Peter Pan Bus Lines

I signed up just to write this review. THE. WORST. customer service… I called three times to not be greeted and mysteriously have my call dropped. It wasn’t until my fourth time when it was now 6:01pm and I was told by the answering service business hours are from 8 to 6!!! That I realized there was no mystery… I was being hung up on because my call was inconvenient for Peter Pan employees… not once, not twice, three times. PATHETIC. Never again.

Nonexistent, terrible customer service. Do not book with this company. I booked a ticket from Boston to Falmouth, thinking I’d booked from Logan airport. I realized a few hours later that I’d accidentally booked from downtown Boston. I called them and asked if they could correct the starting and end point, and they said no. Flat out. They said their system «doesn’t have that capability.» What kind of transportation company lacks the ability to change this? When I said I wouldn’t be booking with them again, they said, «that’s up to you.» Clearly.

During morning rush hour, two of their buses (780 & 784) drove right up to entrance ramp of GW Parkway and 395 toward the District. The first bus created a wedge and completely blocked traffic that had been waiting for 45 minutes while the following bus came from behind and entered the ramp. This isn’t a commuter bus, it is a bus full of tourists. I hope and recommend that no one in the DMV uses them and they could careless about folks that have to get to work over their tourists.

I took the Peter Pan bus from NYC to DC in February. Previously, I had taken the Bolt Bus several times back and forth. To start, when I purchased my ticket for Peter Pan, I had to print the ticket from the ticketing booth on a different floor than the bus loading area. I printed my ticket and went downstairs to get in line, only to find out that the ticket machine only printed my receipt, not my ticket. I had to go upstairs and have an employee reprint it, which took time. By the time I got back downstairs, I was only 5 – 10 minutes before the bus departure. I got on the bus, which was packed, and found a seat. The leg room was atrocious– I had to put my feet on top of my backpack, since there was no room. The wifi did not work at all. The outlets seemed dirty and unclean. Before we left, the bus was oversold, so a few passengers had to get off the bus, even with a ticket, because there were no seats left. The drive into DC was about the same as usual, maybe slightly longer. We ended up getting in 10 minutes after we were supposed to. Overall, I will never use this bus line again, nor recommend it. Bolt bus has wifi, extra legroom, and plenty of space, as I always had the seat next to me empty, and the bus arrives EARLIER than quoted.

Was surpised that I had to print my ticket at the station for an eticket. Really? Isn’t that what an eticket means. Electronic? Plus the lines inside were long and confusing. I prefer boltbus. Simpler and less hassle.

Bus arrived to the pick up point 40 minutes late. Then I was charged $ 20 printing fee to get the attendant at the booth to print my ticket. Unlike megabus and boltbus, peter pan and greyhound and greyhound haven’t gotten into the digital ticket age and rather rip off their unsuspecting costumers.
Then after arriving 1.5 hours late there were no attendants to help get the luggage out. The bus driver just shrugged and informed us it wasn’t his job. Leaving me to retrieve luggage for the wlderly and pregnant passengers.

I travel regular betw New York City and Silver Spring, MD. Peter Pan is the only bus on this route which saves trip to downtown Was DC. Price is good compared to train and busses are ok with toilet and AC outlets but WI-​FI is slow. However annoying that bus driver insist that passengers will loose their tickets if they leave bus in the 30 min stop over in Baltimore. Could that be more dynamic? And annoying that you must print out the ticket when bought online… In 2015?

Worst costumer service. Who over books a bus by 50 people. Who ever is running this shit needs to take an elementary math class. How many passengers fit in a 50 people grey hound coach bus? Apparently 100+ people. Bus is supposed to leave at 2, 1.5 hours later. No notice.
Finally on the bus. 15 minutes later we stopped for a 10 minute pee break in a creepy stop. After driving 45 miles per hr in a 65mph we proceeded to get pulled over by a cop.
Now we have pulled over in a car lot. Send help

Would I rather be taking a plane or a train than kicking back for ten hours on a bus? Yes, but I’m cheap, so here we are.
I took the bus from DC to Boston via Port Authority. Most importantly, both buses departed and arrived ON TIME, which was an awesome surprise; props to the drivers and other staff for making that happen.
The Greyhound bus from New York to Boston was super comfortable and easy to sleep on. Unfortunately, the Peter Pan bus for the other leg was a little older and less plush, but still decent. There’s not really any room to store bags at your feet unless you want to put your feet on top of them.
The drivers were professional and on the whole safe, although one guy did have a penchant for honking the horn. We pulled over for 15 minutes at a Popeye’s (?) between Boston and New York, which was just as well because the bathroom on the bus reeked.
The outlets worked, but the wifi was pretty slow and unreliable. My only other complaint is that the tickets could be more clear. I didn’t really understand what distinguishes an «express» bus. Also, the signage in Port Authority was miserable – if you’re transferring buses, you have to go upstairs to the Greyhound office to find out the gate number, then go back down to the bus level – but I suspect that’s not all Peter Pan’s fault.
Overall, I think Peter Pan/​Greyhound is definitely worth the extra $ 10 or so over Megabus.

I was three minutes late and missed the bus. Granted it was my fault but the customer service to help you get on the next bus was pretty crappy, plus they wanted to charge me more than what I had paid for. I went over one spot and took the bolt bus for half the price. It was my first time taking Peter Pan /​Greyhound and it will be my last.
P. s. If you’re (greyhound/​Peter pan) reading this, you could probably do better job at displaying information (bus #, location, times, etc.) on your ticket a little better.

I take the bus from DC to NY every month or so. I use this service although there are less expensive ones just because it’s conveniently to Port Authority bus station and I don’t have to trek all the way to 12^th ave. The bus always departs on time and the drivers are friendly enough. One even let me on the bus with my luggage when I was late.
I agree with all the other reviews. It’s 2015!!! They NEED etickets asap. It’s such a hassle and a waste of paper to print the ticket. Some of the buses are clean, comfortable and all the electronics work. Others are old, very dirty and the electrical sockets and wifi didn’t work. The whole process needs updating from purchase to the boading process.
I would recommend traveling during of peak hours because you can get a seat to yourself and make it to NYC without stopping in just 4 hours! Amazing.
Rush hour travel is torture between being squeezed in next to a stranger and spending 6plus hours on the bus is just not worth it. Take the train if this is the case.

I travel from DC to NYC every few weeks and have used Bolt, Mega, and now PP. PP is owned /​run by Greyhound as is Bolt, but they are a little different. PP requires that you print out your ticket, confirmation number is not enough. It says so on the ticket and web site so you should not be surprised. I took the 830 from Union Station and got to Port Authority at 12:30, not bad. The bus is nothing special, the driver was friendly, and we got there in 4 hrs and did not have to walk from 12^th Ave and 33^rd, that alone is worth it. Bolt and Mega are cheaper and I will probably continue to use them but it is not a bad option.
Update Dec 2015:
I took the DC to NYC bus at 7AM and was on the subway at 10:45… A 3hr and 45 min trip, I slept most of the way and the part I was awake for, the driver was flying. But under 4 hrs is making some great time. I haven’t done that when I have driven in my car. The bus was new and was fine. The best thing is that it drops you off at the Port Auth.

We are in the bus in our way to NYC. The bus is old and the seats are broken … The luggage guy was rude and unprofessional. You should reimburse us right away!!!

WORST. Avoid at all costs. I missed a wedding because of careless customer service. Literally was not allowed on a bus I paid for even when I brought the ticket via email because I didn’t print it out and the bus company was not able to print it out themselves and said they couldn’t give me a ticket I already bought because their system doesn’t give out e tickets. No apologies no nothing. I sent an email to customer service complaining and they could care less. I didn’t even get a refund for my bus. It was a huge waste of time and money. Literally I have taken every bus from Bolt to Megabus to Vamoose to Amtrak to every single company and the only one which ever was this horrible was Peter Pan. I have ridden the bus in third world countries and had better customer service and was treated more like a human. There is a reason they only have one star.
Avoid at all costs.

Its really hard to write a review for intercity bus lines. We take them mostly because we can’t afford other ways to travel. While flying accommodations on planes are similar to inter-​city buses (tight), the distance they travel in a given time-​frame greatly makes up for the inconvenience. The cost factor on the other hand; is quite problematic,
Same thing for the intercity trains — they have the roomiest accommodations and are faster than the intercity buses, but the cost factor is also quite a challenge.
That brings us to the various types of intercity bus travel. Several different companies operate intercity travel, but they’re collectively the least preferred method, yet most cost efficient.
Take Peter Pan bus lines for instance. They’re an independent company, but have a route (and ticket) sharing agreement with Greyhound. I travel back and forth between NYC and Baltimore several times a year, and most buses I book through the Greyhound website actually tend to be Peter Pan buses.
Booking online through Peter Pan’s (or Greyhound’s) website is pretty easy so that’s a plus. There is a $ 20 change fee once you purchase your ticket, so don’t miss your bus or otherwise have to reschedule; that change fee stings. Also, you have to either print your ticket at home or elect to pick up your ticket from the will call window at the terminal. Note: you CANNOT elect to print your ticket at home then ask to have it printed at the window at the terminal when/​if you forget to print your ticket at home. They will NOT let you show your ticket number or confirmation number from your phone.
Peter Pan and Greyhound pick up from Port Authority, which for all it’s issues, is subway accessible, covered and temperature regulated (?), and has places to buy food and use the bathroom. The Baltimore terminal is (now) adjacent to the Horsehoe Casino and adjacent to a Holiday Inn hotel and Royal Farms. There’s a bathroom and vending machines for snacks and food. Its relatively clean and they do have a TV that plays CNN or ESPN. The #27 Baltimore local bus also picks up here and takes you into downtown.
Depending on how far in advance you purchase your ticket, you’ll be assigned a boarding number between 1 and 55 (the max # of seats on the bus). At the terminal you board by boarding group number (1 – 10, 10 – 20, 20 – 30, 30 – 40, 40+). Most of the time they will check this, but not every time so be ready when you see your bus (especially in Baltimore where they have only one lane and group numbers are different parts of the same lane).
For the amount of time you spend with ticketing and waiting in the terminal, you spend so much more of it on the bus — so what’s that experience like?
Well here’s the good news for starters — the buses come with outlets and wifi. each of the seats has a little tray that folds up and down. The coaches have bathrooms.
Sounds reasonable enough. Here’s the bad news — Peter Pan has the TIGHTEST SEATS between rows. After riding Greyhound, MegaBus, BoltBus and Peter Pan — Peter Pan has the tightest seats between rows. Now I’m pretty tall, 6’3, but us tall folks need options too. All the other bus lines have more room between seats. I prefer Greyhound’s the best (but that’s a separate review/​update). I’ve never been impressed with wifi on any of the buses (or intercity trains for that matter), so if it works, nice. If it doesn’t, I whip out my air card.
Overall, Peter Pan gets points for its Port Authority pickup and dropoff, outlets and cost relative to other methods of transportation (air, rail, car). It loses points for how tight the seats are, spotty wifi, and how tight the seats are combined with the spotty wifi and the length of the trip.
All that said, for my next trip to and from Baltimore, I’ll probably be back on Peter Pan.

One star only because the buses are helpful – the customer service is miserable. I was just on the phone for over 30 minutes waiting until they finally started to connect me. Then my call shot back to the end of the list (without being helped) and the automated voice said I had to wait 43 minutes. What is there only 1 person working there? Their policies are outdated and their customer service clearly needs help.

If I could give it less than 1 star I would. Bought the ticket from the Peter Pan Bus site. My 19 year old son, who has never taken this line, was dropped off at the Wilmington Station, 35 minutes early. His father could not find a place to park to wait with him. The bus was due at 1:30. It never came. He and the other 20ish people waiting were told to take the next bus to Philadelphia and to catch the bus to NY from there. There was no guarantee there would be room on that bus. So we told him to take Amtrak to NY. Cost $ 118.00.
When I called Peter Pan to complain they told me it was a Greyhound bus and there was nothing they could do even though I bought it through their web site. I had to get the refund from.Greyhound.
Of course there were other issues with Greyhound. Even though I bought the ticket and used my e-​mail address I can not file the complaint, my son has to. I personally recommend that both stink and to find other transport if possible. Both are awful. I would not trust any child or teenager in their care. The lines and the people do not seem to care.

Bought tickets for my wife and I online, and arrived at Union Station for our 5:15am departure to NYC. The bus doesn’t show up until 6:00am, and doesn’t actually leave until 6:15am. Bought Peter Pan tickets, printed Greyhound ones, and was picked up on a VERY cramped Greyhound bus. Should have taken the train.

Peter pan bus would lose too much money making their service easy and convenient by allowing e-​tickets be truly electronic. If you don’t have printer access and miss the tiny «will call» button to pick up your ticket at the bus stop, you’re screwed (don’t bother trying to show your confirmation on your phone!) and have to re-​buy the ticket for triple the price if the guy is even at the booth to sell it to you! No refunds for the lost ticket. Not supporting this trickery scheme ever again, Greyhound or Peter pan.

When I told people I was taking the bus to Boston, I got a couple horrified looks. I assumed they were due to the 8+ hour travel time and layover in New York, or maybe Peter Pan’s affiliation with Greyhound (sketchtastic). I was dead wrong.
Two weeks ago I bought a standard fare, round-​trip ticket from the Peter Pan website. I was asked for a specific date and time for each leg of the trip. A week ago I received my ticket in the mail. It had no dates or times on it. Curious.
THURSDAY, JULY 1ST, 9:30 PM:
I arrive at the Peter Pan station in DC. There’s a massive line for my gate; way too many people to fit into one bus. I quickly find out, due to signage, that my «standard fare» ticket actually means «standby.» As in, I’m not guaranteed a seat. Umm…
While I’m in line, fretting, I chat with the lady in front of me. She had been in town to see her son graduate and was on her way back to New York. I told her I was due for a job interview in Boston the next day, and she wished me luck.
People began boarding the bus around 10, and there were a lot ahead of me. As I approached the doorway to the loading area, the ticketing agent informed my companion that she had the last seat on the bus. She turned to me, and without a word offered me her reserved seating ticket.
Humanity: 1. Peter Pan: 0.
FRIDAY, JULY 2ND, 2:30 AM:
Port Authority was chaos. There were two gates to Boston, and no one knew which to pick. Some people had Greyhound tickets, some Peter Pan, and some both. No one seemed to be in charge. I arbitrarily chose a line to stand in, and waited for an hour. Then someone in a neon vest came by, yelled something about Peter Pan passengers using the other gate, and scurried away. I switched lines.
The bus I had been waiting for the whole time filled up and left. Another busload’s worth of people was left. My line was suspiciously empty. I ran outside and showed my ticket to a bus attendant. He informed me I had been in the right line to begin with. I slunk back to the first gate and promptly waited another hour to board.
Once we were underway at 4:30 AM, I tried to sleep. The bus was freezing. ¾ of the way there, someone noticed that the driver had forgotten to drop people off in Hartford, CT. We had to backtrack 20 minutes. As we approached the city, our speed inexplicably dropped to 30 mph.
BOSTON, 9:30 AM:
Never again.