The Megabus.com - $1 rides to the Bay Area and beyond
Get On The Bus!
*** UPDATE *** It was too good to be true. As of June 22, 2008, Megabus halts service in L.A. See the LATimes article. May the post below help you plan Megabus trips in other cities. RIP West Coast Megabus service. *** (thanks to UserD for the tip)
My friends’ eyes lit up over dim sum when I told them about the Megabus, a $1 bus ride to downtown San Francisco from Los Angeles. They were incredulous - a $1 one-way fare to SF from LA, a $2 roundtrip ticket?! I saw visions of sugarplums dance in their heads. The thought of their Korean grandmas being able to easily transport themselves to Vegas for gambling trips just sounded too good to be true.
Megabus.com launched in Los Angeles last August, offering fares from $1 to $35 from Union Station to the Bay Area (San Jose, Oakland, SF), Vegas, Tempe/Phoenix, and San Diego. The SF route even stops at Millbrae for those who need to connect to the SFO airport (leaves LA at 7:00 am and arrives in Millbrae at 1:55 pm). To get the $1 fares you need to book about 45 days in advance. Right now on their site www.megabus.com, I was able to book $1 rides to Vegas in December. Impress your friends by paying for their passage. The company guarantees that there will always be a few seats at the buck rate and then prices gradually increase to $35 depending on how late you book. You could get a seat for $8, $15, $25; it varies. The LA to SF ride takes about 7 hours and leaves at 7:00 am, 2:30 pm., and 11:45 pm.
I took the 11:45 pm red eye and got to SF by 7:00 am. It gets to Oakland a half hour before. The ride was pretty bumpy - it’s a bus after all, but it was still good. The seats are a tight squeeze, like airplane seats, and quite firm. The buses are new and the bathroom is clean, so that’s all good - no sink though just wet wipes. For roomier seating, go towards the back. Yes, sitting near the bathroom sounds gross, but it wasn’t. To make the trip more comfortable, bring pillows and a blanket. The bus’s 57 or seats were half empty; people sprawled out, legs extending across the aisles to the opposite seats. Going to the bathroom involved me hurdling over a few legs. This is why I recommend just sitting near the bathroom anyways. The bus does not have TVs or amenities.
Don’t be late - the S.F. bus left right on time, maybe even a minute early. Luggage can be stored overhead or in the bus’ ample storage space beneath. The luggage restriction of one large suitcase and one carry-on was not observed on my trip; I had a suitcase and several bundles with me. The bus stops midway through the trip for 15 minutes for people to grab some fast food.
Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by my ride. I thought taking an overnight bus would mean sketchy people skulking in the back and such. Nah, it wasn’t like that at all. There were college students, grandparents, professionals, and granola-ish looking hitchhiker types. If you’re worried, sit near the driver. I did read on one message board that a user predicted once Kaiser finds about the $1 fare, they’d probably choose this route and dump their patients in Vegas rather than Skid Row.
Megabus.com is operated by Coach USA and has already been operating in the Midwest and the U.K. The prices are kept low because there is no brick and mortar operation: Tickets can only be bought on-line and the bus pick-up locations are not at terminals, but on the street near major transportation stations. The bus theoretically can take 57 cars off the road, and with gas prices as they are now, that’s really something to consider. If I would have flown to SF from LA, the whole experience door to door probably would have taken me just as long. And bonus - there’s no security hassles like at an airport - you just show your confirmation number and board the bus. The only negative - it was very hard for me to sleep (others seemed to do just fine) because the ride is bumpy, but surprisingly I didn’t get motion sickness. It was fun watching the scenery go by through the large windows, as if I were on a moving aquarium. Soon the company will be rolling out double-decker buses too, which I guess will be even more cost-effective for them. Personally though I’d worry about tipping over.
Even if you pay $35 for a ticket, this is still cheaper than Greyhound, Amtrak, and other bus companies. I do hear the Asian buses have TVs and are more luxurious, but they charge more. So it really all depends what you want. I chose the no-frills buck ride and I was happy.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE! You’re still young and beautiful. 
Happy Birthday SMO! Here’s to a wonderful year for you! 
