For years, Megabus has been a reliable option for folks traveling between Midwest cities such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit.
But the company changes its route map often, and in fact, currently has no service to Cleveland at all.
Which routes does Megabus currently offer in these cities in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania? Read on as we detail the current options, as of the 2023 – 2024 season.
Current Pittsburgh Megabus Routes
Megabus service to Pittsburgh has fluctuated over the years. I personally took many Megabus many times over the years, and then service was cut for a few years.
But as of now, you can travel from Pittsburgh to the following major cities: Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Buffalo.
Routes are also offered to the following smaller Pennsylvania cities: Blairsville, Bradford, Clearfield, Delmont, DuBois, Harrisburg, Indiana, Johnsonburg, Kane, King of Prussia, Monroeville, Philipsburg, Punxsutwaney, Saint Marys, State College, and Sykesville.
Routes are also offered to the following smaller New York cities: Ellicottville, Olean, Salamanca, and Springville.
All bookings must be made at megabus.com.
Current Detroit Megabus Routes
From Detroit, Megabus travelers can go to major cities such as Chicago and Indianapolis.
Detroit residents can also travel to many smaller cities. In Michigan: Ann Arbor, Benton Harbor, East Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Holland, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marysville, Mount Clemens, New Baltimore, Pontiac, Purt Huron, Roseville, South Haven, and Southfield.
Indiana small towns with Megabus service from Detroit: Elkhart (home of the RV Museum), Gary (home of Michael Jackson’s birthplace), Kokomo, Plymouth, Rochester, South Bend (home of the Studebaker Museum.)
Other Detroit Megabus routes travel to Naperville, Illinois, and to the following cities in Canada: Toronto, Montreal, Kingston, London, and Windsor.
Current Cleveland Megabus Routes
Unfortunately, Cleveland has no Megabus service as of right now. In fact, there are no Megabus routes in the entire state of Ohio.
That’s unfortunate, as Cleveland used to serve as a bridge between the Midwest and Northeast cities. Riders from Chicago and other places west could transfer in Cleveland and ride to eastern destinations like NYC and Philadelphia.
In early 2023, Megabus did revive some routes from Columbus, Ohio, but due to insufficient demand, those routes were eliminated just a few months later.
For now, Ohio residents who wish to travel on Megabus have to take Amtrak, Greyhound, or Flixbus. Or, they can drive to Indianapolis, Detroit, or Pittsburgh, and then board a Megabus from there.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Pittsburgh to Detroit Route Ending
Below, see the original article, published a few years back, which detailed the news that the Pittsburgh to Cleveland to Detroit route was ending.
The only westbound Megabus route from Pittsburgh is no more. The low-cost carrier has announced it will be ending service on its Pittsburgh to Detroit (via Cleveland, Toledo and Ann Arbor) route after May 6.
Responding via email to our inquiry about the lack of available tickets for these routes beyond the first week of May, Mike Alvich, Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations for Megabus.com/Coach USA, said in a statement:
“Unfortunately, due to insufficient ridership, service on the Pittsburgh-Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit-Ann Arbor route will be discontinued after May 6. Customers in each market will have access to other service routes. There is always the possibility of resuming service or adding additional service options in the future if demand allows.”
The Pittsburgh to Cleveland route was a primary link between Megabus routes in the Great Lakes region and those in the Northeast.
For riders who chose to connect multiple Megabus trips to take longer journeys around the country (Chicago > Cleveland > Pittsburgh was one such option), the loss of the Pittsburgh-Cleveland route will be a big blow. Greyhound and Amtrak continue to offer a link between the cities.
In addition, Megabus will continue to operate other routes connecting cities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, including Columbus-Erie and Cleveland-State College.
Ann Arbor, Michigan will also be heavily affected by the change, as that city will lose all of its Megabus service except a couple of daily trips to and from Chicago.
Current Megabus Service from Pittsburgh
The level of Megabus service from Pittsburgh has fluctuated over the years. In March 2011, Pittsburgh was named the sixth Megabus hub.
At the time, riders could travel from Pittsburgh to 15 other cities, but that number will be down to six following the latest round of service changes.
After May 6, the remaining Megabus routes from Pittsburgh will allow riders to travel to Morgantown, Harrisburg, State College, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington DC.
As of this writing, riders from Pittsburgh can now travel to only two other destinations: State College (home of Penn State University), and New York City. That obviously makes it difficult to see most of the East Coast from the Burgh.
Cleveland has lost most of its service, too. The only current Cleveland route goes straight to NYC. That means that the Midwestern network of Megabus routes (from Indianapolis and Chicago to the west) no longer connect at all to the eastern network (Cleveland and to the east.)
As Pittsburgh is part of the Midwest, losing these routes is a blow for the bus network.
Meanwhile, Megabus no longer offers service in Michigan at all. So folks in Detroit and Ann Arbor have to find alternate methods of transport.
That’s unfortunate for budget travelers. At this point, you’re left with Greyhound, Amtrak, or possibly a budget airline like Frontier.
Check out our ultimate guide to traveling on Megabus, which has tips on securing the best seats and getting the cheapest tickets.
Megabus does changes its routes frequently in response to consumer demand, so keep checking their website to see the latest travel options available.
