Greyhound vs. Megabus

The Great Bus Battle: Greyhound vs. Megabus

I recently took a little three-day getaway trip from Minneapolis to Chicago. Since driving through Chicago is a major pain, I figured this would be a good time to test the two big Midwestern bus companies – the oh-so-trendy Megabus, and the eternally derided Greyhound. So how do the two stack up?

Stations:
Despite the scuzzy reputation, Greyhound’s stations are actually pretty nice. Security guards, remarkably clean restrooms, and a solid selection of vended goods. Megabus, on the other hand, picks you up and drops you off on an unstaffed, poorly-marked street corner. This one isn’t even close.

WINNER: Greyhound

Bus Quality:
Megabus’ fleet is newer than Greyhound’s, which means the buses come with fresher upholstery, cleaner aisles, and free Wi-Fi, although the latter is frequently broken. The buses on the Minneapolis-Chicago run are double-deckers, which has a certain UK touristy appeal to it - but it also means that they don’t have overhead storage space for luggage. Greyhound had more legroom and significantly more storage space for baggage. When you’re 6’3” that last piece means a lot.