<p>I’ve taken it from NYC-Boston, NYC-Buffalo Airport, and Buffalo-Toronto. </p>
<p>No shock absorbers! My Megabus seats were much harder, less padded and less reclining than a Greyhound or Trailways type bus. Megabus is more like a schoolbus bench than an airplane style shaped seat.</p>
<p>I have back issues, so I felt the bouncier ride very much over the long distance. Because there was no center recline arm, when there were no seatmates I arranged a coat to sleep my upper torso across the bench with my feet in the aisle. That worked because I was in the very front or very back row, and I’m only 5’1".</p>
<p>None of this seat hardness bothered D, who is petite and has no back issues. </p>
<p>In NYC, the pickup location changed in August 2012. I don’t know about other cities, but it’s always worth a check to be sure it hasn’t changed since last time you’ve used it.</p>
<p>My routes fillled up all week at major holiday times, so purchasing ahead is wise. Unlike Trailways etc, if the Megabus runs out of seats, they don’t send another bus along for extra passengers. You can tell from the website when a bus has sold out. If you have a ticket, arrive early to line up if you want seat choices.</p>
<p>After several years using Megabus, I switched over to Amtrak or Trailways, only because of the seat comfort difference and bouncy rides. Young people might not mind at all.</p>
<p>Fellow passengers were a pleasant mix of everybody, no problems ever.</p>
<p>Since we live in Pgh and all three kids are in the NY area, both we and the kids have used it many times with no problems - leave late in the evening and arrive before dawn. D2 thinks that sitting in the upper deck makes her a bit nauseous, but I’ve no idea if this is real or just her imagination. We’ve done Greyhound (express) too, and again no problems, and a bit faster.</p>
<p>abasket- is the Toledo drop off/pick up spot an abandoned strip mall? For some reason, I remembered reading that somewhere.</p>
<p>deb- I think anything headed to Ann Arbor is going to be primarily college students. I think it’s probably a great option for a short trip like yours. It is cheaper than driving!</p>
<p>2016BarnardMom: The route from Cleveland to Chicago includes a stop in Toledo and yeah, from what I saw the stop is basically a gas station hahaha.</p>
<p>I knew there was something odd about it. I have looked into a number of options for getting my D home from NYC for breaks and I’m not that far from Toledo so I sometimes check Toledo options too.</p>
<p>When my D was (I think) 15 or 16, she and a few girlfriends wanted to visit another friend in Indianapolis (about a 4 hour drive). They took the Megabus. I went with one of the dads to drop the girls off and ensure they got onto the bus … It was a little sketchy, but we were also overprotective suburban parents whose kids weren’t used to the Great Unwashed Masses. In truth, it was fine.</p>
<p>Actually when I think about it, I would probably prefer to get off at a stop more like Toledo, because there are fewer people around and I could just go into the gas station to wait for my ride. In Chicago, it drops you off outside of union station at like 1AM, and I always have people approach me and ask me for money for train tickets. It’s kind of scary, there really isn’t any indoor place to wait.</p>
<p>The Toledo stop very recently changed - my S and I were just discussing it - it is now in the campus of University of Toledo. Not at the former place where there was a mall location!!</p>
<p>You cannot beat the price. It is well used by both college students and older adults from Minneapolis to Madison and Chicago…$90 for Greyhound and a max of $27 for Mega Bus…</p>
<p>My cousin just used it and had a positive experience. Her only complaint was that she likes to visit with her seat mates and was instead greeted by a bus full of college kids who were either wearing ear phones, texting or sleeping. :p</p>
<p>Does anyone know what happens when all the seats are taken? Do they call for another bus or perhaps you just have to stand?</p>
<p>D used the Megabus at Christmas last year, from Chicago to Ann Arbor (Detroit to Chicago for the return). She didn’t mind it. It wasn’t overfull, and she was comfortable enough.</p>
<p>D’s boyfriend takes the Megabus from Chicago to Detroit about once a month. He loves it!</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who replied! In the end I decided not to go. I needed to come back on Sunday and it looked like the weather was not going to be good and I couldn’t chance not getting home. But it looks like a great way to travel and I won’t hesitate to try the megabus. Now if the storms would stop coming…</p>
<p>My 7-hour trips included one 30-minute stop at a highway fast-food place, and there were bathrooms on the bus for use throughout the trip. Some folks brought food along. Others ran out quickly at the roadside stop. There was just enough time to buy take-out in a bag, then return to eat it on the bus as the ride continued. Nobody sat down to eat at the roadside stop – not enough time. I liked this because the entire trip was shorter.</p>
<p>I <em>think</em> that they only sell the exact number of seats per bus until sold out, then remove that bus from the ticketing website. It was my impression that they don’t have extra buses to send around to accommodate larger crowds or longer lines than expected, which is different from how Greyhound or Trailways function. I <em>think</em> on Megabus, if you have a ticket you get a seat – so don’t just show up at a Megabus stop place expecting to buy your ticket then and there, you might be out of luck. Buy online, and well ahead if it’s a college vacation time.</p>
<p>If anyone has had a different experience on this aspect , please let us all know! I’m just one traveler and haven’t researched company policies.</p>