Megabus Canada: Mega Deal or Mega Dud?

If you’ve done any travelling on the 401, east of Toronto, you’ve probably seen the double-decker buses belonging to Megabus. You’ve probably read the advertising splashed on the side of the bus claiming fares as low as $1. Scam? Dangerous? Cattle cars crammed with people?

I decided to test out Megabus this past week and was very satisfied with the whole experience. I was able to get a $26 round trip journey from Toronto, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec. The first leg left Toronto at 12:30 am and arrive in Montreal at 6:30 am. The return leg left Montreal at 7:00 pm and arrived back at Toronto at 12:30 am. A 24 hour day trip might not be in the cards for everyone but it served my purposes just fine.

Canada is not a mass transit friendly country. Even at up to $1.35 a litre for gasoline, there are still very few options cheaper than driving. However, at $26 bucks per person for around 1,100 kilometres of travel, Megabus is a much cheaper alternative. The price isn’t always that low but sometimes it’s even lower. If you plan on using this method of travel, it’s never too soon to start perusing the Megabus.com website for deals.

Toronto – Montreal on Megabus

Megabus, operated by Trentway-Wagar, uses the main Toronto Coach Terminal at Bay and Dundas in the downtown core. A little note – on the departure screens at the terminal, the bus is under Coach Canada and not Megabus. They are the same company but it can be a bit confusing.

Timing seems to be extremely important to Megabus. There were no delays on any portion of my journey. If anything, we arrived ahead of schedule. On the Toronto to Montreal and the Montreal to Toronto run, the bus makes a short stop in Kingston and drivers are exchanged. On the way to Montreal, we stopped in Cornwall, Ontario and Kirkland, Quebec but for very short drop offs. On the return, there was just a stop in Kingston.

Currently, the terminal in Montreal is at the side of the road at the back of 1000 de la Gauchetiere, the tallest building in Montreal and the entrance to the Bonaventure Metro Station. Why is this convenient? The location is within walking distance of the main downtown attractions, including the Molson Centre and Vieux Port and Vieux Montreal. Also, access to the Metro is key to getting around Montreal. An all-day, unlimited pass can be had for $9.

The fact that the terminal is located at the tallest building in the city can prove rather useful if you’re not overly familiar with the city. 1000 de la Gauchetiere serves as a beacon to bring you back to where you have to catch your bus. The skyscraper stands 673 feet tall and has 51 floors. If you’re early for the bus and want to relax, the lobby has a decent food court, adjacent to an indoor skating rink.

The Bus

For the price, it’s got to be crammed, dirty and possibly dangerous, right? Not so. All the buses in Canada are quite new and come with modern features like free Wi-Fi and power outlets. Yes, seating is a little crammed but this is discount travel. Dangerous? Not that I could tell.

The Megabus coaches in Canada are Van Hool TD925 double-deck motorcoaches. Each are two floors with a side mounted engine. This means that on the ground floor, the seating on the driver side sit higher, above the engine. The seating on the passenger side is at car level. The ground floor does not go the full length as the cargo hold is at the back. The upper floor runs the full length of the vehicle and provides a unique travel opportunity for those in the front row of seats.

There is one washroom, at the back of the bottom floor. There are two stairways to the upper floor with only the rear one usable when the bus is in motion. The most coveted seating is the two tables on the lower floor with bench seating on the front and back.

About Megabus

The Megabus concept began in the United Kingdom in 2003. The company came to North America in 2006, at first serving just the United States and mostly around the New York City area. Megabus came to Canada in 2008 and currently serves just the Toronto – Montreal corridor. As mentioned, the buses are operated by Trentway-Wagar.

For those that have flown the discount airlines in Europe, like RyanAir, you will notice similarities in how things are run. Like RyanAir, there is no assigned seating and there is a bit of a stampede to get preferred seating.