

My sympathies Hopes. I have similar struggles trying to get to Toronto since I don't like flying (the puddle jumper that goes from here to Toronto is a terrifying experience for me). It's ridiculous how inconvenient, if not completely infeasible, the options are.

Those little planes are frightening, aren't they?

[Debbie1125]

That is really cutting it close when you factor in the possibility of traffic jams along the way, especially around and in NYC.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Debbie1125

That is really cutting it close when you factor in the possibility of traffic jams along the way, especially around and in NYC.

I thought so. Staying over a night in NYC would be a bonus if my son wasn't on a budget. Maybe he could stay at a hostel. The big problem is he will be traveling with camping gear. He'll have to think about lightening his load and taking the backpacking tent instead of the one he wanted to take.

[sparrowmint]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Those little planes are frightening, aren't they?

Yep. I'm a nervous flyer in general, but I rely on looking at other passengers and flight attendants to see if they're reacting (and it's pretty much always fine, so I chill out). The last time I flew (returning from Toronto), everyone was unnerved for the last section of the flight, so that didn't do much for my fears.