Hot Springs to Ashville??

[Wyoming]

I am going to be hiking with someone who needs to get off the trail at Hot Springs and fly home. Ashville seems the logical place to catch a flight.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the best options to get from Hot Springs to Ashville? Is there a bus line or anything like that?

Thanks in advance. Wyo

[Sly]

No bus, but probably a fairly easy hitch or ask around town.

If order to make sure of getting to the airport on time you may want to do a shuttle from the Bluff Mountain Outfitters ($75 to the airport) or check with Elmer.

[Lone Wolf]

$75 is way too much. It's only 35 miles. It's an easy hitch. I've done it. Or ask Elmer at the Sunnybank Inn. He's always making trips into Asheville.

[orangebug]

The Asheville airport is almost down to Hendersonville, and not that much further north and Greenville/Spartanburg. I'd guess $75 is pretty reasonable in these days of $2.25 gas and the hell of the exchanges of I-26 and I-40.

It might be worth considering a trip to Knoxville, pretty much due west. I'd prolly try for a shuttle to a hotel in Asheville, and take the hotel shuttle to the airport on their next trip.

[Nean]

Knoxville may well be a better place to catch a flight. When will you be in Hot Springs?

[Sly]

It's about 50 miles from Hot Springs to the Asheville Airport and 75 miles from Hot Springs to Knoxville.

There's a Hostel in Asheville that at one time expressed interest in having AT hikers stay there and mentioned a cheap shuttle to and from Hot Springs. We were going to put them in the ALDHA Companion but since they couldn't commit to a price or frequency of shuttles didn't list them for 2006. Here's their website, you may try giving them a call...

http://www.bonpaulandsharkys.com/

[Nean]

I've heard that is a really good hostel Sly. 25m more to Knoxville and perhaps more options and better door to door price. I know a guy who does good deals in the area.

[Sly]

Yeah, Asheville would be a fun place to visit off trail if you had the time and money. The hostel is cheap enough, especially if you come with a couple others and they'd be more likely to come get you in Hot Springs.

We'll see how they feel at the end of this season, if they're still interested in being in the Companion.

[Wyoming]

Sounds like getting to Ashville is doable either by shuttle or through the generosity of Elmer. That works. The big thing was to know there was a way to get it done. Thanks a bunch. Wyo