.png)
I don't know about you, but whenever I contemplated a trip to the Bay area it involved a Cost Benefit Analysis. Was the reason I was going worth the $10 in tolls, the $30 in gas, and the parking? Going to San Francisco can easily cost $50 just in the transportation! So I'm all for the new Megabus just on principle!
Megabus is a company that runs direct bus routes between major cities for a REALLY cheap fare. As low as $1! The earlier you book your seat, the cheaper it is. Book it the day of (if there are any seats left) and you could be paying a decent, but still cheap, amount.
Megabus has been running this style service mostly on the east coast. But in late December they started two routes for Sacramento. One goes to downtown San Francisco, the other to Reno. Both depart from Old Sacramento. For the first month there were special promotional coupon codes so you could go for free! That's what I used to book my trip last week.
Even though I had a free trip, I had some scheduling dilemmas and it looked like I would need to switch days. I booked another trip on a Tuesday just to cover myself. I made the booking on the Thursday before and it was still only going to be $3 each way!
The Megabus features double-decker buses. There is a restroom in the back on the lower level. I had to use it and it was a much nicer experience than Greyhound's bathrooms!
There is also wi-fi. This I was not too happy with. It would keep kicking me off. After going on and off over and over again a few times you get frustrated and just give up. Hopefully that is not a normal occurrence. There is also supposed to be power outlets, but I couldn't find any.
The upstairs has nice skylighting windows that make it nice to look at scenery going by. The downstairs has a couple of tables should you have a group where your friend doesn't mind facing backwards.
My trip last week had me leaving at 8 a.m. and arriving in SF at about 9:40. I opted for the last bus home, leaving at 7 p.m. and that arrived back at Old Sac at about 8:40.
All in all, Megabus is a GREAT deal. I can see myself going to SF a lot more frequently now. Yay!
