GETTING TO CHAPEL HILL BY PLANE
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
RDU is the closest and most convenient airport to UNC-Chapel Hill. It is about 20 minutes away from Chapel Hill by car.
Shuttle and Taxi Service: To get from RDU to Chapel Hill, the fastest option is to take a shuttle or taxi. Below are special conference rates for multiple companies and contact information for making reservations.
Shared rides:
Sky Shuttle – $28/person round trip, $22/person one-way; $10/extra rider round trip, $6/extra rider one-way. All reservations must be made and paid for in advance: (919) 599-8100 or http://skyshuttleride.com/. Request the C19 rate.
Skylink Shuttle – $15/person one-way. All reservations should be made in advance: (919) 233-3952 or Skylinkâs C19 page.
Private rides:
Sky Shuttle – $48/person round trip, $25/person one-way; $12/extra rider round trip, $6/extra rider one-way. All reservations must be made and paid for in advance: (919) 599-8100 or http://skyshuttleride.com/. Request the C19 rate.
Carolina Taxi – $40/person one-way; one extra rider free. All reservations should be made in advance: (919) 924-0568, http://carolinasedan.com/, or booking@carolinasedan.com. Request the C19 rate.
Bus Service: The TTA (http://www.triangletransit.org/) is an inexpensive and reliable bus service that runs from RDU Airport to downtown Chapel Hill, within one long block of the Carolina Inn and the Franklin Hotel. It costs $2.00 (exact change required) for a one-way trip, which takes about 70 minutes. One can catch bus #100 at either terminal of RDU, transfer to bus #800 at the Regional Transit Center, get off at the intersection of North Columbia Street and West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, and walk 5 minutes to either downtown hotel.
Other airports
Sometimes there are good air fares to other N.C. airports. Located in Greensboro, the Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) is a one-hour drive to the conference. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is a USAirways hub; itâs a 2 hour & 15 min. drive to Chapel Hill.
GETTING TO CHAPEL HILL BY CAR
Please note that all directions lead to The Carolina Inn.
Driving from the NORTH
(Washington, D.C., New York)
Take I-95 South to I-85 South (I-85 becomes US-15)
Keep left to take US-15 S./US-15-501 South via Exit 174A toward Chapel Hill
Take the Exit toward UNC Chapel Hill
Turn onto Raleigh Road/NC-54 West. Continue to follow Raleigh Road/NC-54 West
Turn slight right onto South Columbia Street/NC-86 North
Turn left onto West Cameron Avenue
Turn left onto Pittsboro Street
Driving from the SOUTH
(Charlotte, Atlanta)
Take I-85 North to I-40
Take I-40 East toward Raleigh
Take the NC-86 Exit, Exit 266, toward Chapel Hill
Turn right on NC-86
Turn right onto West Cameron Avenue
Turn left onto Pittsboro Street
Driving from the EAST
(RDU Airport, Raleigh, Wilmington)
Follow I-40 West to Exit 273A (Chapel Hill)
Turn right onto NC-54 West toward Chapel Hill
Stay straight to onto Raleigh Rd./NC-54 West.
Continue to follow Raleigh Road/NC-54 West.
Turn slight right onto South Columbia Street
Turn left onto West Cameron Avenue
Turn left on Pittsboro Street
Driving from the WEST
(Asheville, NC; Nashville, TN)
Take I-40 East to NC-86
Take the NC-86 Exit, Exit 266, toward Chapel Hill
Keep right at the fork to go on NC-86
Turn right onto West Cameron Avenue
Turn left onto Pittsboro Street
ONCE IN CHAPEL HILL
Parking
Please be aware that parking is at a premium in Chapel Hill and expect to pay to park your car. A map of public parking near UNCâs campus is available at http://www.ci.chapel-hill.nc.us/index.aspx?page=195. The cheapest option is available at a parking deck at the corner of Rosemary Street and Columbia Street, labeled #14 on the map: a flat rate of $6/day.
Getting around Chapel Hill by bus
Chapel Hill Transit provides bus transportation throughout the community free of charge. It is a good idea to check the route and schedule ahead of time, as frequency often varies depending on time-of-day: http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=706. Once you have found the appropriate route, the website also includes a Nextbus application which uses GPS to predict the next arrival on any given route. The Carolina Inn, The Franklin Hotel, and The Hampton Inn Carrboro are all easily accessible by the J line.
Getting from UNC to Duke by bus
There is an express bus linking the two campuses. In Chapel Hill, the RSX buses depart from and arrive at the Morehead Planetarium parking lot. Buses arrive at and depart from the Duke Chapel bus stop. At UNC, no stops are made between the campuses. Each one-way trip costs $2.50 and is scheduled to last 30 minutes. For a complete schedule visit this link: http://www.gotriangle.org/images/uploads/Robertson_081913.pdf.
GETTING TO CHAPEL HILL BY TRAIN OR BUS
Durham, home to Duke University, is an easy ten-mile drive away from UNC. For those traveling by train or bus to Chapel Hill, Durham is the most conveniently located public transportation hub.
Amtrak
Amtrak has two lines that serve North Carolina â the Piedmont and the Carolinian (http://www.amtrak.com/carolinian-piedmont-train). The Piedmont offers service from Charlotte to Raleigh, while the Carolinian travels the same route, but extends to New York City. Those traveling from Washington, D.C to Durham can expect a train ride of approximately 6.5 hours with prices beginning at $69 one way. From New York City, expect a ride of approximately 10 hours with tickets starting at $129 one way. Visitors arriving from Atlanta can expect an 8 hour train ride not including layover/transfer time in Charlotte; ticket prices from Atlanta begin at $83 one way.
To get from the Amtrak station to Chapel Hill by bus, walk approximately 5 minutes to the Durham TTA station and then take the 400 to Chapel Hill. The bus stop nearest the Carolina Inn is on Franklin Street at the Varsity Theater, which is approximately 5 minutes walking distance from the Carolina Inn. Expect total transit time from the Amtrak station to The Carolina Inn to be approximately one hour. Tickets for the TTA cost $2.00 for a one-time trip. To plan a detailed trip itinerary on the TTA, visit http://www.triangletransit.org/.
Greyhound and Megabus
Greyhound bus operates a terminal in Durham (http://www.greyhound.com/). Those interested in traveling via Greyhound from New York City to Durham can expect to pay roughly $73 for a one-way trip that lasts approximately 14 hours. Tickets from Washington, D.C. begin at $37 for a one-way trip that lasts between 6 and 9 hours. From Atlanta, tickets begin at $53 for a one-way trip that lasts between 7 and 9 hours. For those interested in using the bus to get from the Greyhound station to Chapel Hill, please follow the directions listed above for getting from the Amtrak station to The Carolina Inn.
Megabus is a budget express bus service to nearly 50 cities through five hubs (http://us.megabus.com/routemap.aspx). Buses offer free wi-fi, power outlets, and panoramic windows. Because Megabus operates without actual stations, departures and arrivals are made on Willard St. outside of the Durham Station Transportation Center. For those traveling from Washington, D.C. to Durham, a one-way tickets begin at $1.00, and the trip has an expected travel time of approximately 5 hours. From New York City, a one-way ticket starts at $72.00 and the trip takes approximately 12 hours. Those traveling from Atlanta must first travel to Charlotte (which takes approximately 4 hours and has one-way ticket costs beginning at $1.00) and then from Charlotte to Durham (which takes approximately 3 hours and has one-way ticket costs beginning at $1.00). For those interested in using the bus to get from the Megabus drop-off site to Chapel Hill, please follow the directions listed above for getting from the Amtrak station to The Carolina Inn.