Blue double-decker buses began rolling out of Hollywood’s Sheridan Street Tri-Rail station Thursday morning, marking Megabus’ first day of service out of Broward County to Orlando and Tampa.
Megabus, which offers at least one $1 fare on all its trips and several others seats for only a few dollars more, is now running multiple, nonstop buses to Orlando and Tampa. Buses arrive and depart daily from the Tri-Rail station at 2900 Sheridan St.
What’s the key to scoring $1 rides?
“Book early,” recommended Patrice Manley, who has bought the coveted tickets before for other Megabus trips. Though the South Florida resident didn’t find a $1 ticket for her trip to Orlando Thursday, she said they do come around.
Booking trips weeks in advance increases a travelers’ chances of finding the lucky $1 tickets, said Megabus spokesman Ismael Mendoza.
Fares increase as the travel date gets closer. If customers don’t get the $1 fare, they might still find other low-cost tickets, Mendoza said.
On Thursday, one-way trips to Orlando on Saturday averaged $20. For Sept. 30, tickets were $1. Same for Tampa on both days.
It’s also easier to get the cheap fares on less traveled days like Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, according to Megabus.
Tickets can only be purchased online at megabus.com and there’s a $1.50 booking fee. Trips to Orlando last about four hours. It takes about five hours to get to Tampa.
Aside from the low fares, Megabus customers on Thursday said they loved the ease of travel the company offered.
“This is much more convenient,” said 19-year-old Jessica Cortes. The Pembroke Pines resident was heading to Orlando to spend a week with her sister.
“I don’t have to worry about gas or driving. That’s tiring,” Cortes said. “I can just sleep on the bus.”
Cortes paid about $40 round trip, much less than what she might have spent in gas driving, she said.
The inexpensive travel option should help tourism. Last year, about 13.4 million people visited Broward County, creating an economic impact of about $10.6 billion, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The bureau hopes Megabus’ service will help boost visitor counts to 14 million this year.
“Megabus is another vehicle to get us to that goal,” said Carlos M. Molinet, senior vice president at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Megabus’ new service out of Hollywood is the latest in its expansion in Florida.
In May, the New Jersey-based company launched service between Miami, Tampa and Tallahassee. Other Florida cities with Megabus service are Gainesville, Jacksonville and Orlando.
Orlando and other cities dispatch buses out of state to places such as Atlanta, New Orleans and Mobile, Ala..
Jean Sasso — whose final destination was Atlanta — left from Hollywood to Orlando Thursday after spending a month with her son in Pembroke Pines.
“This will be my new way of traveling,” said Sasso, 67. “It’s easy. I don’t have to worry about anything.”
Her son, Dominic Sasso, has less to worry about, too. On her mother’s way down to Florida, he had to drive to Orlando to pick her up.
“I don’t have to go to Orlando anymore,” Dominic Sasso said. “This is even closer than going to the airport.”
, 954-356-4526, Twitter @MiriamValverde
INFOBOX
What: Megabus, an express bus company
Where: Arrives and departs from Sheridan Street Tri-Rail station in Hollywood, 2900 Sheridan St.
Destinations: Daily non-stop service from Hollywood to Orlando and Tampa
Tickets: Online at megabus.com; not sold on site
How to get $1 tickets: Book your trip as early as possible; tickets are sold weeks in advance. Ticket prices go up as your travel date approaches. Prices also depend on the time of day traveled. The best days to score the $1 fare are on less traveled days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Tips: Online, the Hollywood stop is listed as “Fort Lauderdale.” Sort trips by price by clicking the arrow on the “price” column on search results; reverse it to get the lowest prices first. Megabus assures at least one $1 fare on each trip.
