# FlixBus starts Minneapolis - Chicago route



## jebr (Sep 9, 2021)

Just saw that FlixBus is operating a new route from Minneapolis to Chicago. Timing is roughly 9 AM - 5 PM in each direction, with Minneapolis -> Chicago running Thursday through Monday and Chicago -> Minneapolis running Friday through Tuesday. Tickets start at $30. Looks like they've expanded pretty quickly over the past three years since they started in the US, and there seems to be some competitive pressure needed on the MSP - Chicago route (both Megabus and Greyhound have gotten relatively expensive, so much so that Amtrak is often the cheapest option or on par with the other options for pricing after fees are considered in.)

I'm planning on trying it on the way home from the Gathering as the timing is quite a bit better than Amtrak for arrival into MSP when I'm planning on working the next day.


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## Eric S (Sep 9, 2021)

Hmm, interesting. I believe Flixbus started Milwaukee - Chicago service not too long ago. (It might be a longer Milwaukee - Indianapolis/Cincinnati/Columbus-or-something route through Chicago.) At that time, I seem to recall comments from Flixbus that it was considering additional services to or through Chicago/Milwaukee.


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## jebr (Sep 9, 2021)

Eric S said:


> Hmm, interesting. I believe Flixbus started Milwaukee - Chicago service not too long ago. (It might be a longer Milwaukee - Indianapolis/Cincinnati/Columbus-or-something route through Chicago.) At that time, I seem to recall comments from Flixbus that it was considering additional services to or through Chicago/Milwaukee.



I wonder how much of it is influenced by Megabus/Coach USA almost entirely abandoning the Midwest/Great Lakes market. Back in the early 2010s, Megabus would run 4-8 scheduled routes a day from Minneapolis to Chicago, with separate routes going to Madison and Milwaukee along the way. That's been reduced to two single-decker runs a day, both stopping in both Madison and Milwaukee along the way. At least the route still have service, though - Megabus now runs no other routes out of Chicago (the MSP operation is based out of the Wisconsin Coach Lines garage/office) where they used to have daily, often multiple-times-a-day service running in every direction out of Chicago. I remember (somewhat fondly) taking cheap bus trips out to the East Coast and Atlanta on Megabus, none of which are possible now (and were being curtailed even pre-COVID-19.)

With FlixBus now on the scene, I'm glad to see the more direct Madison routing back (which is shorter than the route through Milwaukee) and hope they have the means to expand route options and maybe even get enough scale to have cheaper pricing (while the $1 fares on Megabus are clearly promotional, it was lovely to have $10-$20 options to get to Chicago and another $10-$20 to continue onward.) They're partnering with Voigt's here in Minnesota, which is a longstanding charter bus company here that I would have no qualms with using and adds some legitimacy to the FlixBus operation here. I do hope down the road that they add a St. Paul stop, as backtracking to Minneapolis is annoying and Hudson, WI is only usable if you want to park your car in their lot.


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## WWW (Sep 9, 2021)

LINK - MSP to CHI:

Travel by bus from Minneapolis, MN to Chicago, IL on Sat, 11 Sep (flixbus.com) 

Have to play around with the schedule a bit does not operate every day.

LINK - Route Map

Bus Routes Overview | FlixBus: Discover the New Way to Travel 

Will have to pan and zoom the map - at the start of the website southern California ---
move east to the Great Lakes for more local stuff


Interesting the ALTERNATE forms of transportation that are available and YES I recall the Mega Bus
the fare sort of "whatever was in your pocket" - 4 bits ($0.50) will take that welcome aboard

What is really really is needed is that 2nd Chicago train - 3-4 coach cars and a cafe/concession car 
limited stops highball speed - something to clip the 350 mile route to 6 hours or less -
Consider city center to city center something very competitive with the airlines time and fare wise !


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