Shuttles from Boston?

[mistiaggie]

I was looking at airfare for a potential finishing of the LT starting in Rutland in July. Airfare to Rutland is absurd and is only slightly cheaper in Burlington. Would it be better to try to figure out how to get to Rutland via Boston or Burlington or is there another city to try? And is there anyone shuttling this route at all?

[ShelterLeopard]

Wait, you are looking for a shuttle from Rutland or Boston to Burlington??? Boston is nowhere near Burlington at all. Almost 200 miles away. You could take the train from Boston to Rutland. I don't quite understand what you're trying to figure out.

It would be extremely easy to get a train out of Boston to either Rutland or Burlington (you'd have to take the Lake Shore Limited then transfer to the Vermonter, or take the Ethan Allen).

[singing wind]

There is a bus service that goes from Boston Logan (I think) to Lebanon, NH (near White River Jct.). I took it from VT to BOS last summer - it's the Dartmouth Coach service if memory serves correct. Very nice.

[singing wind]

Oops, I meant I took the bus to get out of VT to BOS. Good luck!

[Snowleopard]

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, perhaps look into flying into Albany, NY and taking Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express: http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...=1241245666724
Or, fly into NYC and take the Ethan Allen.
If you already have your tickets, do as ShelterLeopard says or take a bus to Springfield or Amherst, MA and take the Amtrak Vermonter http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...=1241245666724

[Snowleopard]

Oops, skip the Amtrak Vermonter unless you've figured out a way to get to Rutland from it's stops (shuttle or cab, probably no buses).

[NorthCountryWoods]

Cheapest option would be to rent a car for a day at Logan, drop it in Rutland and hitch to the trail, or drop it at BTV and get a ride to the trail.

[mistiaggie]

Nope, don't have tickets and probably won't until June sometime. I was just debating where to even fly in to for cheaper tickets. And then to get to Rutland somehow. So I guess I was trying to say was it better to fly to Burlington, Boston or Albany! LOL, didn't make that clear.

Thanks for the help on the bus issues!

[Dogwood]

Don't know how cheap you expect your travel arrangements to be but, currently, you can get an advanced purchase RT ticket between Boston and Burlington VT for about $88 through Greyhound. Trip takes about 4-5 hrs each way depending on exact schedule and route option. IMO, that length of a bus trip most can handle well. Check those schedules for what other areas the bus route stops!

Some Boston/Burlington schedules/routes stop in White River Junction where, if you wanted, you could get off the bus and take Amtrak to Rutland VT. You could also just stay on the same Greyhound bus to Burlington where you would transfer to a regional bus that would take you to Rutland. Check the timing of connections(transfers) though! As yet another busing option you could get off at Mt Pelier and take regional VT buses to Rutland. You might want to call Greyhound directly and tell them your desires to get to Rutland. They may be able to get you into or closer to Rutland than Burlington!

Going into NYC from Boston and then getting to Rutland is not only going to be more time consuming but in all most likelyhood be more expensive too!

It's my best guess if you figure in a shuttler or airplane reservations traveling will MOST likely cost more!

[NorthCountryWoods]

Burlington.

[Sly]

A shuttle from Boston to Rutland is 170 miles. Most shuttle services charge a flat rate of a dollar or more. Considering todays gas prices, $200 sounds about right. If that sounds good let me know, I'll pick you up at logan and drop you off at the trail near Rutland.

[double d]

I've flown into both Burlington,VT and Albany and then either shuttled into Vermont or had a car rental (but I've never flown from Boston to either airport). One thing to consider is that Burlington's airport is about 30 miles closer then is the Albany airport. Might save you a few bucks on shuttles if you fly directly into Burlington (Rutland has a small airport).

[singing wind]

Rutland has public bus service to the Long Trail Inn and and far east as Killington. The bus leaves from the town bus terminal. Fare is $2.00 1-way. I'm not sure if the Killington route schedule is avialable online, but you could call them. I used it regularly last summer and it was ok to take a pack on the bus.