Mega-bus recap

I made it back to New York Penn Station to catch the Mega-bus for the final leg of my South America trip. Initially, I wasn't sure where to find the bus, since they don't pick up passengers at the same place they drop off. I wandered around Penn Station and had seen the Bolt buses on my trip to New York. I walked down to the drop off point, and still couldn't find where they picked up. Walking back, I saw a Mega-bus drive by and finally found a bunch of people waiting by a Mega-bus outside Madison Square gardens. The place was a circus, and not just because a bunch of people were getting out of the Wringling Brothers show inside the gardens. There were lines for a number of buses going up and down the East coast, and I bought a gyro while waiting for mine. After a 20 minute wait, I was on my way to Boston.

While waiting I overheard a conversation between two girls who preferred the Greyhound service from the Port Authority. While Greyhound charges $20 o/w, you can wait inside, and it is a much less hectic environment. I think for a few extra bucks I can agree.

Brother, can you spare a dollar?

BusinessWeek recently featured an article about discount bus operators, BoltBus, DC2NY, Vamoose, and Megabus.

The new competition in the inter-city bus travel industry is pushing prices as low as $1 for a trip to NYC. While I suspect you need sniping software to get this cheap fare, many seats are available much cheaper than you can find on Greyhound. I found some for $6 in November on MegaBus [NYC <-> BOS]. The buses even offer such amenities as power plugs and Wi-Fi for techno-travelers.

While NYC may not be at the top of your list of desired destinations, it can be a great launching point for cheap flights around the world. I have personally flown out of NYC after arriving on the bus from Boston and DC, and I saved hundreds of dollars on European flights. These bus companies are expanding, so hopefully they will start offering similar fares to international hubs like Houston, Miami, and Los Angeles.