Any ideas on the best way to get to Pearisburg via public transportation? I don't believe Greyhound services that area.============================================= ===============
I live in Pearisburg. The only way to get here is drive, hitch or walk. There was once Greyhound and the Norfolk and Western Railroad, but both are gone. Greyhound is rapidly going out of business altogether. They abandoned both Pulaski and Christiansburg. The trains have been gone for 35 years.
The other poster was wrong about Blacksburg. Despite the presence of Virginia Tech (one of the largest universities in the South), there is no way to get to Blacksburg except to drive. College students used to be Greyhound's bread and butter. I guess all the college kids these days have daddies that buy them SUVs for high school graduation presents. I had to get a job and save for a down payment before I could get a car. My parents should have been locked up for child abuse :-)
There is an experimental bus service between Roanoke and Blacksburg called Smart Trip (I think). It costs 3.00 each way. But even if you took it to Blacksburg, you'd still have about 25 miles more to reach Pearisburg. Blacksburg Transit is a local bus system, mainly for students and workers at Tech. It has a few trips to Christiansburg.
There's no air service this side of Roanoke, and flights there are quite expensive. No Southwest or other discount carrier. Roanoke is 65 miles from Pearisburg.
Amtrak goes to Hinton WV, three days per week. Hinton is roughly 40 miles from Pearisburg.
It's only going to get worse. Bush wants to eliminate Amtrak. Greyhound's parent company is bankrupt. If there's ever a gas shortage that's for real, the Trail is going to be in a lot of trouble.
I'm retired and willing to shuttle hikers occasionally. My phone number is 540-921-1184. My email is
[email protected]
Tom