We passed a Megabus whilst driving on the motorway (they are easily spotted on the roads as they are a bold purple colour with the cartoon yellow Megabus driver on the side), and as I’ve heard people talk about how cheap they were thought I would try and find out a bit more about them especially as I have a friend who has mentioned she would like to visit in the next few weeks from Cheltenham but didn’t fancy the drive. I was surprised to find that she could travel from Cheltenham to London return for only £4!!!
If you are looking for value for money when travelling by bus and train within the UK then you can’t go wrong with Megabus .com which is part of the nationally recognised Stagecoach group. They offer low-cost bus and train (Megatrain) tickets throughout the UK, with routes ranging from Aberdeen to London to Birmingham to Bath. Their motto is “ride with Sid for a quid”.
Megabus is the UK’s only low-cost coach network that uses the same sort of pricing structure as low-cost airlines, where fares change depending on demand. The idea came after a surge of low-cost airlines, who start off with cheap fares and as seats fill up the price goes up. The fares start from just £1 (plus 50p booking fee) and as seats fill up the fares increase. It’s an amazing value compared to National Express and the trains.
The coaches used on the Megabus routes are spacious and comfortable. They are usually very clean and tidy. They are proper coaches, not just a local bus, so you travel in style and comfort. There is plenty of space for hand luggage with overhead compartments and plenty of space under the coach for larger bags, pushchairs and suitcases. They are all fitted with lap style safety belts for passenger safety, they are completely non-smoking and also have a toilet on board. They stop at least once on longer journeys at a service station.
Booking online is incredibly straightforward, requiring you to navigate a number of simple drop-down menus specifying where and when you want to travel, but it’s very important to book a few weeks in advance as they can sell out quickly.
The website has timetables, information on where to catch your Megabus , help section with frequently asked questions and ‘My Reservations’ which saves your previous journeys on your account. You can also search for Megatrain routes which give a few of Stagecoach’s train operations on Virgin & South West Train routes for just £1.
When you book you are given a numerical code which you can print directly from the webpage or print via a confirmation email which is sent. You can also have this code sent in a text message to your mobile phone. You must show this code to your driver when you board the bus.