Travel
Coming By BusBus service to the UMass campus is by Peter Pan Bus Lines (the company was founded by Peter Picknelly), which is based in Springfield, and serves much of New England. They connect and cooperate with Trailways and Greyhound, at Springfield and other major terminals. If you bought a bus ticket to Amherst with another line, the last segment of it will be on a Peter Pan bus. Peter Pan also has service to and from Bradley Field, our nearest airport.
Terminal and Stop Locations
Boston. The Peter Pan / Greyhound Ticket Plaza is at South Station, 700 Atlantic Avenue. For schedule information call the toll-free numbers (800) 343-9999 or (800) 231-2222. There may be a wait until you get an answer.
New York. Peter Pan service to Springfield and Amherst leaves from the lower level (north wing) of the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Arrivals are at the upper level (south wing). Phone: either of the 800 numbers given above, under Boston, or the local (212) 564-8484 or (212) 967-2900. Purchase tickets at any Trailways or Greyhound ticket counter in either wing.
Bradley Airport (Windsor Locks, Connecticut). The bus picks up passengers at both Terminal A and Terminal B. The driver will come inside to check if passengers are waiting. The contact point is at the Connecticut Limousine ticket counter, which is near the left end of the row of ground transportation counters just opposite the Baggage Claim area in each terminal. You will pay the driver $13 for the trip to Springfield, and then buy a ticket in Springfield ($5.50) for the second stage of the trip to Amherst. (These numbers may have changed recently).
Springfield. The Springfield bus terminal is at 1776 Main Street, at the north end of the main business district. Connections can be made here to other bus lines, or to Amtrak, whose terminal is two blocks away. To get to the bus terminal from Amtrak, turn right as you emerge from the Amtrak station and go a block to Main Street. Cross Main Street, turn right, and follow the sidewalk under the train overpass. The bus terminal is on your left. One-way fare to UMass/Amherst is $5.50.
Amherst. There is a Peter Pan terminal at 79 South Pleasant Street, across from the Town Common, where the bus briefly pauses before going on to UMass. Remain in the bus; do not get out at this point. Our stop is:
UMass. This is is the last stop on the route, and the point of departure for the return trip. The bus stops at a kiosk near the Fine Arts Center, at the north end of Haigis Mall. It is called Commercial Bus Stop on the above map (the free Five College intercampus buses also use it). If there should happen to be an event which closes Haigis Mall to traffic, the bus will stop at the south end of the Mall, on Massachusetts Avenue (the University's main east/west road). You will see the Library tower north of you and to your left. From the bus stop you should turn left (when facing the Fine Arts Center to the north) and walk to the first north/south path. Turn right and follow the path, with the Campus Pond on your right, past the Library (which is up the slope to your left), then past the Student Union building ahead and to your right. (The Student Union building is marked by a maroon dot on the map above). Just past the Student Union, you will come to a walk leading down to a door in the west end of the Campus Center, at Level 2. The Campus Center is the maroon square just visible at the top of the map.
For instructions once inside the Center, return to the Travel Advice page.
Bus Schedule
These are fairly constant from year to year; those given below are not current, but probably suggestive. Get more recent information from Peter Pan.
New York to Springfield and UMass/Amherst
*express or semi-express
Leave New York Arrive Springfield Arrive UMass 5:00 AM 8:20 AM 9:15 AM 6:15 AM 9:50 AM 11:10 AM 7:00 AM 11:50 AM 1:10 PM 8:30 AM* Express; joins the above bus at Hartford 9:30 AM* 12:50 PM 2:10 PM 9:45 AM 1:45 PM 3:10 PM 10:30 AM* Express; joined by the above bus at Hartford 11:30 AM* 2:50 PM 4:00 PM 11:45 AM* 3:50 PM 5:10 PM 11:45 AM 4:55 PM 6:05 PM 12:30 PM* 3:50 PM 5:10 PM 1:30 PM* 4:55 PM 6:05 PM 2:00 PM 6:50 PM 8:05 PM 2:30 PM* 5:45 PM 7:05 PM 3:30 PM* 6:50 PM 8:05 PM 5:00 PM 9:50 PM 10:40 PM 6:30 PM* 9:50 PM 10:40 PM 8:30 PM* 11:45 PM 12:25 AM Bradley Airport to Springfield
Leave Bradley Arrive Springfield Arrive UMass 9:15 AM 10:00 AM 11:10 AM 11:30 AM 12:15 AM 1:10 AM 3:30 PM 4:15 PM 5:10 PM 5:00 PM 5:45 PM 7:05 PM 6:00 PM 7:15 PM 8:05 PM 10:00 PM 10:45 PM 12:25 AM
Springfield to UMass/Amherst (Summary)
This list includes all Springfield to UMass segments of the above schedules, eliminating duplicates (as Lyou Syang would say), and in chronological order. If you reach Springfield from other points than New York or Bradley Airport, these are your options for a Springfield-UMass connection.
Leave Springfield Arrive UMass 8:30 AM 9:15 AM 10:15 AM 11:10 AM 12:15 PM 1:10 PM 1:15 PM 2:10 PM 2:15 PM 3:10 PM 3:15 PM 4:00 PM 4:15 PM 5:10 PM 5:15 PM 6:05 PM 6:15 PM 7:05 PM 7:15 PM 8:05 PM 10:00 PM 10:40 PM 11:45 PM 12:25 AM
Return Trip: Amherst to Springfield
Here are departure times for the Peter Pan bus from Amherst to Springfield, connecting there with other buses or trains. These schedules are daily, and thus should also be valid for the Sunday of the final Conference day:
Leave UMass Arrive Springfield 6:55 AM 7:50 AM 7:55 AM 8:40 AM 8:55 AM 9:50 AM 10:55 AM 11:40 AM 11:55 AM 12:50 PM 12:55 PM 1:50 PM 1:55 PM 2:50 PM 2:55 PM 3:40 PM 3:55 PM 4:40 PM 4:55 PM 5:40 PM 5:55 PM 6:50 PM 7:55 PM 8:50 PM
You may also check the Peter Pan Peter Pan web site, which will give you one connection for a given time and place. The information given from their toll-free number, (800) 343-9999, may not be entirely current, but is on the whole knowledgeable. The information above is from the Northeast System Timetable (effective 15 March 2000). Peter Pan will not give information for connecting bus lines, such as Vermont Transit. See instead their own web sites.
Bus Company Rules
Peter Pan posts the following rules, which probably apply to other lines also: No smoking is allowed in buses. Snack food or drinks in containers are permitted as long as you observe courtesy to other passengers. Baggage limit is two pieces per adult. Except for hand-held items, baggage must be carried in the cargo area under the bus. Baggage may not be checked through to a final destination; if you change buses, take your baggage with you to the next bus. There is no liability for lost baggage. The company has the right to refuse service to, or eject, any passenger under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or whose behavior is objectionable to other passengers.
Additional Advice
These coaches are reasonably comfortable, but they are not well configured for sleeping. Bring a book, or plan to read a predistributed paper. Videos are played on some of the express runs between New York and Hartford; to ignore them, sit beneath one of the overhead monitors. Rest rooms are available at the back of the bus. You may ask the driver to turn on the heat if the air reaching you is cold.
14 Sept 2005 / Contact The Project / Exit to Conferences
