As promised, over the weekend I took my inaugural trip on Megabus. Here’s how it went…
Round-trip ticket between Houston and Dallas was only $4.50 when I purchased it. Much MUCH cheaper than gas to move between the two cities. I purchased the ticket online through the Megabus website, and it was as simple as that. BTW there’s no physical “ticket”. Just print out the page (or have your reservation number handy on your phone. That’s how the operators will check your reservation before you board the bus.
I’m a public-transit rider already. Since the Megabus stop is located in downtown Houston, it was a very quick Metro ride to get there from my house, so no need for parking. But in Houston there is no overnight parking area. If you are traveling via Megabus, you’ll need to ride public transit, take a cab or have a friend drop you off. To my knowledge they don’t provide parking spaces in any of the Texas area cities.
The bus picks up in a surface parking lot. As anyone in Houston knows, this could be a recipe for disaster if your bus is running late, because the heat can get to some patrons very quickly if you’re just standing outside. The attendants set up a tent for us and it was much appreciated, but the heat and humidity were quite stifling that day so the tent didn’t help too much. There were no chairs to sit in, so you need to be prepared for a potentially long wait. One of the ladies waiting for San Antonio almost fainted, and we had to get her some water. Luckily she was ok by the time the Dallas bus pulled up. But seeing as Texas heat will only get worse through the end of August, it would behoove Megabus to work out some better accommadations now before a more serious incident occurs.
After about 20 minutes, the brand-new double decker bus pulls up. Great styling and a wonderful, unique new fixture to Texas auto culture. Boarding the bus I immediately took a seat at the top. A/C was going full blast so it was cool and comfortable (and I was DEFINITELY glad to be out of the heat of the waiting area). I checked the lights, plugs and A/C at my seat… everything worked perfectly. Wi-Fi took a min, but it worked ok for about half the trip. It was a smooth, easy ride with no further issues. And my phone was FULLY CHARGED when we arrived in D/FW.
3 1/2 hours later, we pull into Grand Prairie’s bus stop. Since the Megabus is direct between sites, the drive time was right on schedule without any hold-ups. But as I was trying for an all-transit trip, Grand Prairie turned out to be painfully inconvenient. It’s a $35 cab-ride to downtown Dallas from there. But even that aside, the total trip cost was still only $40 at that point.
The final verdict: I will probably be taking Megabus again. The actual ride was first-class in my opinion. It’s a great tool for those that like to explore cities, or need a quick low-cost way to visit friends and family without the hassle of a car trip. If they can find some better stop accommodations, then Megabus stands to become a new Texas tradition. I hope they work out those last remaining kinks soon.
Totally agree. A few kinks to work out. But I’ve been on three trips with Megabus and it’s been awesome. And I also learned there is a large overnight parking lot in the Grand Prairie/Dallas stop.
Where is the overnight parking lot in Grand Prairie? I live in the metroplex, but 50 miles away; too far for someone to just drop me off.
Hey I need some advice on how to get from the Dallas stop in Grand Prairie to DFW, and vice a versa. Home is Houston. Is a taxi the only way? schramm.andrew@GMAIL.COM
Yeah I ended up having to take a Taxi to downtown Dallas… it costs $35 from Grand Prairie. Megabus needs to move that stop ASAP. What’s crazy is DART has an intermodal Transit Center in downtown, and Westmoreland Station (DART Rail) isn’t super far from Grand Prairie. They should work something out with DART.
Yes. Grand Prairie has no public transit. Megabus being in Grand Prairie is a total waste of time. It makes Greyhound the better option in Dallas for now.
We are planning a trip from NY to Dallas and this blog post really helps us alot!! And they really do need to hurry up and get that Grand Prairie stop moved to Dallas!!!!
Serious lover of your blog, a considerable number of your blog posts have really helped me out. Looking towards updates!
Glad you reviewed this. Still doesn’t seem like it can beat Greyhound Express. 4 hours door to door, leather seats, never full, free WIFI, your own plug for charging, and they drop off in Downtown Dallas! Except for Thanksgiving Day weekend, you can get a round trip for like $25
Well, you get what you pay for. The Megabus business model only works because it avoids using multimodal stops, because the costs associated with renting space there is not cheap. If/when Megabus moves to Dallas, or to an established station in any city, it won’t be any different from Greyhound.
According to its website, Megabus DOES have a stop in downtown Dallas, at the DART East Transfer Center, 330 North Olive. In fact, it stops in Dallas before it moves on to Grand Prairie.
Yes, the facilities at the Megabus “stations” are nonexistent, which is one way to keep fares low.
Oy. I just noticed that your review was posted in 2012. At that time, it’s true, Megabus did not yet have a stop set up in Dallas.
Megabus is a good option for those who doesn’t want to drive to nearby cities. It’s cheaper and efficient. My ticket from Dallas to Houston was $11 wooooo!!!!! that’s a steal! They have route going from DFW to Austin, Houston, San Antonio…ALL STRAIGHT SHOT!!!!! Kind of relaxing if you can nap on the bus. I was just too scared to. Being in a new environment I wanted to observed 🙂 did I mention they have wifi and charging station at every seat? It’s like riding in luxury!!!! You can get a lot for the little you pay at megabus! Makes me feel rich!!!
texascharterbuscompany
I usually love the Megabus service, but I had to knock a few stars down for this one because the bus wasn’t timely, and I hate that in the Houston stop, there’s no real way to wait… you’re just kind’ve awkwardly in a parking lot until they let you on the bus. For a girl at night, that can be really dangerous because it’s in the middle of downtown Houston. They should build a bus stop building or something.
qzeltravel
the downtown Houston now has a proper building, its a mobile building with a metro kisok and pass machine inside, along with a sittting area, 2 bathrooms, a TV, and a snack vending machine,. its a very nice area considering the price of the ticket. but it does not have workers manning it inside and you must be wary of your bus timings as they dont provide any live bus info, they also have a stop at Katy mills entrance 8 too for certain routes 🙂
I was there recently a few times (3/17). Is the Houston space air conditioned and heated when weather needs it? Right now, it is not needed. Do bring umbrellas or protection in case it pours as there is no outside coverage but you have to be outside to line up to get on bus.
Question please: So far, I see 4 outlets for the 4 seats on the top section. When I sat on the main floor first row behind driver, I didn’t see one. That is a reserved seating space so did I miss it or where should I look? Are there supposed to be outlets for each row and each side?
Megabus disappointed me this time. Rude supervisor in Houston, practically told us to throw our bag away because we had spices which were not bothersome but other people had food and were not bothered and there is no term or condition refusing spices or food. Overall Megabus don’t want to refund our money back since they refused us from travelling.