Williamsburg Transportation

Getting There

Air

Williamsburg is serviced by two international airports. The Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport and the Richmond International Airport.

Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport(PHF) +757 877 0221 http://www.nnwairport.com

This airport is located in Newport News, Virginia and is approximately a 20 miles/32 kilometers from Williamsburg and is served by the several ground transportation options.

Richmond International Airport (RIC) +804 226 3000 http://www.flyrichmond.com The Richmond International Airport is located just outside of Richmond, Virginia and lies 30 miles/48 kilometers to Williamsburg.

The following airlines serve the Williamsburg area:

AirTran (http://www.airtran.com) American Airlines (http://www.aa.com) Continental Airlines (http://www.continental.com) Delta (http://www.delta.com) JetBlue Airways (http://www.jetblue.com/) United (http://www.united.com) US Airways (http://www.usairways.com)

Car Rental Companies

The following car rental companies can be found at one or both of the airports serving the Williamsburg area:

Alamo (http://www.alamo.com) Dollar (http://www.dollar.com) Thrifty (http://www.thrifty.com) Avis (http://www.avis.com) Budget (http://www.budget.com) National (http://www.nationalcar.com) Hertz (http://www.hertz.com) Enterprise (http://www.enterprise.com)

Train

Amtrak (+1 800 872 7245/ http://www.amtrak.com) offers service to Williamsburg. The station is located at North Boundary Street and Lafayette in the heart of the city

Bus Greyhound (+1 800 231 2222/ http://www.greyhound.com) has service to Williamsburg and the bus station is located at the Amtrak station.

Highway

Williamsburg is just off Interstate 64.

Getting Around

Car

Williamsburg is very accessible by car, and having a car will allow you to explore the beautiful Virginia countryside. The Colonial Parkway is a historic road connecting Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown and is a beautiful and scenic way to travel.

Bus

From March to October a free shuttle service provided by the National Park Service follows this route. The shuttle leaves from the Williamsburg Visitors Center (+757 229 1000/ http://www.history.org/visit/tourTheTown/visitorCenter/index.cfm#top). The Yorktown Trolley also offers free service and operates March through October.

Ferry

The Jamestown Ferry, which crosses the James River, is also free and runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Foot

Each town is a small and manageable size and is great to explore on foot. However, getting from one town to another is best done by some other form of transport.

Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

For advance information specific to the Historic Area, contact the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, VA 23187 (tel. 800/447-8679 or 757/220-7645; www.colonialwilliamsburg.com). Open 365 days a year, the foundation's visitor center is both a font of information and the beginning of any visit here. There also is a regional information desk in the visitor center.

The next-best source for general information about the hotels, restaurants, and activities is the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance, 421 N. Boundary St., Williamsburg, VA 23187 (tel. 800/368-6511 or 757/229-6511; fax 757/253-1397; www.visitwilliamsburg.com), between Lafayette and Scotland streets, 2 blocks north of the Historic Area. The alliance sells one of the best maps of the area, and you can reserve hotel rooms, buy tickets, and search for money-saving package deals on its website. The office is open Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5pm.

The Williamsburg Hotel and Motel Association (tel. 800/446-9244) publishes Williamsburg Great Entertainer Magazine, a visitors guide. It also operates a hotel and motel reservation service in conjunction with the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance.

Arriving

Amtrak Trains and Greyhound buses arrive at the Transportation Center (tel. 757/229-8750), at Boundary and Lafayette streets.

Williamsburg is on I-64 about halfway between Richmond and Norfolk. For the Historic Area, take Exit 238 (Va. 143) off I-64 and follow the signs south to Va. 132 and Colonial Williamsburg. The visitor center will be on your left as you approach the town. Va. 199, which forms a beltway around the southern side of the city, joins I-64 at Exit 242 east of town; this is the quickest way to get to Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA. The scenic Colonial Parkway runs through a tunnel under the Historic Area; you can get on and off at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center.

Orientation & Getting Around

City Layout -- The 1-mile-long-by-half-mile-wide restored Historic Area is at the center of Williamsburg. The 99-foot-wide Duke of Gloucester Street is this area's principal east-west artery, with the Capitol building at the eastern end and the Wren building of The College of William and Mary at the west end. Merchants Square shops and services are on the western end of Duke of Gloucester Street, next to the college. The visitor center is north of the Historic Area.

Richmond Road (U.S. 60 W.) runs northwest from the Historic Area and is Williamsburg's main commercial strip, with numerous motels, restaurants, and shopping centers, including the area's outlet malls. On the east side of town, York Street/Pocahontas Trail (U.S. 60 E.) goes out to Busch Gardens Europe. Bypass Road joins these two highways on the north side of the Historic Area.

Getting Around -- Since cars are not allowed into the Historic Area between 8am and 10pm, you must park elsewhere. The Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center has ample free parking. Once you have bought your tickets, you can use them to ride Colonial Williamsburg's shuttle buses from the visitor center to and around the Historic Area (only ticket holders are allowed on these buses). The Red Line bus will take you between the visitor center and the Gateway Building, behind the Governor's Palace, where guides conduct a 30-minute Orientation Walk. It's a good way to get an overview of the village. From there, Blue Line buses make a circle around the circumference of the Historic Area. The buses begin operating at 8:50am, with frequent departures until 10pm. The two lines merge after 5pm, forming one loop around the area.

You can also walk from the visitor center to the Historic Area, a 20-minute stroll via a footpath.

The easiest way to get around outside the Historic Area is by public buses operated by Williamsburg Area Transport (tel. 757/259-4093; www.williamsburgtransport.com). Not to be confused with Colonial Williamsburg's shuttle buses, they run Monday through Saturday about every hour from 6am to 8pm, to 10pm during the summer months. Fare is $1.25. Exact fare is required. The Blue Line runs west from the Transportation Center and passes a majority of the area's motels, chain restaurants, and shopping centers on Richmond Road (U.S. 60 W.). The Gray Line operates east from the Transportation Center to Busch Gardens via Lafayette Street and Pocahontas Trail (U.S. 60 E.). The Yellow Line links the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center to the Transportation Center and Busch Gardens from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The land is flat here, so getting around via bicycle is a great idea. Bike and stroller rentals are available from Easter through October at the Woodlands Hotel & Suites, at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center (tel. 757/229-1000).

Yellow Cab (tel. 757/722-1111) and Williamsburg Taxi (tel. 757/566-3009) are based at the Transportation Center.