Travel to and from

[English Detective]

Travelling from the UK I plan to arrive in NY then fly to Atlanta and then ???
When I finish I of course have to get back to NY and I doubt if I will want to walk. any helpful suggests for either journey
English Detective

[DuneElliot]

Why not just fly Heathrow straight to Atlanta on British Airways? And then at the end take a bus to the nearest large airport to fly back, maybe Boston or Montreal, Canada, neither of which are that far from the northern Terminus, relatively speaking.

[Odd Man Out]

To get to Atlanta from NYC, you could take the train, but it will be slow and expensive. You could take a bus but it would be slow and uncomfortable. Flying is the best bet. For domestic US flights, there is usually not penalty for buying a one-way ticket. When searching for airfare, check Southwest Airline as that is the one major airline whose fares will not show up on search engines (except from the SW web site).

Is there some reason you need to fly to NYC? There will be trans-Atlantic flights to Atlanta. You could book an open jaws flight (into ATL, return from NYC). If it is on the same airline, there is not likely to be much of a cost penalty. But if you are committed to a round trip to NYC and then flying to ATL on a separate ticket, be aware there are several airports in NYC. Most international flights will go to JFK but LaGuardia (LGA) is more popular for domestic flights. Newark (EWR) is used for both. If connecting on the same day, you will need to use the same airport or allow for the long transit between airports. This would be another reason to use an open jaws ticket.

Once you get to ATL, you will need a shuttle from Atlanta to Springer. A popular service is offered by the Hiker Hostel (link below). From the airport you take the MARTA to the northernmost stop (MARTA is the Atlanta area commuter rail/subway system). From there the Hiker Hostel will shuttle you to the Hostel. You spend the next night at the hostel. The next day they serve breakfast and shuttle you to the trail head. They also will provide fuel for camping stoves, since you can not fly with fuel. You can also probably arrange a stop at a grocery store or outfitter if you need to buy food or gear for the trail. There are other shuttle drivers who can take you, but the deal offered by the Hostel is very convenient, especially since you will probably need to spend a night near the trail head anyway after your flights.

As for getting home, that depends on where your hike ends.

http://hikerhostel.com/lodging/thru-hiker-special/

[rafe]

The nearest decent-size town to the southern terminus is Gainesville GA. Used to be, take a bus from Atlanta to Gainesville, then a cab to Amicalola Falls State Park. But nowadays there are better options.

[soumodeler]

Save the hassle and fly direct to Atlanta. Call one of the popular shuttle services that pick up at the airport or the MARTA stop (Survivor Dave's, Hiker Hostel, Ron Brown) and have them take you to the trailhead at Springer or Amicalola.

[CoolBobby]

And then fly home from Portland. You could fly from Bangor, but its an additional $500.. I have flown from Portland to Heathrow about a dozen times. Most connections are in Boston.

[generoll]

Hiker Hostel is your best option. They fill up months in advance so I'd suggest that you make reservations with them before you get your airline ticket. Failing that, you can hire any of the area shuttlers to take you directly to Springer or Amicalola. It will cost more and be less convenient, but the Hiker Hostel is difficult to get a reservation during peak hiker season.

[bigcranky]

+1 on The Hiker Hostel. You fly to Atlanta, take the train to the farthest station (closest to the Trail), the HH folks pick you up, give you a bunk for the night, feed you a great breakfast, and drive you to Springer, for an all inclusive (and very reasonable) cost.

There are other shuttle providers, too. There is a list at appalachiantrail.org.

Assuming you get to Katahdin, it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. (That's a feature, of course, not a bug. :) ) But, you can hitch a ride out of the park to the m=nearest town, then get a bus to the next bigger town, where you can get to the Boston airport, either to fly home or to fly to NYC then home. There is a hostel provider in Maine, too, the AT Lodge in Millinocket, that can help with these logistics.

Have fun!

[chiefduffy]

At the north end, the AT Lodge will pick you up at Katahdin and offers bunk, cafe, and shuttle to nearest bus (Medway) or Bangor.

[peakbagger]

I saw an article in the Bangor Daily News this AM that United is adding a new direct flight from Bangor (ME) to Newark (NJ)for the season. https://bangordailynews.com/2016/04/19/business/united-adding-new-seasonal-flights-between-bangor-and-newark/

Unless pricing has changed significantly, there is usually a premium for Bangor flights compared to Portland. Bangor is the closest airport to Acadia National Park and Bangor has a very successful waterfront concert series so I expect that with no competition, the premium will remain as they are selling the flights for convenience. The trade off for a Portland flight is a 3 hours extra ride on the bus to the bus station and shuttle to the Portland airport. The area is quite busy during the summer and fall foliage season.

[English Stu]

I have section hiked large parts. Flexibility of ticket is the key, for me Virgin airlines were the cheapest for flexibility. Planning can easily change and you can have motel costs to factor in if you have to change itinerary and wait for a flight. Hitting a finish date chosen months ahead will not be easy and can add pressures.

[English Stu]

I have section hiked large parts. Flexibility of ticket is the key, for me Virgin airlines were the cheapest for flexibility. Plans/progress will change- often quickly into the trip. Hitting a finish date chosen months ahead is not easy and can add pressures; you can have motel costs, meals to factor in if you have to change itinerary and wait for a flight.

+1 for AT Lodge in Millinocket- they will get you onwards to a bus, Medway? Although from Bangor I flew home from Philadelphia- which seems strange now-should have gone to Boston, but cost and/or availability of flights to and from Bangor may have been involved.