Megabus cheap ticket release dates?

[heart-of-wessex]

Hello all,

Does anyone know when new dates are added when (I assume) a chance is had for a £1 seat?

I've known a few people to bag a £1 European trip, but I have never come across one yet, so I'm trying to watch the website every day to bag one whilst it's there. However, when do these get released? I thought maybe for every day passed, a new one is added, however for the past 5 or so days, the maximum date is the 4th January 2015 and has been like that since. Even when I looked at it, it was a minimum of £25, so I guess a few people have already booked on it (London - Tolouse. I must admit, I'm surprised the amount of people snapping up this route for that Sunday already)

 

[starrymarkb]

You are either brave or foolhardy. Also I should add that £1 tickets may not be released if they are expecting a busy service due to events in France/Spain. Cheaper tickets may be released later if the coach isn't filling as quickly as expected as well.

Though why you'd want to spend however many hours on a rammed Megabus spec Interdeck I have no idea. 20 hours on a VIP Spec Irizar PB with two seats to myself was bad enough!

 

[Volvodart]

Sometimes they announce it on the Megabus twitter page. Also, Scottish Citylink internal Scotland joint venture services often get released first, so you could keep an eye on that and keep checking Megabus after that.

 

[dzug2]

It used to be 42 days but things seem rather more fluid these days

 

[heart-of-wessex]

You are either brave or foolhardy. Also I should add that £1 tickets may not be released if they are expecting a busy service due to events in France/Spain. Cheaper tickets may be released later if the coach isn't filling as quickly as expected as well.

Though why you'd want to spend however many hours on a rammed Megabus spec Interdeck I have no idea. 20 hours on a VIP Spec Irizar PB with two seats to myself was bad enough!

Oh right, wasn't sure how it works, as I thought it was by seats, i.e the first 5 or some figure was £1 then goes up as more seats are taken.

Brave I suppose!? Never done Megabus euro so I have no idea of what's used. Last time I did Megabus was in 2003 on some bendy coach from London to Glasgow and return for £1 each way. It was two on the Glasgow, our one and a red Olympian with bench seats! (which got stuck at Keele Services as the driver went home and didn't hand the keys to the relief driver!)
Can't recall what exact Olympian it was.

Only £1 fare I've found on there recently was Bristol to Bath!

Maybe I'm better off sticking with EasyJet? I was going to do Megabus to Holland (for next week) but booked an EasyJet from Gatwick to Hamburg instead.

I am tempted one day to try the sleeper coach from Bristol to Glasgow, then maybe fly back, just to try it out...

 

[Deerfold]

Oh right, wasn't sure how it works, as I thought it was by seats, i.e the first 5 or some figure was £1 then goes up as more seats are taken.

I think on the international services there's usually just one seat at £1.

 

[starrymarkb]

It's basically a standard UK spec Megabus, same seats and comfort (Usually either a LHD VanHool or Interdeck seconded from Megabus UK. Expect a Customs search at Dover, they take far more of an interest in the budget coaches then tour coaches.

And Being Megabus they will ensure the coach is full using their Yield Management.

 

[maqist]

Hello all,
Does anyone know when new dates are added when (I assume) a chance is had for a £1 seat?

Up until recently megabus have released their coach tickets in tranches four or five times a year, but between September and October they were releasing them daily at midnight. The daily releases stopped when they released their Christmas timetable that runs until January 4th.

In my experience over the past two or three years the tickets for January, February and March were all released on the first Friday in December (typical when I'm in London and far far away from my computer). For the past several years they have offered free (apart from the booking fee) trips on their UK services during those months. Last year (well January 2014) for the first time they included some of their European routes in the promotion but this was announced at a later date. I don't know if they will be doing that again this year.

Due in part to good luck, being online at the right time, and noticing the above patterns since traveling on the very first Megabus to Paris for 90p I have made the trips to Amsterdam, Cologne and most recently Barcelona (a surprisingly tolerable trip aided by the 3 hour stopover in Paris) each time for £1 each way or less.

 

[sonic2009]

I did Paris and back last year from Birmingham for £2 return , it may have changed now with driver stops etc, we weren't searched at Dover and travelled via Eurotunnel. A driver change was completed at Bolounge.

 

[extendedpaul]

Up until recently megabus have released their coach tickets in tranches four or five times a year, but between September and October they were releasing them daily at midnight. The daily releases stopped when they released their Christmas timetable that runs until January 4th.

In my experience over the past two or three years the tickets for January, February and March were all released on the first Friday in December (typical when I'm in London and far far away from my computer). For the past several years they have offered free (apart from the booking fee) trips on their UK services during those months. Last year (well January 2014) for the first time they included some of their European routes in the promotion but this was announced at a later date. I don't know if they will be doing that again this year.

Due in part to good luck, being online at the right time, and noticing the above patterns since traveling on the very first Megabus to Paris for 90p I have made the trips to Amsterdam, Cologne and most recently Barcelona (a surprisingly tolerable trip aided by the 3 hour stopover in Paris) each time for £1 each way or less.

My son and his mate are keen to go to Barcelona next spring using megabus. Can you say what opportunities there are to get off the coach for a break on the 14 hour stretch between Paris and Barcelona ? The timetable suggests none at all !
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I think on the international services there's usually just one seat at £1.

That's the reverse of my experience ! I've never managed to get two £1 seats on a UK journey unless wholly within Scotland, but I had two Barcelona December returns in my basket for a total of £4.50 not long ago. It's led to my son planning a trip there next year if we can get the same deal.

Incidentally Megabus have quietly discontinued the £5 flat fare on Wednesdays.

 

[maqist]

Can you say what opportunities there are to get off the coach for a break on the 14 hour stretch between Paris and Barcelona ? The timetable suggests none at all !

I traveled on the 1030 departure form Victoria and the first opportunity to leave the coach came on board the Eurotunnel. At the driver changer over in Boulogne some people found time for a quick cigaret. We arrived in Paris at 1900 and had two hours before rejoining the coach (The people who traveled from London on the same coach were allowed to board first before all the people starting their journey there). Upon leaving Paris after about 3 hours there was a 45+ minute stop at a service station (while the driver got his statutory rest). Another 2-3 hours later there was a 15 minute break at the driver change over point. There was another 45+ minute break at a service station shortly before entering Spain. The return journey was much the same, with an added break at immigration.

I would assume that each journey would have the break in Paris and the 2 breaks at service stations as the drivers need their rest, but other opportunities to leave the coach may be dependent on it running early and/or the drivers own desire for nicotine.

 

[Volvodart]

http://uk.megabus.com/free-seat-sale.aspx?utm_source=STATUS&utm_medium=TWITTER&utm_campaign=FREESEATSALE2014

Free Seat Sale 2014/15

The megabus wintersale is back and now it’s even bigger and better than before!

We have 20,000 free seats* available on journeys for travel from 12th January – 12th February 2015 in England, Wales, Scotland and Europe!

Book your seat now and forget about those January blues!

To get your hands on these free seats, use the search and buy section to find available journeys and book your ticket for your chance to get one of the thousands of free seats at megabus.com.

If you don't manage to get a free seat this time, don’t worry, there are still loads of seats available with prices starting from £1 + 50p booking!

Where will you travel to in 2015 on your free seat?

*50p booking fee and further Terms & Conditions apply.

 

[Deerfold]

http://uk.megabus.com/free-seat-sale.aspx?utm_source=STATUS&utm_medium=TWITTER&utm_campaign=FREESEATSALE2014

Hmm, my routes only seem to have booking available until Jan 17th with no obvious free seats (though lots of £1 ones).

EDIT: there are some available but still there's only 6 bookable days.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Hmm, my routes only seem to have booking available until Jan 17th with no obvious free seats (though lots of £1 ones).

EDIT: there are some available but still there's only 6 bookable days.

Same here for Scotland, can only book up until the 17th of January with a lot of £1 seats...

 

[Starmill]

Doing Manchester - Leeds there are loads of free seats on Monday 12th Jan - Thursday 15th Jan.

EDIT make that I have now booked a ticket for this journey on one of these days. Never ever used Megabus in my life before, not sure what to expect. Do they even use tickets?

 

[causton]

With Megabus you just need the reference code on your phone, email, printed paper, back of a receipt, as long as they can read it to check it off their list...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
T&C condition 14 may explain

"14. Tickets are available on a daily basis as we operate bookings on a 60 day rolling window, meaning that you can book travel up to 60 days in advance"

 

[extendedpaul]

Doing Manchester - Leeds there are loads of free seats on Monday 12th Jan - Thursday 15th Jan.

EDIT make that I have now booked a ticket for this journey on one of these days. Never ever used Megabus in my life before, not sure what to expect. Do they even use tickets?

In my opinion you get a fine service for what you pay and sometimes you don't even have to do that. Most of the coaches are less than five years old, a lot are now double deckers, the vast majority of the drivers are friendly and very professional. There are, however, few opportunities to get off the coach even on long journeys. Also if your plans change it only costs a pound to use what you paid towards a new journey up to 24 hours before travel.