@@GreenerGrass I have a question... In USA, can you order food sitting inside the train from restaurants close to upcoming stations and it will be delivered to your seat??? In India we do have that option...
@@mukherjeesuniversum2665 depends on the restaurant. I had a pizza delivered to Indianapolis station on the Cardinal. To the platform. I’d imagine most places with delivery could accommodate the request.
I’m a MegaBus/Charter Bus Operator based in Atlanta and I loved this review. MegaBus is a Great way to travel for those on a budget, and who want to see the country without the hassle of driving themselves.
My girlfriend and I traveled to DC from NYC on Northeast Regional service, and spent only $31 each way. Even the cheaper Amtrak service beats bolt bus in every way in regards to comfort, speed, and service. (As much as public bathrooms are never those to sit and stay a while, Amtrak's were clean enough to feel comfortable using.) If more people knew how good Amtrak could be against highway based transit, more people might demand expansion of the Amtrak network as I do.....
i choose business class, more leg room, seats are much more comfortable and with business class beverages are included. Only 20 bucks higher than coach
This is the problem with US Rail. It operates more like a plane than a Train. I would have been in real trouble if I had to book all the Bullet Train rides I took in Japan. All I had to do is get to the platform and wait for the next train which can come as often as every 30 minutes. That like my local bus schedule but far more reliable.
@@JasonB808 It's not just US, the vast majority of intercity rails services operate exactly like this. And if the rail line isn't too popular you can still show up just before boarding, buy your ticker and board in the US or anywhere else. In Japan the Shinkansen system is subsidized by real estate not by taxes or fares, so they run the trains at a density that maximizes the value of that real estate. That's a completely different business model and it's not without its significant downsides. How would you feel if your local rail company were allowed to bulldoze your neighborhood to put up a station and a bunch of skyscrapers in your single family suburb? That's how the Shinkansen works, and it's also funded my the government at 30% at any given time on top of that. Corporate socialism is not exactly popular right now in the US.
@@TohaBgood2 that's how the Southern Pacific built Los Angeles 120 years ago with the RedCar and YellowCar. They owned the land and made money selling the real estate. That's why LA is such a miserable sprawl. It isn't initially from car culture, but a purposeful land scheme by the Southern Pacific. In the 1950s when the railways were dilapidated and all the land was long since sold...people voted for highways to get out from under the railroad thumb.
Jeb I have a question that you might know the answer to. I’m flying out of Tampa to Boston on Delta Comfort+ on 737-800, and I want to upgrade to first class at the gate. How much would it cost?
@@yashpatel9562 You'll likely not be able to do it at the gate; all the seats in First Class on that flight will have filled with paying customers or with high level frequent flyers who received 24hr upgrades. Try doing it online beforehand. Cost varies by specific flight and demand, so he won't be able to answer but in my experience ranges $200-700 for that flight.
Great video! I will say, I feel like it's worth mentioning (at least in passing) in a video like this that, for the $40-50 you actually paid for the megabus tickets, you can also opt for the faster Northeast regional train between DC and NYC, which is sometimes available for $20 and READILY available for $31. Even business class on the Acela, which is consistently available for $71 and gets you at least ~50% of the value of Acela first, is priced competitively with megabus. Not saying the video isn't complete without these comparisons, but since the ACTUAL megabus price is often more than the NE regional, it seems to warrant a mention. In any event, thanks for the great content!
I bet The Sopranos theme song played in your head as the bus was driving by Newark-Liberty! 😂I just find it funny how despite Pret a Manger (which means "ready to eat") and Au Bon Pain (which means "good bread") both having French names, NEITHER of them originate in France! Both founded in the UK and US! Though Au Bon Pain was at least founded by a French baking equipment manufacturer to showcase their ovens. And here's a fun fact, DC's Union Station was designed by New Yorker Daniel Burnham, who also worked on the famous Flatiron Building in NYC as well as the plans for Manila and Baguio in the Philippines and the White City for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Pretty small world when you think about it!
Bus toilets are a dealbreaker for me. I’d pay extra and take the train. Bit surprised to see you guys didn’t use the seatbelts in those front seats. An emergency stop at hight speed on the motorway could have you slammed up against those windows… or worse 😮. Great vid! 👍🏻
I rarely comment on RU-vid but just wanted to say how much I enjoy your videos. Both you and Suzanne are great and provide an informative and entertaining look at modes of travel, whether it's airlines, trains or buses. As a flight attendant and aviation/transportation nerd, I always look forward to watching you guys! Keep up the great work and safe travels to wherever you go next!
I've booked a ride with Megabus once! We went from NYC to Atlantic City back in July 2012, but apparently the route was operated by Academy. So we ended up on an Academy bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (instead of Megabus's NYC stop) and not a cool Megabus double-decker (which I actually have a toy of just because). We made a stop at the Cheesequake (now Jon Bon Jovi) service area to Atlantic City and on the way back. The only time we were stuck in traffic was on the way back to NYC on the Lincoln Tunnel approach. The Moynihan Train Hall upgrade to NY Penn Station was definitely needed! I like the mix of the old and the new, not to mention it's within the James A. Farley post office building that was also designed by the McKim, Mead & White trio who worked on the original Penn Station that was once next door (they worked on the Brooklyn Museum and Columbia's main campus too). Sure it's different from the original Penn, but it's better than nothing! NYC is the "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere" city, and it deserves an Amtrak hub that welcomes tourists with a grand "Yes, you CAN make it here!" The pre-Moynihan Club Acela used to be...pretty bad to say the least. Symbolic of the pre-Moynihan modern Penn Station in general, as one person put it, "One entered the city like a god; one scuttles in now like a rat”! The only thing good about the old Amtrak concourse of Penn before Moynihan was it had the only Krispy Kreme in the entire state for a long time.
Meanwhile here in Singapore I'd probably be saying something like "one enters the city by air like a god, or scuttles in by coach/train like a rat" (since many coaches terminate at the decrepit Golden Mile Complex/Tower; we don't have a designated long-distance bus terminal, while trains stop all the way @ Woodlands Train Checkpoint, which is even further from downtown than Changi Airport, which requires a bus connection to a MRT/subway/metro station for another 50-min train ride if you're heading downtown (seats not guaranteed), & the bus is either already full with people who boarded earlier, or the bus connection is cancelled due to traffic jams)
Your very welcome and thank you for the great videos, I always look forward to your videos each week to see what exciting things you have been up to and love learning about the different things and places you show and talk about and you have such a friendly and entertaining way of presenting your videos 😊
Jeb what you didn't mention in your video is that the regular AMTRAK from DC to NYC isn't really much slower than the ACELA. The quality of the experience, seats, bathroom, etc is very good and the cost is A LOT lower. There's something else too. YOur bus looked empty. So you didn't experience the full joy of that mode of transportation. The train is a lot more quiet, sane and spacious. Great video.!
I’ve always thought first class on the Acela was a bit of a gimmick. Yes, you get lounge access and complementary food, but the seats are not that much different from business class. You could easily purchase a day pass for lounge access for less than the premium that you’d pay to upgrade to first class, and with the supply chain issues affecting the menu options, you’re better off staying in business class and buying food to bring onboard.
There is one other reason you did not mention for taking Acela vs. a bus... People like my husband who suffer from major stress and anxiety issues would most definitely prerfer a mode of transportation that is generally quieter. I am sure that between the Acela service and the bus; the Acela service would get the point.
Believe it or not, there is a first class bus service between NY and DC that is fairly reasonable in price (100), considering what they offer. First class recliner seats, that also prevent motion during motion (I forgot what they’re called), and offers way more space than your average bus. It’s a custom luxury bus called Jet. Jeb did a review on them as well. Looked really nice.
?! I'm European too, and I was very satisfied. I had three rides with a backpack and a large suit case (maximum size the airlines allow without extra fee): Boston to New York (about $60 and on time - no problem with the luggage albeit the trained was completely book out. I had made my bookings months ahead via Wanderu) New York to Philly (like the first trip but much shorter and about $30) Philly to Washington (like Philly: 30 Dollars, less than 2 hours) Always around 11 or 12 o'clock (=> check out times of the most hotels are around that time). Far better than what we have in Germany. But the Acela is also Amtrak's flagship, and compared to plane tickets very cheap. And I have no idea how easy the boarding is on an inland flight. But guess the boarding can take up to two hours with security and all. Here you show up at the station, and about ten minutes before the departure the dashboard tells you the gate and you can board it. And like I said: all my trains were on time.
I booked a day trip to NYC from Boston about a month in advanced last spring. It was $56 each round trip and it was awesome, usually I fly or drive between the two cities but I wanted to try something else and it was worth it. Zero delays and we arrived in Boston coming home about 45 minutes early. (The trip was in mid June)
Great to see some familiar DMV traffic 😅! I’ve been stuck in traffic on that stretch of 95 in MD many times! Thanks to you and Suzanne for the great content!
I really love your Amtrak experience videos. Thanks for taking the time to out all of these videos together, they really make my day. Have a good one, Jeb!
Pro tip for Megabus: the upper deck second row of assigned seats has way better leg and foot room, is cheaper, and you still can generally see out the windshield in front of you.
I have really enjoyed all of your videos and - even though I'm a Pac NW guy who would probably never need to consider different travel options between NYC and DC - this was no exception. Looking forward to the next trip, wherever it may take you...
Thank you both for another comparison video. These are very informative. Have done Amtrak when visiting the states. Might do a short trip on a bus next time. Didn't look horrible, didn't look flash. Looking forward to next trip. Stay safe.
I've taken overnight Megabus trips in the front row across the east coast. Uncomfortable but interesting experience. (I'm the kind of budget traveler who will nap in a terminal to avoid a hotel night if taking an early/late flight, so the time difference between bus vs train sometimes becomes negligible when hopping between cities such as Atlanta to Chicago/Orlando/DC)
Great video again Jeb! Thank you for taking the time to make these and show us what travel is like. I still can't believe your channel doesn't have millions of subscribers! I honestly think your videos are so good that you could have your own Travel Channel TV show. Thanks again and god bless
Jeb, you and suzzane gave a most wonderful explanation of these charming rides (smile). .. Actually I always travel via Amtrak. Travelling to Savannah, Ga is awesome on Amtrak. Busses just don't have enough room for my legs at all. Also, on Amtrak, one can walk the whole length of the train for exercise!! .. Cannot wait for your next adventure!! .. Outstanding video!! 🥰 PS: Love your french accent!!
Hey Jeb! Megabus is going to start offering service between Detroit and Toronto starting next month. We in the Detroit area are pretty pumped with the recent news, as there are limited public transit options to/from Detroit. Would love to see a similar video featuring my hometown! I believe the bus journey is about 5hr each way.
Great video and a topic I know all too well. I currently live in Maryland (shoutout to Suzanne!) with family in NJ so I have made that trek countless times. Calling the I-95 corridor unpredictable is an understatement. You almost don't know what to do if you don't encounter sizeable traffic at some point. I would take Amtrak more often however not always the most affordable option if your traveling with a family even on the Northwest Regional.
I've been on MegaBus lots of times when they were active in Germany. From Hamburg to Cologne for 5 Euros even if you book spontaneously. Of course you get what you pay for. So don't expect much comfort. But it was enough to settle in and enjoy the ~5 hour ride while reading a book, having a snack or listening to music. The toilets were also always clean. Compared with a ticket with the Deutsche Bahn which can cost around 100 Euros for a spontaneous booking, more than worth it!
You guys are my new favorite travel channel. Love your guys overall vibe especially your more recent posts with Suzanne 👏🏼🙌🏼 And the last time she took a train from NY was for a Beyoncé concert?!?!? AWESOME!
I love Amtrak in the northeast. Dc, Boston, NY, Vermont, Philly Amtrak is really nice. In the rest of the country I hope it can be more reliable and on time.
Me and mom & sister actually took Megabus from Baltimore to New York for the Women’s World Cup parade in 2019. It still took over 4 hours and we left at 5am. I took the Acela about 2 years Peter and while very expensive. It was a lot more timely and in the center of the city at Penn station compared to be dropped out on the side of a street. Although the view was incredible on the top of a megabus. You should legitimately try it.
Ah, the memories of MegaBus. Used to ride it often from downtown Toronto to BUF when air fares were much cheaper from that US airport. Managed several $1 fares. With wifi it was not too bad…except for the border crossings!
Another great video review it's funny you just recently done this trip last week I drove from queens, Ny to DC at night took us Privet car like 4 hrs with stops. I also back in the days took mega bus from NYC to Toronto and from Philadelphia to NYC definitely different and interesting.
Fantastic video Jeb. To me it depends on the situation on which one to do but trains may not be the fastest but they are the most civilized. Keep up the great work!
Jeb Jeb Jeb Jeb Jeb! I always love your and Suzanne's videos - and this one was certainly a treat to watch. I was surprised that, while on MegaBus, seeing an accident on the interstate elicited a "Gee, I sure hope they're okay" -- but didn't inspire either of you to put on your seatbelts.....which were clearly visible in this video :( Buses can also have unexpected turbulence - and I want you two to be well and keep these videos coming for many years to come!
For people in MD or VA, I recommend the Vamoose Bus from MD to NYC. Prices start at $40 similar to Mega Bus avg price, but the seats are larger and have free Wi-Fi. I had a very comfortable trip.
Have done both Acela and MB DC-NYC. Most likely the Megabus was cheaper depending on when tix were purchased. Prefer the train though smooth fast ride and no traffic worth paying the extra money usually.
Depending on which day you left, their food supplier had a listeria outbreak recently. So they didn’t have a lot of food, but I rode Acela First Class yesterday from NYP and things were back. I know because they sent me an email (I ride Northeast Corridor multiple days per week).
We used to live in Clearwater FL, and always took the Megabus across to Orlando from Tampa to get more economic flights to London. The cost usually $2 and $3 for a seat reservation on one of those seats with better leg room behind you. then on to Orlando International by Uber. We really enjoyed it actually. In fact I once used Megabus to Fort Lauderdale for the old Norwegian Airlines flight to London.
Hi Jeb been watching your channel and it’s been a great help for me, I’m going on my first European trip to Italy. I seen most of your blogs and I never seen a italy trip have you ever been?
Hey Jeb Brooks! May you please make a video about Flying First Class on Norwegian Airlines? It would be very cool to see a video like that as well. If your ok with that, I hope to see your video. I love your channel and I’m a HUGE FAN! I’m definitely subscribed. Thanks Jeb Brooks for making great videos. Best channel on RU-vid! 😊
Jeb, i´m from Brazil. Here we don't have these trains to travel between the main cities of the country. On the other hand, if you travel on a bus between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo that lasts approximately 6 hours, you have much greater comfort. It has services that are real beds, with a stop along the way for a meal and even the simplest service, you can rest. Seeing your video, something similar is our city bus with this kind of comfort.
I’ve done both bus and train. For price Megabus wins that. As for time and comfort, I’ll take Amtrak every time. It’s not that the ride between NYC and DC was bad on the bus. Just long and at times unpredictable. I took the overnight megabus from NYC. It was supposed to get in by 6:30 in the morning. Well a delay at the Lincoln Tunnel backed us up then when we got to DC we hit rush hour. We didn’t get in until 8:30. Now when I took the train it wasn’t the Acela just the regular north east regional.it was an all around better ride with no real issues. Next time I go I’ll definitely take the train.
Nice to see a Scottish company doing well in the states, Stagecoach started Megabus in Scotland and you will see identical Megabus vehicles and livery in Scotland between, Aberdeen, Inverness to Glasgow and Edinburgh. However Stagecoach recently sold Megabus and Scottish Citylink to a Singapore company. What I will say the inside of your trains look, well like the inside of an old peoples home.. comfortable but very beige!
Great video. I'd point out that there are multiple price points on Amtrak including business class on Acela and tickets on the regional. If the first class price seems steep or the meal service disappointing, there's a more reasonable sweet spot here that gets most of the benefit of the train without the higher price tag. (Still would be more expensive than the bus most likely)
I haven't done the trip by road, but Acela was a nice way to make the trip. But that facing seating is tight, especially for four people in business class. With 3x6'+ in our family travel group I'll be avoiding that seating next time, and reserving specific seating. A mid-point (especailly with advance booking discounts) is the NE Regional which still saves at least an hour over the road trip.
I've taken Megabus just once so far, going from Dallas to Memphis back in June 2015. I remember the trip taking about 9 hours, and if I were to drive the same distance, it would've taken about 8 hours. I've taken Amtrak a few times between NYC & Boston. First time was in 2007, when I was going from NYC to Portsmouth, NH, but I had to transfer from the train to a bus in Boston. Both ways stopping in Boston Amtrak was late from NYC & the bus was late from Portsmouth, giving me very little xfer time (maybe 20-30 mins.) from train to bus & back.
I have been enjoying your videos recently. Vegas doesn’t have railways any longer but I’m told possibly . Why are all the Amtrak trains late and it’s almost expected however, in Asia and all over Europe they’re never late they’re always on time. There are also many of them in other countries where there’s plenty of trains in a continuous pattern. It’s too bad that we don’t use train travel as much anymore. You and Suzanne are quite entertaining- keep It going 👍
Hey Jeb, so here's something you might not know... MegaBus started off in Manchester UK in the late 1990s as Magic Bus, offering cheap travel around the city for students (I was one of them!).
Well even though the train’s expensive, some of the trains on the route are not expensive and they’re still better than first class on an airplane. And much better than any bus you’ll ever see.
I use Megabus regularly to travel between Inverness and Edinburgh, I’m 6ft1 and book these seats often and fit no problem on the same type of coach. They must be laid out slightly different because I’ve never found them to be cramped. The head room - yeah that’s a an issue 😂
