BEND, OR -- A new bus service is now in Oregon, providing daily trips to more than a dozen cities, including Portland, Bend, Eugene and Klamath Falls. Megabus is one of the largest bus companies in North America. It launched service in Oregon this week, through a partnership with Pacific Crest Bus Lines. 

Megabus Vice President Colin Emberson says this is just a first step in a plan to eventually connect Oregon with its nationwide system, "By using partnerships and teaming up with really good operators in geographies that we’re not - and here, what we’re doing is partnership with Pacific Crest - it’s allowed us to add just over 400 cities to our network in the last 12 months." He tells KBND News this latest partnership connects a total of 24 cities in Oregon and California, "Like with an airline with connecting flights - so it’s not just about where you can go on that one bus, but where can you get to, say if you get into Denver, you can go all the way east to Indianapolis. And then from Indianapolis, all the way east to New York."
Megabus offers same-day ticketing, although Emberson urges holiday travelers to book in advance, "When we started Megabus years ago, we were a bit surprised to find out that even somebody, for a 10 hour bus trip, there’s a lot of people buying that ticket a couple hours, 30 minutes before."

Emberson says bus travel should be comfortable, "They’re all ADA accessible with various amenities, like outlets and wifi and things of that nature. So, the more luxurious, over the road, not your transit bus, but obviously for something like a couple hours on the bus, a bathroom is pretty important." He also believes it attracts eco-conscious travelers, "When you compare bus to other modes of transportation like, obviously the car or even planes or trains, it’s by far the most environmentally friendly option."

New daily trips are available between Bend and these 13 Oregon cities:

• Altamont
• Chemult
• Chiloquin
• Crescet
• Eugene
• Gilchris
• Klamath Falls
• La Pine
• Portland
• Redmond
• Salem 
• Sisters
• Sunriver

The partnership also includes additional trips between Portland and three cities, Salem and three cities and Eugene and two cities. Schedules and tickets are available HERE.