As someone whose hometown is in Upstate New York (and does not own a vehicle), how I was going to travel home was a major thing that I had to consider when I chose to go to Amherst College. Even though my home is only 4 hours away from Amherst, it can still feel like a very long distance. Thankfully, for my first year of college, my parents were very helpful, and would pick me up and bring me back for every break. But unfortunately this wasn’t an optimal situation, as it would equal 16 hours of driving for them in less than a week! This meant that I had to start looking into alternative ways to get myself home.
If you’re someone who lives a medium distance away from Amherst and are also considering traveling methods, looking into bussing and/or train options is a great place to start. Figuring out the different bus and train options that I had was somewhat of a struggle for me, so I hope that this helps you better navigate your own travel.
Here are some of the different bus/train lines:
- Peter Pan Busses: Peter Pan busses are a great option for Amherst College students because they have a bus stop right in the town of Amherst (about a 5 min walk from central campus). They go to multiple states and many cities, stretching from Maryland-Rhode Island. It is also a relatively cheap option, with tickets from Amherst to NYC costing about $50 max (prices do raise around breaks, due to the amount of students traveling). They also allow you to bring 1 suitcase, as well as a carry-on bag, for free, but you can pay a small fee if you need to bring extra luggage.
- Greyhound Busses: The bus company that I primarily use to travel home is Greyhound, which goes across the US and even through Canada and Mexico. They have a wider selection of stops than Peter Pan, so if you’re struggling to find your hometown area through Peter Pan, I would suggest giving Greyhound a look. I have found that the easiest way to take Greyhound busses is to board them at Springfield Union Station, which is about 35 minutes from Amherst. To get there, you can take an Uber, Peter Pan bus, or get a ride from a friend. Greyhound busses are also relatively cheap, with a bus from Springfield to NYC costing around $30-$50. A perk about this bus line is that you get assigned a seat (or can reserve one for a small fee), which means that you don’t have to worry about finding one on your own when you board!
- Amtrak Trains: I have not personally taken the train before, but I have heard from friends that it is somewhat more spacious and pleasant than taking a bus. There is a train station in Northampton, which is only about 20 minutes from Amherst and the free PVTA bus goes to it. Amtrak goes across most of the US, but tickets can be a bit more pricey than bus tickets, ranging from around $60-$100 from Amherst to NYC.
I recommend looking at those three companies online and taking travel time, layover time, and cost into consideration in order to find which company is best for you. Taking the bus alone can seem intimidating, especially if you’re traveling for multiple hours, but it’s honestly not too bad! My bus ride is about 5-6 hours, and I use the time in order to get homework done before breaks, so that I can relax while I’m home. I just recently traveled home for Thanksgiving break, and was able to get almost all of my readings done during the bus ride! I also recommend bringing to headphones so you can listen to music, and sleeping the ride away is always a good choice as well!
I hope you all have a good upcoming holiday week and enjoy spending time with friends and family! If you have any questions about traveling, I’d love to help. Feel free to reach out to me at @hsmith28@amherst.edu 🙂