Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: Refunds cannot be given on uncanceled tickets. You can cancel/change reservations any time until 9 PM the day before your bus leaves. After that time, all sales are final. Thank You!
What If I Miss The Ticket Reservation Deadline?
Where Do The Motor Coaches Depart From On Campus?
Where Exactly Do The Motor Coaches Travel? (Departure Locations)
How Long Do The Motor Coaches Take?
How Early Do I Need To Be At My Airport?
Do The Motor Coaches Depart On Time?
I Missed My Motor Coach Departure. What Should I Do?
What’s The Weather Cancellation Policy?
When Can I Purchase Tickets?
Motorcoach reservations will open approximately 3 months before the motorcoach runs and will remain open until 9pm the night before the shuttle runs. Tickets may be purchased here: Link to Book Tickets
How Do I Cancel a Ticket?
Go to the “My Reservations” page, select the “Cancel” checkbox for the ticket you’d like to cancel, and click on the “Cancel Reservations” button.
How Much Do Tickets Cost?
Tickets purchased more than 3 weeks will be purchased at a 15.6% discount, while tickets not reserved in advance (walk-ons) will be charged an additional 15.6%.
Tickets to Albany have a base price of $20, a discount price of $16.88, and a walk-on price of $23.12.
Tickets to New York and Secaucus have a base price of $32, a discount price of $27.01, and a walk-on price of $36.99.
Tickets to Boston have a base price of $30, a discount price of $25.32, and a walk-on price of $34.68.
How Do I Pay For My Tickets?
For students, tickets will be charged to your student term bill. If you do not wish to have the charge on your term bill, you may take cash or check to the Bursar’s Office on the 1st floor of Hopkins within ONE WEEK of returning to campus.
For faculty and staff, you will receive an invoice immediately after riding. You must pay by cash or check to the Bursar’s Office on the 1st floor of Hopkins within TEN DAYS. Payment can also be mailed to Jill Mendel, P.O. Box 67, Williamstown, MA 01267.
What If I Miss The Ticket Reservation Deadline?
With our online reservation system you can purchase tickets until 9:00 PM the day before the motor coach’s departure. Tickets cannot be purchased after this time.
Can I Get A Refund?
You may cancel your tickets until 9 PM the day before your departure. We cannot offer refunds after this point because final passenger counts must be delivered to the motor coach companies and our student conductors.
How Do E-Tickets Work?
E-tickets replace conventional tickets by giving you a confirmation number, which you will receive by e-mail after making your reservation on our online website. A designated Student Conductor will check your confirmation number as you board the board.
What Is A Student Conductor?
As a Student Conductor, you are personally responsible for making sure that all passengers have reserved tickets before they board. In exchange for fulfilling your responsibilities, your ticket will be free. In order to serve as student conductor, you must attend a student conductor training session, offered several times throughout the year.
- RESPONSIBILITIES:
- You will receive a list by e-mail of the names and confirmation numbers of all the passengers on your
- Student Conductors must arrive 25 minutes before the scheduled departure of their motor coach
- Check-in with the Driver upon arrival
- When students start to board, take their names and confirmation numbers down. If any students wish to board who are not on the list, take down their Name, 7-digit Williams ID, Unix ID, and Phone Numbers. In order to receive your refund, you’ll be asked to submit these electronically after the trip in a “Conductor Trip Report.”
- If there are any problems or you need assistance, talk with the Driver
Where Do The Motor Coaches Depart From On Campus?
Departures are on Stetson Road, close to the Dennett end of Mission Park.
Where Exactly Do The Motor Coaches Travel?
- Albany Airport Departures will pick up and drop off students in front of the airport’s Main Terminal.
- New York City Departures will drop off and pick up students on 8th Avenue, between West 30th and 31st Street. Please note, however, that the drivers do not have a designated parking spot, so keep an eye out in the general vicinity.
- Boston Departures will first drop off students at the corner of Causeway Street and Canal Street, which is directly outside of North Station. Students returning to campus from North Station will be picked up at this same location. Students continuing on to Logan Airport will be dropped off in front of the airline of their choice. All students returning from Logan Airport will be picked up at Terminal B, at the American Airlines arrival area (upstairs).
How Long Do The Motor Coaches Take?
Our motor coach companies estimate the following travel times to/from Williams College:
- Albany Airport: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- New York City: 4 hours and 30 minutes
- Boston’s North Station: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- Boston’s Logan Airport: 3 hours and 30
Please Note: These are only estimates and may vary due to traffic and weather conditions.
How Early Do I Need To Be At My Airport?
We strongly suggest arriving at your airport at least two hours prior to your scheduled departure, which means departing campus at least three hours and 15 minutes before your scheduled departure from Albany. The Williams Transport is not responsible for any costs due to missed flights or other connecting transportation. This includes, but is not limited to, cab fare, hotel rooms, meals, plane tickets, and incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of this service.
Do The Motor Coaches Depart On Time?
Motor Coaches departing Williamstown are strictly instructed to depart precisely on time. Students have planes to catch and they must get to their destination on time. We strongly urge arriving at the departure location 15 minutes prior to your scheduled departure from Williamstown. Please do not email us asking whether or not the motor coach can wait for you.
Note: Motor Coaches returning to Williamstown are not under such stringent time pressure. If a large number of passengers are not on a motor coach at its scheduled departure time (drivers have exact passenger counts), the motor coach may wait a few minutes, at the driver’s sole discretion. The last motor coach of the day usually waits longer than earlier ones.
I Missed My Motor Coach Departure. What should I do?
If you are returning to campus from Albany, please take the next motor coach to campus. The Motor Coach Service is not responsible if you miss your bus and will not reimburse the cost of privately arranged transportation. If you are stuck at the Albany Airport and need to get back campus, call Veteran’s Taxi at (413) 663-8300. If you need to speak to someone at Williams College during a vacation period, please call Williams College Security at (413) 597-4444.
What’s The Weather Cancellation Policy?
Cancellations due to weather will be at the sole discretion of the motor coach company, whose decision is final. This decision will be made and announced only at. Please do not call to see if a coach will be delayed; this decision will be made at the last possible moment. If departures are delayed, they will resume as soon as meteorologically possible. If you are unable to use your ticket because your motor coach is cancelled or delayed due to weather, you will receive a refund of the motor coach ticket price.
Who Should I Contact With Additional Questions?
If your question is not answered here, please contact Rachel Hudson by e-mailing her at motorcoach@wso.williams.edu or calling at (413) 884-5436.