Bus Travel in Florida: Routes, Fares, and What Happened to Megabus
by Wanderu
If you came here looking for the Megabus schedule in Florida, here’s the short version: there isn’t one anymore. The blue double-deckers and the famous $1 fares left the state, and this page now does the more useful job of covering who actually runs Florida’s buses and trains, what the rides cost, and where they board.
What happened to Megabus in Florida
Megabus’s parent company, Coach USA, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2024. The network came apart over the months that followed: route cuts across the South in August 2024, the Northeast corridor handed to Peter Pan that same month, and the remaining pieces sold to an affiliate of The Renco Group in November 2024. Florida didn’t make the cut. Megabus hasn’t published a Florida farewell note, but its site lists no Florida city today, and no Florida trip has been bookable on Wanderu since November 2024.
The good news: every Florida city Megabus served still has intercity service, usually more of it. The sections below cover the corridors, with live fares on the routes Wanderu sells.
| Destination | Travel time | From |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando to Miami | about 4 and a half to 5 hours by bus; about 3 and a half on the train | $24 Bus$27 Train |
| Tampa to Orlando | about 2 hours | $13 Bus |
| Miami to Tampa | about 5 and a half hours by bus | $30 Bus$27 Amtrak |
| Fort Lauderdale to Orlando | about 3 and a half hours by bus | $24 Bus$27 Train |
| Miami to Fort Lauderdale | under an hour by bus; about 35 minutes on the train | $7 Bus$15 Train |
| Miami to West Palm Beach | about 1 hour 20 minutes by bus | $13 Bus$15 Train |
| Miami to Key West | about 4 and a half hours | $22 Greyhound |
| Jacksonville to Orlando | about 2 hours 45 minutes by bus | $22 Bus$22 Amtrak |
| Gainesville to Orlando | about 2 hours | $23 Bus |
| Orlando to Daytona Beach | about 1 hour 10 minutes | $12 Bus |
| Orlando to Tallahassee | about 5 hours | $32 Bus |
| New York to Orlando | about 20 hours or more by bus | $88 Bus |
| Atlanta to Orlando | about 8 and a half hours | $45 Bus |
The main corridors
Four routes carry most of Florida’s intercity traffic, and every one of them has multiple bus companies competing on it. Fares below are live, the same “from” prices the route pages show.
Orlando to Miami
about 4 and a half to 5 hours by bus; about 3 and a half on the train
- Orlando to Miami busesfrom $24
- Orlando to Miami trainsfrom $27
The state’s busiest corridor, with around 30 bus departures a day. FlixBus runs the most trips, RedCoach runs the plushest ones in three classes, and Jet Set Express is reliably the cheap seat: its tickets on Wanderu typically ran about $31 in the year to September 2026, against about $42 for the corridor as a whole.
The train option is Brightline from MiamiCentral to Orlando’s airport station, faster than the bus but typically about $77 a ticket on Wanderu, roughly double the bus. Amtrak also runs the corridor the slow, cheap way. If you’re weighing comfort against price, Amtrak’s ticket rules are worth two minutes: our guide to Amtrak’s fare types covers which bucket to buy.
Tampa to Orlando
about 2 hours
- Tampa to Orlando busesfrom $13
The cheap one. I-4 is miserable to drive and the bus knows it: ten-plus departures a day, two hours, and a typical ticket of about $22 on Wanderu over the last year, with the cheapest bus ticket sold around $14. If you only ever take one Florida bus, it’s probably this one.
Miami to Tampa
about 5 and a half hours by bus
- Miami to Tampa busesfrom $30
- Miami to Tampa trainsfrom $27
Coast to coast across the peninsula. FlixBus and Greyhound run it all day, RedCoach runs it faster with fewer stops, and a typical bus ticket ran about $57 on Wanderu in the year to September 2026. Amtrak covers it too, usually cheaper, with a bus connection on part of the run, so check the schedule before you pick the rail option.
Fort Lauderdale to Orlando
about 3 and a half hours by bus
Same shape as the Miami corridor, an hour shorter. A typical bus ticket ran about $46 over the last year; Brightline covers it in about three hours from its Fort Lauderdale station, typically about $73.
South Florida short hops
Below the big corridors sits a dense little network of short rides where the bus and the train both work, and where the fares get genuinely cheap.
Miami to Fort Lauderdale
under an hour by bus; about 35 minutes on the train
The shortest hop on this page and the cheapest: bus tickets typically ran under $14, with the cheapest sold around $9, and Brightline’s short-distance fares typically ran about $18 to $20 a ticket on Wanderu over the last year. Tri-Rail covers the same stretch as a commuter line if you’re near one of its stations.
Miami to West Palm Beach
about 1 hour 20 minutes by bus
- Miami to West Palm Beach busesfrom $13
- Miami to West Palm Beach trainsfrom $15
Most booked trips on this pair ride Brightline, typically about $23 a ticket on Wanderu over the last year; the bus runs a few dollars cheaper, typically around $19. If the train sells out or the price spikes, the bus is the fallback, not the other way around.
Miami to Key West
about 4 and a half hours
- Miami to Key West busesfrom $22
Greyhound is the one scheduled bus down the Overseas Highway, three times a day, no transfer, typically about $33 a ticket on Wanderu over the last year. The ride itself is half the attraction. For the full car-free plan, including what to do once you’re there, see our guide to getting to the Florida Keys.
North Florida and the day trips
North of Orlando the network thins out but doesn’t disappear, and two of the cheapest rides in the state hide here.
Jacksonville to Orlando
about 2 hours 45 minutes by bus
- Jacksonville to Orlando busesfrom $22
- Jacksonville to Orlando trainsfrom $22
FlixBus runs it several times a day, typically about $38 a ticket on Wanderu over the last year, with the cheapest around $22. Amtrak covers the same pair on its Florida long-distance trains at a similar price.
Gainesville to Orlando
about 2 hours
- Gainesville to Orlando busesfrom $23
The Gators’ lifeline to the rest of the state, where $36 was the typical ticket over the last year. Buses board downtown at the Rosa Parks station, a short hop from campus.
Orlando to Daytona Beach
about 1 hour 10 minutes
- Orlando to Daytona Beach busesfrom $12
The beach day trip that doesn’t need a car: typically about $19 a ticket on Wanderu over the last year, the cheapest regularly under $15. A genuine under-$20 ride, now that the $1 Megabus ticket is history.
Orlando to Tallahassee
about 5 hours
- Orlando to Tallahassee busesfrom $32
The long haul to the capital, typically about $63 a ticket on Wanderu over the last year. Note the station if you’ve done this ride before: since December 2024, FlixBus and Greyhound board at the C.K. Steele Bus Plaza at 111 W. Tennessee St., across the street from the old terminal.
Getting to Florida from out of state
The long-distance market into Florida survived Megabus just fine. A few routes worth knowing:
New York to Orlando
about 20 hours or more by bus
- New York to Orlando busesfrom $88
The classic snowbird run. FlixBus launched a direct New York to Miami route in August 2026 that stops in Orlando, and Wanda Coach runs New York to Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa. The typical corridor ticket ran about $159 over the last year. It’s a long day, so if spring break is the occasion, plan the rest of the trip with our spring break city guide.
Atlanta to Orlando
about 8 and a half hours
- Atlanta to Orlando busesfrom $45
The route Megabus’s old Atlanta hub used to feed. FlixBus and Greyhound carry it now, typically about $77 a ticket on Wanderu over the last year.
Who runs Florida’s buses and trains now
FlixBus and Greyhound are one company now, and have been since Flix bought Greyhound in 2021. In Florida they share stops in almost every city, so treat them as one network with two paint jobs. Between them they run the most departures on every major corridor in the state.
RedCoach is the premium option: reclining seats, three classes, and stops aimed at airports and campuses across about two dozen Florida cities. It usually costs more than FlixBus and less than the train.
Jet Set Express is South and Central Florida’s cheap workhorse, running Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Port St. Lucie, Kissimmee and Orlando. On the Orlando to Miami corridor it’s consistently the lowest fare on the page.
Brightline runs the fast trains: Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando, with a Stuart station announced for the second half of 2026. One honest caveat: Brightline’s holding company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2026. The operating company that runs the Florida trains isn’t part of the filing and service is running normally, but if your plans are months out, check the news before you build them around a Brightline schedule.
Amtrak covers Florida with the Silver Meteor and, as of fall 2026, the Floridian, both running the Jacksonville to Miami spine. Within the state it’s often the cheapest rail option, at the cost of speed. And Wanda Coach runs the long-haul New York routes to Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, if you’re coming from up north.
Where buses board in each city
Half the old Megabus stops were parking lots. Today’s network mostly boards at real terminals, and a few have moved in the last two years, so double-check the stop on your ticket:
- Miami: Greyhound and FlixBus board at the Miami Intermodal Center next to the airport, at 3801 NW 21st St. RedCoach boards at Miami International Airport’s Terminal H departures level.
- Orlando: the main bus station at 555 N John Young Pkwy, with a second FlixBus and Greyhound stop at the Florida Mall.
- Tampa: 1315 N Marion St downtown, shared by FlixBus and Greyhound.
- Jacksonville: the JTA Intercity Bus Terminal at 1111 W Forsyth St.
- Fort Lauderdale: the airport is the main boarding point, with additional stops at the Broward Park & Ride and the Sheridan St. Tri-Rail station in Hollywood.
- Gainesville: the Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station at 700 SE 3rd St.
- Tallahassee: the C.K. Steele Bus Plaza at 111 W Tennessee St, since December 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Is Megabus still running in Florida?
No. Megabus routes in Florida stopped being bookable in late 2024, after its parent company Coach USA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2024 and sold off its operations. The Megabus brand still exists in the Northeast (operated by Peter Pan) and in Mexico, but as of October 2026 it lists no Florida cities and no Florida trips.
What replaced Megabus in Florida?
FlixBus and Greyhound (now the same company) run the most Florida routes, boarding at shared stops in most cities. RedCoach runs premium coaches in three classes, Jet Set Express covers South and Central Florida cheaply, and Brightline and Amtrak carry the rail side. Every city Megabus served in Florida still has scheduled service today.
What is the cheapest bus route in Florida?
Of the major corridors, Tampa to Orlando: about 2 hours, with tickets typically around $22 on Wanderu over the year to September 2026 and the cheapest bus ticket sold around $14. The cheapest short hop is Miami to Fort Lauderdale, where bus tickets typically ran under $14. For a beach day, Orlando to Daytona Beach typically ran about $19.
Should I take the bus or Brightline between Miami and Orlando?
Brightline is faster: about 3 and a half hours against 4 and a half to 5 by bus. The bus is cheaper: typically about $42 a ticket on Wanderu over the year to September 2026, and about $31 on Jet Set Express, against about $77 on Brightline. If the price gap is small on your date, take the train; if it isn't, the bus wins.
How do I get to Key West without a car?
Greyhound runs three direct buses a day from Miami down the Overseas Highway, about 4 and a half hours, with tickets typically around $33 on Wanderu over the year to September 2026. It is the only scheduled bus to Key West.
Does Amtrak still serve Florida?
Yes. The Silver Meteor runs New York to Miami through Jacksonville, Orlando, and the east coast cities, and the Floridian connects Chicago and Washington, D.C. to the same Florida corridor. Within the state, Amtrak is often the cheap, slow option on pairs like Jacksonville to Orlando and Miami to Tampa.
The “from” prices on this page refresh from Wanderu’s route data: each is the cheapest fare recently available on that route, the same figure its route page shows. What you pay depends on when you book. “Typical” fares are the median paid per ticket on a single leg, across Wanderu bookings between October 2025 and September 2026. Travel times are median booked durations on Wanderu. Operator and station details are from the operators’ own announcements, current as of October 2026.
Pssst — get our best stories in your inbox
One email a week. Cheap trips, honest guides, zero fake urgency. Chiku's got your back.