Transportation - The Long Trail - Vermont

imported
#1

Starting end to end north to south July 31, 2015. Leaving car in Wiliamstown, Ma. Looks like a couple buses get me to Burlington. Anyone have ideas besides hithhiking to get to Journeys end? Thanks

Springside

#2

Why Journey end if you are NOBO? Actually I am going to start LT right after Labor Day and wondering which would be best for me NOBO or SOBO. I thought SOBO because then I would be watching leaves change as I walked South and every steep taken would be closer to home ( South Jersey) Also I know that I could get a greyhound bus in Williamstown Ma. Do you know about transportation south Journeys end area? I have no idea about that and would need to somehow get there to start. Any ideas you have, or find out please let me know. Hey maybe we will cross each other on the trail at some point. You will be almost done when I start I guess. :cheers :cheers

Jersey Jane

#3

Look on the LT web site, I am pretty sure that there are some folks who will provide transportation for a fee.

Big B

#4

i wish to hike the LT northbound. How do I get to the southern terminus? What kind of transportation exist to and from the southern trailhead?
thank you.

Julio

#5

Probably a good (not necessarily cheapest) way is to fly into the Albany (NY) airport.

From there you’d have to take either cab or local (CDTA) bus to get to the Greyhound station in downtown. That bus to Pittsfield, MA then their local bus system (Berkshire Regional Transit) to Williamstown.
Depending on where the bus goes to in Williamstown, you could walk to one of two trail accesses (the AT one is right on Route 2, the main road in town, and would allow you to pass a market for supplies en route, while the Pine Cobble Trail is a bit off of 2, but closer to Williamstown proper, and intersects the AT about 1 mile before the MA/VT line which is the actual start of the Long Trail) or it’s possible that the bus would be able to take you along Route 2 towards North Adams, which you could literally get off at the AT crossing and simply hike north on the AT 4 miles to the state line and start of the LT!

Alternatively, you could probably fly into Boston (that part might be cheaper than Albany) but then a longer bus ride back west across MA (again after using Boston’s public transit to get from the airport to the bus station) to Pittsfield and follow the above from there.

Billy

#6

UPDATE - I looked at the BRTA info and it looks like the Pittsfield to Williamstown route only runs Sept-May, so if you were going in June, July, Aug you’d have to take the #1 from Pittsfield to North Adams, then the #3 across towards Williamstown (allowing you to hop off right at the AT) or walk the 2 miles or so from NA to the trail (note there is also a supermarket in NA which I believe has an auto store nearby if you need supplies of food or fuel).

Billy

#7

It seems to me that the safest option is flying to Boston and then riding Greyhound to Williamstown?
From Journeys End you can get to Montreal? How do I get from Journeys end to Mountreal?
Julio

Julio

#8

I researched the greyhound website and it looks like I am able to take a 4.5hr. trip from Boston to Williamstown itself, and there I can walk or hitchike the two miles to the AT/LT.
My hike will be on August 2017.
Thank you for the information, especially to you Billy. It helps me see things clearly. But how do I get from JourneysEnd to Montreal?
Julio

Julio

#9

To get home I think you are better off getting to Burlington where you can a)fly out of Burlington Vermont, 2) Take a bus back to Boston and fly from there, 3) take Amtrak from Burlington to Boston then fly from there. Trails end in in the Boondocks and I think you have to stay in the USA for a good trip to get to a border station and deal with the hassle of international travel. But then again you do get to spend a night in Montreal.

Big B