Note: During 2016, all German Postbus and continental European Megabus routes were taken over and are bookable via Flixbus.
Megabus sells the cheapest tickets for traveling between cities inside Germany, e.g. Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart. Cheap bus travel is also possible to cities in neighboring countries including Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Rotterdam. Long-distance, intercity bus travel may not be the fastest or most comfortably way to travel but the bargain prices are hard to beat. Trains are rarely cheaper and with tickets as cheap as €1 (plus booking fee), Megabus travel is almost free for travelers with flexibility and advance reservations. Megabus offers free wifi in Germany and electric or USB sockets.
In the past two years, Megabus has been expanding fast in Germany – a market where intercity travel is traditionally done by train or private car. Several long-distance coach companies now offer competition to German Railways including market leader Flixbus (which incorporated both MeinFernBus and the Postbus) but the prices of Megabus are rarely undercut.
(Note: During 2016, all German Postbus and continental European Megabus routes were taken over and are bookable via Flixbus.)
Megabus tickets for travel in Germany can be as cheap as €1 (plus 50c booking fee) and these one-euro tickets are surprisingly easy to find if booking in a quiet month a week or two in advance. Even if booking only a day or two in advance astonishingly cheap tickets are available for travelers able to avoid journeys over weekend and vacation days.
Seats and legroom in Megabus intercity buses are usually somewhat tighter than in the coaches of the competitors in Germany but otherwise there is little to distinguish Megabus service from the others. Magazines and drinks may not be available on board but few travelers would really care.
Megabus buses offer free wifi, toilets, electric and USB sockets. Travelers may take for free up to 20 kg of luggage spread over up to three suitcases for the baggage hold plus a smaller hand luggage on board. A second seat may be booked for musical instruments and similar large fragile items.
Intercity buses in Germany generally use the same bus stations and stops in major cities so there is little to distinguish the companies by the convenience of the stops. In large cities, buses usually stop close to the main train station or at dedicated bus stations. A notable exception is Cologne (Köln) that has banned most buses from the city center with most now stopping at Cologne-Bonn Airport – from here, the 15-minute train journey cost €2.80 to remind many bus passengers why they changed from the train to coach in the first place.
The following Megabus bus routes are currently available in Germany:
From Berlin
From Bremen
From Frankfurt am Main
From Göttingen
From Hamburg
From Kassel
From Köln (Cologne)
From Leipzig
From München (Munich)
From Nürnberg (Nuremberg)
From Stuttgart
Megabus usually offer only two buses per day on most routings with one during the day and one over night. Flixbus often has more frequent services. Car-pooling – such as Blablacar –may also offer cheap alternatives but these journeys are often not advertised long in advance.
(Note: During 2016, all German Postbus and continental European Megabus routes were taken over and are bookable via FlixFlixbusbus.)