Why fly?
$1 to Dallas? Megabus hits Texas with fancy buses and super-low fares
With TSA continuing its touchy-feely reign of terror and gas prices still stubbornly high, what's the best way to get to Dallas, Austin or New Orleans for cheap? A bus may be the new answer, with Megabus expanding to Texas and other Southern states this summer with fares as low as $1.
Service will begin June 19, with fares booked well in advance offering the best deals. For the first week of sales, all fares will be no more than a dollar, with an additional 10,000 free seats available. From Houston, tickets are available to Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Galveston and Louisiana, with additional destination as far as Nashville available from Dallas.
For the first week of sales, are fares will be no more than a dollar, with an additional 10,000 free seats available.
This isn't just any cheap bus ticket — Megabus offers free Wi-Fi, power outlets, clean restrooms and a fleet that is environmentally friendly. The company has quickly become one of the largest bus carriers in the U.S. since its launch in 2006.
“As Americans continue to look for ways to stretch their income, we look forward to providing safe, convenient and affordable travel to the millions of residents in the South,” said Megabus president Dale Moser in a press release.
To save costs, Megabus will not operate from a terminal. Instead, the bus will make designated stops in downtown Houston.
Even as Megabus invades Texas, the company is getting new competition from Greyhound. The company's hipper Bolt buses are still limited to the Northeast and Pacific Northwest, but the aging bus company has renovated many terminals and about half of its fleet, adding Wi-Fi, power outlets, leather seats and more legroom and consolidating routes between major cities.
Of course, when it comes to travel via bus, low prices aren't everything. On Wednesday federal authorities shut down 26 companies known as Chinatown buses, which offered cheap fares all over the East Coast but routinely flouted safety regulations, resulting in several deadly crashes in recent years.
See Channel 11 report on new MegaBus service:
The Trellis Spa is the signature pampering space at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. Photo courtesy of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa 