megabus discussion

I'm planning a weekend away in London early Feb 05. In process of weighing up public transport options from Bristol. £20 for an APEX ticket isn't bad and cheaper options can be had on the coach.

Has anyone used megabus http://www.megabus.com/ my boyfriend and I can get seats each way for about £1.50 each bargain.

How does it work, apart from the time it takes to get there and booking in advance are there any other catches?

Cheers
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Comments

  • paulie558
    paulie558 Posts: 763 Forumite
    Havent tried megabus,but national express seem better.Fares £1 each way(no booking fee),more comfortable seats,and toilet on board .
    https://www.nationalexpress.com/funfares
  • Quackers
    Quackers Posts: 10,157 Forumite
    I've never used Megabus but have read a thread on here previously.

    From what I remember everyone said they were reliable & good value for money. The only downside was the age of the bus's - not in very good condition on the inside! Mind you I'm not sure I'd be too bothered for the price ;D

    Hope that helps a bit :-/
    Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold...But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow...
  • Mr_Nick_3
    Mr_Nick_3 Posts: 57 Forumite
    My friends reguarly use the Megabus to Bristol, and they absolutly hate it. But they continue to use it because it's £12 return for 2 people. So cheap.

    They're just old buses, which have had high back seats put in. They're slow, noisly, and not very nice.

    Takes about 4.5 hours from London to Bristol.
  • p3gg
    p3gg Posts: 208
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    My friends reguarly use the Megabus to Bristol, and they absolutly hate it. But they continue to use it because it's £12 return for 2 people. So cheap.

    They're just old buses, which have had high back seats put in. They're slow, noisly, and not very nice.

    Takes about 4.5 hours from London to Bristol.

    I part agree, part disagree with Centurion.

    I've travelled 4 or 5 times previously with megabus and have just booked again. The return leg of the most recent trip was unbelievably bad (temperature inside bus at start of journey about Gas Mark 6, rising steadily throughout journey, thankfully "only" Lon->Leic); the final 61 minutes were also travelled against background music, a high-pitched monotone bleep at approx. 100 strokes per second from the driver's cab (? ignition key / indicator playing up).

    Like Centurion's friends, I continue to use megabus because it's cheap. Having said that I'm complaining vigorously to the company about the last experience, torture still being illegal in mainland Britain (Britain, Britain).

    It's also worth saying that megabus is, in my experience, not slower than National Express, and in fact seems to be more punctual (presumably because its network isn't a complex one like NX).
  • LilacLillie
    LilacLillie Posts: 2,930
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    I used megabus in Dec: London to Cardiff, morning service, no traffic. The bus going out was clean, comfortable, had a nice friendly driver, and certainly fast enough, 3 hrs door to door, with a 15mins coffee stop on route.
    The return journey took 4 hrs, hitting the outskirts of London traffic took about 1 hr 10, for a 15/20 min usual journey. Same driver, different smelly bus and uncomfortably hot for my companion ( not me 8) ). Both buses had a loo on, which I didn't dare venture to use.
    I'd use them again, they were no more uncomfortable than a coach or Nat: Express, and at £10 each, return journey very good value.
    LL
    We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars........................


  • For the price you can't fault megabus. My only tip would be to sit as close to the driver as possible. The bottom deck is normally far too hot due to the engine, while the top deck is normally freezing as the air con is turned up high to compensate. As the air con is controlled by the driver he'll have it set so the temperature is most normal near his seat!
  • tiff
    tiff Posts: 6,608
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    Good tip from Fatboy, we travelled Bristol to London return and also suffered from the freezing air conditioning on the top deck.

    Also, there will be NO room to store luggage so either book an extra seat and get there early so you will have two seats together to stow your luggage. If you have no luggage you will be fine.

    We travelled as a family to London for a cheap day out, we went to the Science museum which was free and took our own lunch. I dont care if there are no comforts sometimes you just need to get somewhere as cheaply as you can, especially when there are 4 of you. :)
    “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” - Dave Ramsey
  • Does anyone have any tips for travelling by night.

    I often fly into Stansted around 11pm and by the time I have collected my bags it's often 11:30.

    I'd like to get up to Hull on a budget of 30 pounds without having to sleep in a doorway somewhere.

    It seems by the time I have made my way to London, trains and coaches Northbound have all stopped for the night.

    National express, megabus and all rail services (as far as I can see) seem to be of no use at this time of night and unless you know a chartitable taxi driver I can't see a way round this.

    Any help would be much appreciated

    Roberto
  • I use Megabus and Fun fairs on National Express from Britol to London loads...I prefer Megabus but go by cost and how well the times suit my needs.

    Megabus are about the same as National Express in comfort...they have both broken own on me and the drivers were pretty cool about it.

    The travel time is about the same and Megabus drops you in London at virtually the same place...as to going from Bristol...Megabus works for me best as it does both the City Centre and the Eastville Tesco stop!!!

    As to freezing...my experience with faulty AC was it was cooking...my tip on that don't sit on the back seat!
    :hello: TTC since 11/09
  • we used mega bus to from manchester to london it was a bumpy ride and the bus was uncomfortable but for the price who could beat it! comping back people were jumping over my children to get good seats on the bus it was like kids round an ice cream van!!!!!! never seen anything like it!!! but once we was on it it was ok. the bus was clean you either get an old shabby thing or a nice new bus its the look of the drawer really. to get on the bus you have to pay online and they will send you a confirmation email you then take this email and hand it to the driver. would reccomend mega bus to you for a cheap ride to london. we found a cheap guest house 10 mins from buckingham palace too it was lovely very clean and everyone was friendly
    Lozzybooo :)
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