How to get to Bennington, VT

[indianlord]

I'm trying to find a way to join my son, who is thru-hiking, to spend a 4–5 days in the White Mountains. The timing works for me to get away around the time he would arrive in Bennington, VT. I'm in Atlanta, which has no easy way to get to Albany, NY, which is very close. It is much easier to fly to NYC. I checked Amtrak, and they don't have a train Wednesday night or Thursday morning (8/19, 20), but do have one Friday night to Rutland. But that would lose me 2 days I'd rather be hiking. I'm thinking we might get to Danby in the time I have, at which time I need to get back. Any advice out there?

[Jack Tarlin]

1. Can you rent a car? If so, you can get pretty much anywhere. That'd
seem to be your best bet.
2. I see you're not meeting your son for a week or so. Would Hanover
work? Also, Amtrak goes daily to White River Junction VT, very close to
Hanover.
3. Keep in mind that whether you rent a car or not, Vermont has great local,
very easily affordable bus service that connects mosts towns, so if you
needed to get somewhere along VT. RT.7, Rt. 4, etc., this would not be
that touight to do.
4. Lastly, I see that you want to join your son in the White Mountains. So
why worry about Bennington or Vermont? You should be looking at New
Hampshire locations, not Vermont. Amtrak won't help you much in NH,
but several places are very easily accessible by bus. Check the
Greyhound website for details; they'll list every place in the state
accessible by bus.

[tlap]

A handful of shuttlers come to mind (excerpted from the ATC list of shuttles)

Roy & Marilyn Wiley
Washington, MA.
(413) 623-5859
[email protected]
Kent, CT to Manchester, VT; also Hartford, CT and Albany, NY airports

Dave Ackerson
North Adams, MA
[email protected]
(413) 346-1033
From Hudson River, NY to Hanover, NH; also Albany, NY and Hartford, CT airports.

Ellen McCollum
North Adams, MA 01220
(413) 663-0594
[email protected]
North Adams, MA south to Kent, CT and north to Killington, VT. Pick-Up/Drop-Off at Albany, NY airport. Available 7 days/week, advance notice appreciated. Dogs are welcome. Can accomodate 4 hikers, or 3 hikers and 1 dog. Rates based on distance and time.

Alex Steele
Williamstown, MA
[email protected]
Great Barrington, Mass., to Wallingford, VT, and Albany, NY, airport.

I can tell you that the Wileys are great people. I've known them since I was a child.

[tlap]

The above suggestions assume a flight into Hartford CT or Albany NY. I suppose I should have said that before.

[indianlord]

Albany is a problem. It takes 22 hours, at least, to get there from Atlanta. Compared to 2 or so to New York. I've been trying to figure out a way to take Greyhound there, but their web site bites.

[Jeff]

If you go to Rutland you can get to Bennington by taking two buses.

http://www.thebus.com/routes/rt7commuter.htm

http://www.greenmtncn.org/regional.html

Stop at our hostel in Manchester, VT on the hike north too!!!!!

[coyote13]

I booked a flight for 9/8/10 from Panama City ,Fl. to Albany with a layover in Atlanta thru Orbitz and it was less than $300.00.
probably a lot less just from Atlanta

[Migrating Bird]

Atlanta to Albany should not be a problem direct (2hrs) or with 1 stop (3) hours but flying into Hartford CT is cheaper.

[indianlord]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I did finally find a 2.5 hour direct flight from Atlanta to Albany, but for $529 at the lowest. The cheapest I found to Hartford was $629 non-stop, or $430 with a one-stop 4-hour flight. I think I must not be very good at searching for cheap tickets! Every time I run a search, I get different prices. Part of it may be that I'm planning on leaving 8/19, so less than 2 weeks away.

[coyote13]

Indianlord,
yes your lack of advance purchase is what got you.
i booked mine 45 days ahead through Orbitz and flew further for half that

[indianlord]

Yes, it would have been cheaper if I had been able to plan farther ahead. But it was, and is, difficult to fit a thru-hiker's progress into a tight schedule. I think the tips I have received here will get me there, though. It just will cost more. But how many times will I get this opportunity?

[Jack Tarlin]

Albany is a long way from the White Mountains.

If you're in a position to rent a car, and your plane ticket has yet to be confirmed, I still think you'd do better to look at flights to Boston; Manchester; Concord; even Portland, ME. Even Lebanon NH (near Hanover) has a small airport. If you're not locked into something, I'd advise you to keep looking.

[Migrating Bird]

Try a different departure/arrival date. Do not leave/arrive on Monday or Friday and stay over a Saturday if this makes any sense at all. Let me know if I can help in any way, I'm just south of between Hartford and Albany.

[indianlord]

Albany is a long way from the White Mountains.


Yes, it would be. But I guess I'm not too good at colors, as I really meant the Green Mountains! <g>