Next week, there will be a new, convenient and unbeatably affordable way for Milwaukee residents to visit Chicago.

On April 10, megabus.com will launch daily non-stop bus service from downtown Milwaukee to downtown Chicago, with tickets that cost as low as $1 if booked early.

The launch trip from Milwaukee to Chicago took place on March 22. Passengers were transported directly to the Navy Pier for a press conference about the new bus service and afterward, they took a sightseeing tour of Chicago in a double-tiered bus.

Ivory Black, 24, a 2004 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, attended the launch trip with her uncle and his friend.

“It’s comfy,” Black said. “It reminded me of flying on an airplane.”

The buses feature cushioned seating, televisions and a lavatory.

Black is a cultural anthropologist, and her favorite part of the trip was the tour of Chicago and learning the city’s history. She also liked the convenience of megabus.com.

Megabus.com, which is operated by Coach USA, will run from Milwaukee to Chicago roughly every two and a half hours from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The bus will arrive at its stop adjacent to Chicago’s Union Station on South Canal Street about an hour and a half after departing from Milwaukee.

Other methods of travel from Milwaukee to Chicago are more expensive and much less convenient. The cost of gas for driving a car to Chicago far exceeds a bus ticket, not to mention the cost of parking one’s car downtown.

The Metra train runs from Kenosha, which is about a half-hour drive from downtown Milwaukee, to Chicago. Metra’s departure schedules are often inconvenient, especially on weekends.

On Saturdays and Sundays, there are no routes between 8:47 a.m. and 6:49 p.m. Metra routes make frequent stops along the way, so the trip usually takes more than an hour and a half. Tickets cost $5 on Saturday and Sunday, and $6.40 on weekdays.

The Milwaukee megabus.com travel stop is one of the first in North America. Other travel stops include Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and St. Louis.

Passengers are allowed to carry on one bag up to the size of a standard suitcase and one item of hand luggage, like a purse or small to medium-sized bag.

The megabus.com Web site is the only way to purchase bus tickets. Once purchased, an e-ticket reservation number serves as a one-way ticket and is to be given to the bus driver.

Children under 3 are free, but still need reservations to guarantee they will have seats. Tickets may be booked up to 45 days in advance.

“I would definitely recommend this to family and friends, and any groups and organizations,” Black said. “You can really make an outing out of it.”

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