$1 Megabus Service Headed To Downtown Jacksonville

[Rynjny]

Yeah this thing is a hit! I want to take trip now just because I know I can afford it 

Go to the Jaguars vs Falcons game on dec. 15th..

[ProjectMaximus]

you guys have no idea how happy i am. this is like a dream come true. i know, i am weird.

[Reytravel11]

Does anyone have any confirmed information on long term parking near the megabus stop near forsyth st??

[tufsu1]

Johnson St. lot has dedciated Megabus spaces

[Ralph W]

I looked up the fare for a trip to Atlanta on Dec. 9, returning Dec 11. The cost to go up is $5 per and the cost to return is $8 per.

Just how far in advance do you have to book to get a fare of $1? Maybe you have to go somewhere on a specific weekday.

[tufsu1]

it is based on availability

[blizz01]

Any feedback or observations thus far?

[David]

I'm curious about other people's experiences too.

I'm going to give the Megabus a whirl for a last minute trip to Atlanta tomorrow. I didn't get any super-cheap tickets, but a tank of gas is at least 50 bucks to cover the drive to ATL, so 26 bucks isn't bad at all. Fire up the laptop, watch some movies. Hopefully I-75 won't be bogged down with construction delays.

[moosebumps]

A friend rode the Megabus down from ATL a few weeks ago.  He's been using it to travel the Southeast for a few months now and is loving it.  It only took 6.5 hrs to make the trip since there are no intermediate interstate stops.  Greyhound was at least 4x the price and ~2x the time. 

I'm hoping they add a route to NOLA soon. 

[Dashing Dan]

I'm curious about other people's experiences too.

I'm going to give the Megabus a whirl for a last minute trip to Atlanta tomorrow. I didn't get any super-cheap tickets, but a tank of gas is at least 50 bucks to cover the drive to ATL, so 26 bucks isn't bad at all. Fire up the laptop, watch some movies. Hopefully I-75 won't be bogged down with construction delays.

When you've got a laptop open in front of you, then the delays aren't so much of a pain.  One of the best things about riding a bus is when "getting there" comes up as kind of a surprise.

[exnewsman]

Does anyone have any confirmed information on long term parking near the megabus stop near forsyth st??

Megabus has an agreement with JTA to lease parking in one of their lots at the Convention Center. Should be signage available.

[David]

Ok, it's definitely budget travel. The bus we had looked a bit older, I didn't see any power outlets and the wifi didn't work. Everyone around me was 6'4 so there was very limited leg room.

If you're traveling on a high demand day like Saturday make sure you get in line early so you can claim your seat. They made two stops on the way up to Atlanta, a brief 10 min rest stop in Osceola national park and a 25 min lunch stop near Tifton, GA. Total commute time was about 6.25 -6.5 hours

On a normal 2 day weekend I wouldn't bother spending that much time just to save a buck, but with the MLK holiday (and a ride back to Jax) It was worth the cheap ticket.

One downside is if you did want to take megabus roundtrip you have to leave Atlanta at 7 am to get back to Jax. There are no other departure times currently.

All in all, It's cheap travel so you can't really expect much. It was on time and I can take the extra money I saved on gas to treat my friends in ATL to some dinner tonight.

[Dashing Dan]

Would you do it again?

[David]

Would you do it again?

Sure, if I had the same circumstances as this past weekend, i'd do it again. I'd just make sure to get there earlier and claim my seat (and try to sit behind short people)  I wouldn't take it roundtrip because of the limited return schedule. 

I've taken greyhounds up to NYC from Jax as a teenager though, so my tolerance for bus travel may be higher than others. But ok, there was one thing that stood out: a lady was reclining in her seat and it blocked the bathroom door, I had to ask her to scoot up so I could get in. That was the only thing that made me say "wow"

The rest of it was expected. I have a feeling they put the nicer busses on their more popular routes.

[tufsu1]

so I'm riding Megabus today and it has been a nightmare.....we've had several mechanical problems and it will likely be after 6pm before we get to Atlanta.

I guess the good thing is they're supposed to get new buses in starting next week

and get this, they officially changed the departure time for Jax from 9:10 to 9:30 three weeks ago but never updated the webiste or told customers!