W ell, I am preparing to take another trip in a few hours; and it is starting off with a trip on Megabus to Washington, D.C., where I will stay for the weekend with a member of my family before departing for Nairobi and then Muscat.
As we were talking on the telephone to arrange for my meeting him when I arrive tomorrow morning at Union Station, it was nice to know that he will not be far from there — but the conversation eventually changed to the following:
“Have you ever taken Megabus before?”
“Yes, I had.”
“Where did you go?”
“I rode on Megabus to Orlando. That was my first time.”
“…and you said that the trip cost you five dollars each way?”
“No. The trip cost me five dollars total round-trip.”
That is correct. I was able to book a fare of one dollar each way. The booking fee and the facilities fee each cost $1.50; so at three dollars, the fees cost more than the entire trip. I happened to be fortunate to book just when the new schedule was released, which the last time that happened was back in mid-November. That schedule is still the current schedule, which is available until the end of March; so a new schedule is due to be released soon.
I originally booked the trip on Megabus as a backup plan in case I was unable to find a low airfare; but as I originally wrote here:
“You would consider taking Megabus again in the future?”, you might be asking me. Let me put it this way: it is not my preferred mode of travel — but the cost is low. It would not be worth it to me if the bus was at full capacity with passengers or if the equipment did not work. I would recommend Megabus for shorter trips where you would arrive at your destination no faster by airplane; or on overnight trips if you are able to sleep aboard a bus. The seats were all right — they are not as wide or as “comfortable” as those found in the economy class cabin aboard a typical airplane operated by a commercial airline. Certain seats — usually reserved on routes which offer reservations when booking your trip — do offer more leg room, a table or better views to help pass the time…
…so while I would not exactly say to myself “Wow! I cannot wait to travel on Megabus again!!!”, I can say that when conditions are right, I will consider being a passenger on Megabus again. It was nice not to have to worry about driving or going through an airport security checkpoint to be screened; and — as I said — the price was right.
That first experience was not a bad one at all. I just hope the experience on which I am about to embark in a few hours is at least as good. One never knows until it starts — but I suppose the same can be said for other modes of transportation as well.
However, this is one of those times where it seems that what I did “looked better on paper” at the time I booked the trip than it does now: in a few hours, I will be on a bus for almost 13 hours, riding overnight — including two stops — and I am not thrilled about that, to say the least.
There was no offer to reserve a seat for a nominal fee on this bus; so I hope I get a decent seat next to a window so that I may attempt to sleep.
Anyway, I am not sure that his schedule will allow him to take me to Washington Dulles International Airport after the weekend is over; so he recommended that I take the Silver Line, which “might cost five dollars each way.”
“Hey! That will cost me twice as much as my entire Megabus trip!” I jokingly protested…
