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Megabus is expanding service options in Las Vegas and Reno as part of a new partnership between the company and Salt Lake Express, an Idaho-based shuttle service. The partnership, which expands service options in 75 cities across the Northwest U.S. and California, includes daily trips between Las Vegas and Mesquite or Pahrump, and ultimately connects the southern and northern regions of Nevada. There are a handful of stations in Las Vegas, including on the Strip at the Fashion Show Mall and in downtown Las Vegas at South 1st Street and Garces Avenue. May 23, 2023. Brian Ramos
Saturday, May 27, 2023 | 2 a.m.
As summer travelers book flights or map out road trips to their vacation destinations, there’s another option they may need to consider: the bus.
It’s eco-friendly, it’s affordable and it’s overall just an easier option in many cases, said Colin Emberson, Megabus vice president of commercial. Passengers who take the bus can skip the long security lines at the airport, and read a book or nap instead of driving themselves, he said.
“It’s simple,” Emberson said. “It gets you where you need to be, and some people just really like the view out the window and being able to take in the countryside.”
Megabus is expanding service options in Las Vegas and Reno as part of a new partnership between the company and Salt Lake Express, an Idaho-based shuttle service.
The partnership, which expands service options in 75 cities across the Northwest U.S. and California, includes daily trips between Las Vegas and Mesquite or Pahrump, and ultimately connects the southern and northern regions of Nevada.
There are a handful of stations in Las Vegas, including on the Strip at the Fashion Show Mall and in downtown Las Vegas at South 1st Street and Garces Avenue.
Megabus has been building partnerships around the country over the last six months or so, Emberson said, because teaming up with high-quality operators like Salt Lake Express allows customers to continue relying on the familiar Megabus brand and ticket platform, while accessing areas the company may not otherwise reach. The Salt Lake Express station is at Harry Reid International Airport.
“So it’s kind of helping grow both businesses by teaming up and seeing what we can do together,” he said, noting that Megabus has already seen sales come through on Salt Lake Express’ services.
The partnership not only benefits both bus companies, but the customer as well, said Kathy Pope, a media marketing representative for Salt Lake Express.
Customers are the “winners” of the relationship between Megabus and Salt Lake Express, she said, because now they can travel cross-country and connect through Megabus, Salt Lake Express and their other partners as needed.
“We just love this new partnership we have with Megabus because now we can take all these interstate routes that we’re currently doing and make connections into other areas,” Pope said, citing Salt Lake Express’ existing partnerships with companies like Greyhound. “So all the places that Megabus now goes to, we can connect with them, and they can connect with us.”
Bus itineraries can span different cities and companies, similar to flight connections on the airlines, Pope said. She cited the routes between small Nevada towns and cities like Reno or Las Vegas as an example, explaining that an intercity bus network could virtually send them from those places to anywhere they want to go in the U.S.
“These people that don’t drive or don’t want to drive need options,” Pope said. “They don’t have a lot of money and it’s so expensive to fly these days. And some people just won’t — they refuse.”
Emberson also emphasized the need to grow partnerships between bus companies and build a nationwide network like that of air travel, so people can travel not only directly — “from A to B” — but also beyond it — “from B to C.”
Service between Reno and Las Vegas has grown exceptionally since its inception about three years ago, Pope said, and so has service around Nevada that expands travel options for people outside of the big cities.
In light of increased demand and anticipated summer travel, Megabus announced this a new route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, with four daily trips to be made available between the cities beginning Thursday, officials said in a news release.
The company will also have travel options to Barstow and Riverside, the release said.
Bus tickets are increasingly more affordable than the price of gas for a road trip, she added, and there’s no chance of being caught in an airport due to flight delays. For example, a ticket for round trip travel from Las Vegas to Reno is $90, according to the company’s online booking.
“You just throw your bags on the bus and get on,” Pope said. “ You sit back and relax. You can sleep. You can see the beautiful scenery.”
