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I'm looking to travel from New York to New Orleans for Jazz Fest/reconnecting with friends on Megabus from April 21 through April 30 (this includes travel days). Due to how the reservation system operates (or at least how I'm familiar with things), I could not buy a single roundtrip from NY to New Orleans and instead had to purchase a total of six tickets (NY to DC, DC to ATL, ATL to New Orleans, New Orleans to ATL, ATL to DC, and DC to NY). Note, I could've bought three roundtrip tickets between my destinations, but my experience is that one of the roundtrip legs is generally significantly more expensive than the other leg.
The good thing about my search/potential trip (I haven't decided whether to buy the tickets yet):
1) Cheap way to get from NY to New Orleans (together, all of my tickets and booking fees cost $54.50, an amazing deal that saves about $150 from the cheapest flight I could find!!).
The bad things about the search/potential trip:
1) I'm looking at a very long ride each way (about 26 hours each way in total).
2) No opportunity for refund if I miss one of the legs of my trip in the event of a bus delay on an earlier leg, etc. (such a scenario could end up costing me more money as last minute ticket purchases are typically significantly marked up!)
3) Having to deal with the crazies who often frequent long-distance bus travel services.
I'm curious to know whether any other forum members have taken a long and/or multi-leg trip with Megabus and what their thoughts are. Those who have not been in my shoes are free to chime in, too! Am I crazy for even thinking about taking such a trip?
Note: If I have to fly or rent a car, I'm not going as I'd like to keep things pretty tight as I'm not scheduled to start work full time until July and need to save as much as I can. Hence, I don't want to spend too much in total (under $300), including housing (I can rent a room for the week from my old landlord in New Orleans for about $100).
Don't do it, that many connections, one you are bound to miss one.
I would slip the trip for now,
when you have your full time job, and have the $'s to buy a airplane ticket, then is the time to do it. (You could check amtrak, but its probably more then the airplane ticket.)
It is not a great idea due to missed connections. If you miss the connection, you will eat the second ticket.
On the other hand, if you book as far in advance as possible, you MIGHT be able to score a good enough deal to not worry about it. Personally, I think more than two connections is pushing it BUT I have friends who have done it.
Don't do it, that many connections, one you are bound to miss one.
I would slip the trip for now,
when you have your full time job, and have the $'s to buy a airplane ticket, then is the time to do it. (You could check amtrak, but its probably more then the airplane ticket.)
Yeah I think I'm leaning against it due to the uncertainty regarding the connection times, etc. (the travel time doesn't bother me as much). And, yes, Amtrak is very pricey, which is unfortunate as I absolutely love rail travel!
It is not a great idea due to missed connections. If you miss the connection, you will eat the second ticket.
On the other hand, if you book as far in advance as possible, you MIGHT be able to score a good enough deal to not worry about it. Personally, I think more than two connections is pushing it BUT I have friends who have done it.
Right, I'm certainly leaning against it due to the risk of missed connections (I try to give myself at least 2 hours between buses, but even that is no guarantee in the event of terrible traffic or worse). That said, I'll continue to check over the next week or so. If I think I can make it work (i.e. by increasing my "layover" time, and possibly get an even cheaper trip), I may reconsider. I'd definitely love to go back to New Orleans for the reasons listed in my OP, but the risk of having to pay more than I budget for in travel is a serious issue.
I have taken megabus dozens of times, but never back-to-back self-booked connections. A few thoughts:
I've missed my bus on at least three occasions and always was able to take the next one for free on standby. One time I also took an earlier bus. I had to talk my way on a few times to avoid extra fees while other times the employees didn't seem to care at all. Officially their policy may require a fee, I'm not sure.
That said, I cannot stand megabus for more than 4 hours. NY-DC is about the longest I can handle now. I decided this after taking Toronto to DC (I think it was about 16 hours) and my entire body was sore and tired for days. If you're up for it, then go for it!
I have taken megabus dozens of times, but never back-to-back self-booked connections. A few thoughts:
I've missed my bus on at least three occasions and always was able to take the next one for free on standby. One time I also took an earlier bus. I had to talk my way on a few times to avoid extra fees while other times the employees didn't seem to care at all. Officially their policy may require a fee, I'm not sure.
That said, I cannot stand megabus for more than 4 hours. NY-DC is about the longest I can handle now. I decided this after taking Toronto to DC (I think it was about 16 hours) and my entire body was sore and tired for days. If you're up for it, then go for it!
Really? That's great to know about your experience with standby! I was nervous about Megabus' actual practice in that regard; their website states that if you miss your bus, you'll have to buy a new ticket and this what I'd plan/budget for in any event so that there are no surprises. I have seen, though, how one's luck with avoiding certain fees/policies is determined often by whether you run into a "nice" employee who is willing to give you a break. For instance, I've seen some Megabus employees let passengers traveling to DC place more than the allowable baggage limit under the bus when there is room, while others have been more strict about matters. I'm not sure if I'd want to risk that with such a long trip.
And the length of the trip isn't so much of the problem for me, though I know that I'd get sick of sitting for all of that time and would have to stand and stretch every now and then!
I've missed my bus on at least three occasions and always was able to take the next one for free on standby. One time I also took an earlier bus. I had to talk my way on a few times to avoid extra fees while other times the employees didn't seem to care at all. Officially their policy may require a fee, I'm not sure.
That all depends on the driver. Once, I accidentally booked my wife and I on different bus and the driver would not let me on the earlier bus UNLESS I paid the full fare. And the later bus broke down in Milwaukee getting me into DT Chicago at 3:00 am.....
Yea...sounds like its risky now that they're cracking down
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