Bus Wars: Megabus v. Greyhound

Currently on MegaBus somewhere between DC and Pittsburgh, PA.  The outlandish price of gas in and around the Metro area has lead me to do some pretty outlandish things myself.  I must admit, it is like being on vaction from myself (rather European like). 

After the journey to snow-filled streets in NYC last week on Greyhound, I decided to give Megabus a shot.  I had heard good things, and hey...it is cheap, cheap, cheap.  So, here is my review, or shall we say comparrison of the two.

Greyhound had ample indoor waiting room which was nice and warm. However, the station itself didn't have real affordable parking in D.C. ($12.00/ day).  I opted to take the metro train into Union Station and cab (it is too far to walk) from there.  Greyhound shares buses with Peter Pan, and that day was very busy because of the Snowmageddon II in NYC.  I barely managed to get on the bus that I was ticketed for (literally just by luck they pulled me out of line and I got to go). 

The bus was a Peter Pan bus.  It was clean, but very tight for room.  The gentleman setting next to me was about 6ft tall and was very squished even with an isle seat.  I am rather petite myself, and found that 3 hours into the journey my neck hurt from being scrunched up.

Today, I have opted to take Megabus to Pittsburgh.  First of all, it is cheaper than Greyhound for this journey ($35 round trip for prime time travel).  I was suprised to find that the buses left from a public parking lot (free from the looks of it) in City Center.  City Center is still not a very far walk from Chinatown/ Gallery Place or Metro Center train stations (which I opted for). 

Lines formed for the buses in the middle of the parking lots.  Today, it was very cold, and I imagine this would really stink in the event of wet weather.  Nonetheless, the perks on Megabus far outweigh Greyhound.  There are electrical outlets for your laptop or other devises (though mine are not working right now) and FREE WI-FI (awesome for posting travel blogs or getting work done).

The overhead compartments are small, so don't plan on a big carry on.  However there is plenty of room under the seats and plenty of leg room.  I would definately take Megabus for an overnight trip for that reason.  Furthermore, the bus is clean and filled with young travelers, a few foreigners (the non-smelly type), and I'm guessing a few businessmen (probably who had their corporate travel budgets reduced).  All and all its not a bad way to go.

Cheers to the road and happy travels.