mooseboy
07-14-2011, 16:17
As someone who keeps planning (and then postponing :( ) his section-hike from Harpers Ferry through SNP to Rockfish Gap, I have done lots of research trying to figure out how to get home from Rockfish Gap or Waynesboro. Public Transit in these areas are sparse, but do exist, although finding the info online is about as easy as finding a running spring in PA in late August. Virginia Regional Transit and their corresponding cities don't exactly advertise their services. I'm providing this post for anyone who may want or need to find their way out of Rockfish Gap without a shuttle.
The Shuttle List is useful up to a point, but what if you don't feel like paying up to $100 for a 25-mile ride to Charlottesville? You can pay 1/3 of that to get all the way back to D.C. on Amtrak. (Actually, if anyone wants to provide a typical shuttler quote from Rockfish or Waynesboro - C'ville, I'd love to have it for reference.)
Anyway, this post is just to provide some info on a couple buses that run from Waynesboro to the 2 nearest cities with long-distance transportation: Staunton (closer- you could even walk it if you don't mind road-walking) and Charlottesville (more options, bigger city).
To see a map of the routes in the area, go to http://www.vatransit.org/ and click on "Mountain" region. You'll see the 2 bus routes in question, the 250 Connector (Waynesboro-Staunton) and the very new Shenandoah Express (Waynesboro-Charlottesville). Believe it or not, both routes only cost 50¢! The downside is that the Shenandoah Express only operates M, W & F (and then only twice daily), and the 250 Connector Weekdays only. But if you're finishing a hike then you probably have the downtime to wait around. ;)
The trade-off appears to be: A) go to Staunton via the 250 Connector which is closer, which you can reach by bus 5 days a week or even walk if you're up to it, but the trains only run 3 times a week; or B) go to C'ville which is more distant , but which offers more of everything-- not just more frequent and cheaper transportation, but motels, restaurants, etc.-- and the irony is that the BUSES (Shenandoah Express) to reach it from Waynesboro only run 3 times a week.
As for leaving the 2 Cities:
Staunton has an Amtrak station, through which only 1 train, the Cardinal, passes only 3 times a week. But it's much closer to Waynesboro than Charlottesville. The Cardinal will take you either east through C'ville to D.C. and NYC, or west thru Cincinnati to Chicago. A couple caveats, though: the Cardinal past D.C. is often sold out weeks ahead of time, and everything past DC gets very expensive when it's available. But you can usually get a one-way to DC up to the day before departure for $30-50. Then you can take the next leg of your journey from DC to practically anywhere for much cheaper (Bolt Bus or Megabus, for example).
The 2nd warning: Staunton's Amtrak station is unstaffed, with not so much as a ticket machine. And you are not allowed to show up and buy a ticket on the spot-- you MUST have a reservation. Your only option, as a hiker, will be to call Amtrak a couple days before the scheduled date and reserve a ticket by phone, which will be on the conductor's manifest. (If you try to reserve more than a few days in advance, they will try to make you receive a ticket by mail, which if you're hiking, will be inconvenient, if not impossible.) I've used this method at White River Junction with no difficulties, and it appears to work the same way here.
Charlottesville also has an Amtrak station, and no less than 3 routes pass through it, including the recently-expanded Northeast Corridor line which runs daily all the way up to Boston.You may also grab trains to points south and west. There's also Greyhound:eek:, and a private express bus line direct to NYC (http://www.nycshuttle.com/) which is pricy at over $100/each way, but it IS express to NYC. (Their site implies that they may expand service to include Waynesboro & Staunton, but this isn't available yet.) Train pricing and availability is generally much better from here. And if you REALLY need to fly, they have an airport as well. Though if you don't care about saving money, you will have stopped reading this long ago. :D
C'ville, unlike Staunton, DOES have a staffed Amtrak station, Quik-Trak machines, waiting room, etc. so you may buy your ticket directly there (though you risk higher $ and a sold-out train), or better yet, pick up a cheaper, pre-reserved ticket at their station. Because C'ville has a Quik-Trak machine, you may reserve and pick up your ticket as far in advance as you like.
BTW, The Thru-Hiker's companion, which I've found invaluable on section hikes, doesn't mention any of these options, most notably the local buses to Staunton & C'Ville. Would this info be useful to submit to them? I realize most thru-hikers are not looking to leave the trail at this point, but there are plenty of section-hikers, not to mention thru-hikers' friends who may be trying to meet up with them, that might find it useful.
Long post? Yes. But hopefully some will find it useful. I've found in life as on the AT, that nothing is as useful as information (except water on a hot day and a burger in town).
The Shuttle List is useful up to a point, but what if you don't feel like paying up to $100 for a 25-mile ride to Charlottesville? You can pay 1/3 of that to get all the way back to D.C. on Amtrak. (Actually, if anyone wants to provide a typical shuttler quote from Rockfish or Waynesboro - C'ville, I'd love to have it for reference.)
Anyway, this post is just to provide some info on a couple buses that run from Waynesboro to the 2 nearest cities with long-distance transportation: Staunton (closer- you could even walk it if you don't mind road-walking) and Charlottesville (more options, bigger city).
To see a map of the routes in the area, go to http://www.vatransit.org/ and click on "Mountain" region. You'll see the 2 bus routes in question, the 250 Connector (Waynesboro-Staunton) and the very new Shenandoah Express (Waynesboro-Charlottesville). Believe it or not, both routes only cost 50¢! The downside is that the Shenandoah Express only operates M, W & F (and then only twice daily), and the 250 Connector Weekdays only. But if you're finishing a hike then you probably have the downtime to wait around. ;)
The trade-off appears to be: A) go to Staunton via the 250 Connector which is closer, which you can reach by bus 5 days a week or even walk if you're up to it, but the trains only run 3 times a week; or B) go to C'ville which is more distant , but which offers more of everything-- not just more frequent and cheaper transportation, but motels, restaurants, etc.-- and the irony is that the BUSES (Shenandoah Express) to reach it from Waynesboro only run 3 times a week.
As for leaving the 2 Cities:
Staunton has an Amtrak station, through which only 1 train, the Cardinal, passes only 3 times a week. But it's much closer to Waynesboro than Charlottesville. The Cardinal will take you either east through C'ville to D.C. and NYC, or west thru Cincinnati to Chicago. A couple caveats, though: the Cardinal past D.C. is often sold out weeks ahead of time, and everything past DC gets very expensive when it's available. But you can usually get a one-way to DC up to the day before departure for $30-50. Then you can take the next leg of your journey from DC to practically anywhere for much cheaper (Bolt Bus or Megabus, for example).
The 2nd warning: Staunton's Amtrak station is unstaffed, with not so much as a ticket machine. And you are not allowed to show up and buy a ticket on the spot-- you MUST have a reservation. Your only option, as a hiker, will be to call Amtrak a couple days before the scheduled date and reserve a ticket by phone, which will be on the conductor's manifest. (If you try to reserve more than a few days in advance, they will try to make you receive a ticket by mail, which if you're hiking, will be inconvenient, if not impossible.) I've used this method at White River Junction with no difficulties, and it appears to work the same way here.
Charlottesville also has an Amtrak station, and no less than 3 routes pass through it, including the recently-expanded Northeast Corridor line which runs daily all the way up to Boston.You may also grab trains to points south and west. There's also Greyhound:eek:, and a private express bus line direct to NYC (http://www.nycshuttle.com/) which is pricy at over $100/each way, but it IS express to NYC. (Their site implies that they may expand service to include Waynesboro & Staunton, but this isn't available yet.) Train pricing and availability is generally much better from here. And if you REALLY need to fly, they have an airport as well. Though if you don't care about saving money, you will have stopped reading this long ago. :D
C'ville, unlike Staunton, DOES have a staffed Amtrak station, Quik-Trak machines, waiting room, etc. so you may buy your ticket directly there (though you risk higher $ and a sold-out train), or better yet, pick up a cheaper, pre-reserved ticket at their station. Because C'ville has a Quik-Trak machine, you may reserve and pick up your ticket as far in advance as you like.
BTW, The Thru-Hiker's companion, which I've found invaluable on section hikes, doesn't mention any of these options, most notably the local buses to Staunton & C'Ville. Would this info be useful to submit to them? I realize most thru-hikers are not looking to leave the trail at this point, but there are plenty of section-hikers, not to mention thru-hikers' friends who may be trying to meet up with them, that might find it useful.
Long post? Yes. But hopefully some will find it useful. I've found in life as on the AT, that nothing is as useful as information (except water on a hot day and a burger in town).