Bus to Memphis: Operators, Stops and Onward Travel

Your Memphis coach budget needs to cover the ticket, any extra bags and the journey from Airways Transit Center to Court Square. Weigh the ticket and arrival transfer together, especially if you could share an existing car instead. Your arrival time also determines whether a local bus is a practical option.

Bus or car from Nashville

Nashville–Memphis operators

Greyhound and FlixBus

Advertised minimum coach ride

3 hours 20 minutes

Starting one-way fare per person

Greyhound $37.98 / FlixBus $35.98

Daily connections

Five, as advertised by both operators

Published first / last departure

4am / 10:10pm

The coach suits you without a car, but sharing an existing car can be cheaper. Compare the whole journey from Nashville Public Square to Court Square in Memphis, including the arrival transfer rather than just the coach ticket.

The approach from Nashville Public Square to Nashville Bus Station is about 1.2 miles on foot, taking about 28 minutes. Combining that walk, the minimum coach ride and the Memphis road transfer gives roughly 4 hours 5 minutes of travelling time. Allow another 20–30 minutes for boarding and 5–15 minutes for pickup, potentially longer overnight.

Coach versus an existing car: Nashville Public Square to Court Square

Pros

• No car hire required, and you can leave the driving to someone else.
• A daytime MATA connection can reduce the arrival-transfer cost.

Cons

• At starting fares, one coach ticket plus a private road transfer is roughly $60–$85 per person travelling alone, before extra bags.
• Driving covers about 215 miles in about 3 hours, before breaks or parking. Estimate $25–$45 for fuel per vehicle, depending on consumption and fuel prices, then divide between passengers.
• Boarding and pickup add time beyond the coach travelling-time benchmark.
• Extra bags can increase the coach fare, and you must handle your luggage again for the onward transfer.

Tickets, luggage and boarding

• For the Nashville journey, depart from Nashville Bus Station, 709 Rep John Lewis Way South. Show your ticket to security before entering the lobby. Greyhound uses the Greyhound Station, and FlixBus boards at Gate D or E.
• Greyhound: show the ticket’s QR code for the driver to scan. Without the ticket, you may present valid ID. Travel on another carrier requires a printed ticket.
• FlixBus: show your booking confirmation on your phone, in the app or as a mobile ticket.
• Jefferson Lines: present an electronic or printed boarding pass to the driver.
• Greyhound luggage: one small duffel bag or backpack and one stored bag are included.
• FlixBus luggage: one carry-on up to 25 lb and 1⅓ × 1 × 7⁄12 feet, plus one stored bag up to 50 lb and 2⁷⁄₁₂ × 1⅔ × 1 feet, are included. Some lines have different allowances.
• Jefferson Lines luggage: one carry-on up to 25 lb, fitting overhead or under the seat, and one checked bag up to 50 lb and 5⅙ feet in combined exterior dimensions are included. Up to three additional bags cost $20 each, with five bags maximum per passenger. Overweight bags attract an extra fee.

Include extra luggage in your journey budget, especially when comparing a coach ticket with shared car costs. Keep your boarding pass accessible rather than packed in your stored bag.

Operators and the Airways terminal

FlixBus serves Memphis, alongside Greyhound and Jefferson Lines. All three use Memphis Bus Station at MATA Airways Transit Center, south of downtown. Different operator names on tickets refer to the same arrival complex, not separate downtown stops.

After the coach journey from Nashville Bus Station, Court Square is still an onward journey from the Airways terminal. Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) buses provide the local connection, separate from the intercity coach service. Choose between the daytime local bus and a taxi or ride-hailing pickup according to your arrival time and luggage.

From the terminal to downtown

From Airways Transit Center, board MATA Route 28 Airport towards William Hudson Transit Center for the daytime downtown connection. The May 2026 timetable gives these weekday departures from Airways:

• 6:11am
• 8:11am
• 10:11am
• 2:11pm
• 4:11pm

The adult one-way fare is $0 while MATA’s Zero Fare 90-Day Pilot Program applies. For paid service, pay cash onboard or buy a ticket through GO901 or at a MATA Transit Center. Activate a mobile ticket just before boarding and scan it at the onboard validator. If the validator malfunctions, show the ticket to the driver.

At William Hudson Transit Center, continue on foot to Court Square, about 0.7 miles and about 17 minutes away. This final walk matters if you are carrying stored luggage as well as a backpack.

Choose a direct road transfer if luggage or reduced mobility makes the bus-and-walk option unsuitable. Airways Transit Center to Court Square is about 10 miles and about 15 minutes by road. Budget roughly $25–$45 per vehicle for a taxi or ride-hailing trip, with demand and vehicle size affecting the price. Pickup time is additional to the drive.

Sources & fact-checking

Checks against the sources below cover: fares and charges, as well as services.

• Greyhound and FlixBus — service
• FlixBus and Greyhound — service
• Bus Travel Tips & FAQs
• Bus from Memphis, TN to Minneapolis, MN – Affordable bus tickets
• Ticket Purchasing Options For Bus Travel at Jefferson Lines
• Greyhound Baggage Policies
• FlixBus U.S. Help: Baggage
• Baggage Policy | Jefferson Lines
• Greyhound — fares and charges
• Route 28 — Airport
• Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) — fares and charges
• Route 28 Airport timetable
• Route 12 Mallory schedule
• FAQs | GO901TRANSIT.com
• Greyhound, FlixBus, and Jefferson Lines — service