Weekend Trips by Megabus: 10 Cities You Can Reach Cheap From a Major Hub
Affordable weekend escapes from New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles, with sample fares and ideal departure times.
The cheapest weekend trip in North America is almost always one you take by bus. A Friday-evening Megabus and a Sunday-evening Megabus, plus two nights in a hostel or budget hotel, can produce a real weekend in a new city for under $150. Here are ten city pairs that deliver the best combination of low fare, short travel time, and a destination worth two nights.
From New York
NYC to Philadelphia. 2h 15m, $1 to $25 each way. Eat your way through the Italian Market, the Reading Terminal Market, and South Philly. Two days is the right length.
NYC to Washington DC. 4h 15m, $9 to $35 each way. The free Smithsonian museums alone justify the trip. Aim for a 6 PM Friday departure and a 6 PM Sunday return.
NYC to Boston. 4h 30m, $9 to $35 each way. Pair the Freedom Trail with a Saturday-night meal in the North End.
From Chicago
Chicago to Milwaukee. 1h 45m, $9 to $24 each way. The shortest weekend trip on this list. Lakefront brewery walking and Sunday-morning summerfest grounds make a great two-day visit.
Chicago to Madison. 3h 15m, $9 to $24 each way. State Street, the State Capitol, and the Saturday farmers market are walkable from any downtown hostel.
From Atlanta
Atlanta to Nashville. 4h 30m, $19 to $40 each way. Nashville's downtown is dense and walkable. Two nights is enough for honky-tonks, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and a Sunday-morning hot-chicken brunch.
From Los Angeles
LA to Las Vegas. 4h 30m to 5h, $19 to $50 each way. The classic weekender. Friday evening in, Sunday afternoon out, four meals at the casino buffets in between.
LA to San Diego. 2h 30m to 3h, $9 to $24 each way. Pacific Beach, La Jolla, the Gaslamp Quarter — a sunny urban beach weekend at half the cost of an Airbnb-only Pacific Beach trip.
From Toronto
Toronto to Niagara Falls. 2h 15m, $9 to $24 CAD each way. Skip the Falls hotels (too expensive) — base in St Catharines or Niagara-on-the-Lake and visit the Falls on Saturday afternoon.
Toronto to Montreal. 6h, $19 to $50 CAD each way. The longest trip on this list but worth it. Take the Friday afternoon bus, arrive in time for a late dinner in the Plateau, spend Saturday wandering Mile End and Old Montreal, return Sunday afternoon.
Booking strategy for weekend trips
The single best move is to book Friday-evening outbound and Sunday-morning return. Friday afternoon and Sunday evening are the peak demand windows and price accordingly. A Friday 7 PM departure gets you in by midnight; a Sunday 9 AM return gets you home by mid-afternoon.
Book both legs at once when the schedule first opens, six to eight weeks out. The two-leg booking does not get a discount, but pricing both ways at the schedule open is the only way to lock in the floor in both directions.
Skip rolling luggage. A 30-liter backpack is plenty for a two-night trip and saves you the underbus wait at the destination.