The Cheapest Way Possible: The Mega Bus Way!

I know what you're thinking…a bus trip? Yes, a bus trip. Certainly if you are looking for a cheap way to travel, with a great short service between the Midwest states, then I definitely would recommend www.Megabus.com. This is a low cost option to travel between Chicago, Saint Louis, Missouri, Cleveland and a number of states. When I first was referred to Megabus.com, I thought it was a joke. Bus rides for only $1. Yeah, right.

Well, a few months went by and I needed to get a ticket to go to Saint Louis, Missouri to attend a family function. I logged online to www.megabus.com and priced a ticket under $30.00 round trip. When you log on to the site you can log on and do a search for traveling, then book an actual trip, not only is it convenient, it's very cheap. After your reservation is secured, you need to print out your reservation form and confirmation number, place both in your personal belongings and don't forget it for you will need that when getting on the bus.

In terms of customer service and bus service, I will say both were very great. When you get to the site where the bus will pick you up, you will see a Customer Service Representative that has a clip board, they will approach you and you will give them your confirmation number, and they will "check you in". When the bus gets to the site, you will take your own luggage and place that in the appropriate spot where the bus driver instructs you to place it. You slide on the bus, after having the bus driver check your reservation sheet to review it for the Customer Service's signature and your confirmation number. This takes a very short amount of time, and then you are able to select your seat and take the ride to your destination. The bus service is pretty standard. There are no real stops, as the bus goes directly to the next city location. On my trip, it went to Bloomington, Illinois as a rest stop, then on to Saint Louis, Missouri which was my destination. The rest stop was great because you got a chance to stretch your legs and also get refreshments. The short ride from Chicago to Saint Louis was only 4 hours and it was a safe and low-cost way to travel.

Differences between MegaBus and Greyhound:
On Megabus you don't have to worry about going into a station to order your ticket, you can order online from the comfort of your home. With Greyhound, you have access to a Customer Service Representative in a station, on the phone or you can order online at your convenience. Megabus, at this time, only has the internet option, but does have toll free number and email system connected to their service. Both buses run the same as far as good bus services, however, Megabus locations are limited to certain cities and destinations. Greyhound is a larger type of bus service. Greyhound has been around for a long long time, and Megabus is fairly new. With Megabus being a new service, I did enjoy it more than I ever enjoyed Greyhound. The buses are pretty new, not run-down like Greyhound. The passengers are pretty friendly and that made the service more fun and pleasureable. The bus driver on Megabus made sure that the passengers were comfortable with the air conditioning and double checking on the quantity of passengers so that no one would be left.

Both bus services are low priced, but since Megabus is fairly new, the discount is deep. For example, you can travel from Chicago to Saint Louis for $8.00 on a one-way between the two cities, depending on when you leave. Some destinations go as low as $1.00 each way, depending on the destinations, the day and time of your departure.

If you are looking for a low cost way to travel and want to enjoy some local cities, check out the destinations and the fares today by logging on to www.megabus.com. It's a great way to travel.