Hi all,
This is Jooah again! I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving 🍂😚.
This Thanksgiving break for me was a perfect mix of rest and excitement as I stayed on campus to enjoy the peaceful town of Amherst and also made two excursions out into Boston! Amherst is about a 1.5 ~ 2 hour car ride away from Boston depending on traffic, making a Boston trip a very feasible plan for students. In this post, I’ll walk you through the transportation options to get from Amherst to Boston (and vice versa).
Driving Zipcar to Boston!
#1: Zipcar
Zipcar is a car-sharing service. Renting a five-people sedan for an entire day costs about 140-160 dollars, with protection and gas covered. This means that if you carpool with your friends, it comes down to about 30 dollars per person + parking.
Parking can get a bit stressful in downtown Boston, but here are some options I like:
- Street parking at Newbury street
- Prudential Center garage with validated parking ticket (purchase of $25+)
- Affordable parking garages around the area (although it may be a bit of a walk from downtown Boston)
This is my favorite way of transportation because you can enjoy a nice drive with your friends, store your belongings in the car, and really be flexible with your day as you can drive within Boston also!
#2: Peter Pan Bus
If you don’t have a driver or are making a one-way trip, Peter Pan could be a good option for you. One trip costs about 35 dollars and takes about 2 hours with no transfer and 3.5 hours with one transfer. Although you would have to schedule your trip around the bus schedule, it is a widely-used option amongst the student body, especially for those who can’t drive. I’d say it is pretty reliable!
#3 Amherst College Shuttle
Amherst College offers students shuttles from campus to Boston for $20 during breaks. This may be the most affordable option, but it is very limited in day and time. It works just like any other shuttles–you sign up, show up on time, and depart.
If you want a reliable and affordable way to just get to the Boston airport to fly home for break, look out for the shuttle email and sign up ASAP as the shuttles are first come first serve!
#4 Carpool with other students
When getting to and from the airport for breaks, I like to find other students with similar flight schedules as mine and Uber with them. In order to do that, you can join school-wide rideshare GroupMe (group chats) or check out the Amherst College ride-share Google Sheet of students’ schedules and email.
I like this option over Peter Pan because it is faster, more convenient, and still pretty affordable. Moreover, I’ve surprisingly had great conversations with the students I’ve rideshared with so far, and they’ve become my friends I occasionally catch up with when I see them on campus.
These are major ways (I know of) in which Amherst students get to and from Boston. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at jobae28@amherst.edu!
See you next week,
Jooah