days
      'til festy!

Getting Here

If you’re traveling from out of town to Charlottesville for the Festy, welcome – we’re so excited to have you here!  There are a wide variety of accommodation options for you to choose from, including hotels, home stays, and campgrounds.  We’ve partnered with several options that we recommend to help you plan your trip, which you can find on our Accommodations page.

Just two hours south of Washington, D.C. and with a regional airport, Amtrak rail service and Greyhound bus lines, travel to Charlottesville and the Festy at IX Art Park is a snap.

By Car

Driving into Charlottesville is a breeze, and there is rarely traffic outside of peak rush hours. Roll down your windows and soak up the fresh air!

I-64 and U.S. Route 29 connect in the heart of Albemarle County, and by car, Charlottesville’s footprint is defined by a stretch of I-64 to the south and, to the north, by the upper bypass arcs of U.S. Routes 250 and 29.

Emmet Street (also US Rt. 29) serves as a major north/south path through the heart of the city, roughly bisected by a corridor that begins as Ivy Road west of Emmet and becomes University Avenue east of Emmet, leading to West Main/Downtown.

By Plane

Flying into Charlottesville is one of the most relaxing air travel experiences you can have.

The Charlottesville Albemarle airport (CHO), just eight miles from downtown, offers 50 daily non-stop flights to and from Charlotte, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Washington D.C., and Atlanta, and is friendly and cozy.

Visitors can also fly into Dulles International Airport (IAD) outside Washington, D.C., just over two hours away whether by car, bus or one of the shuttle services serving Charlottesville. Both airports are accessed via Route 29.

By Train & Bus

As another option, you can also easily get to Charlottesville by rail or bus.

Amtrak (CVS station) offers daily direct routes (Crescent, Cardinal and Northeast Regional) to New York City’s Penn Station and Union Station in Washington, D.C.

The Amtrak and Greyhound stations are both conveniently located along the free trolley route across from the West Main shopping and dining district between the Downtown Mall and the University of Virginia. Megabus also offers daily bus travel between Charlottesville and Washington DC.

Once you’re Here

Within Charlottesville, concentrations of attractions and activities make it easy to enjoy all the city has to offer. Large garages on Water Street and Market Street provide parking on either side of the Downtown Mall, making it convenient to walk to historic Court Square, as well as restaurants, shops and theaters.

Parking is available in the Market Street garage. The first hour in the garage is free, and The Downtown Visitor Center will provide a parking pass for an additional hour. You can also find paid parking – garage and small private lots – around the University of Virginia close to The Corner’s shopping and dining.

The city’s busses crisscross the region and offer unlimited day use for $1.50, with the main transit center at the east end of the Downtown Mall near the Sprint Pavilion. Monday through Saturday, select routes run until 11:45 p.m., making it simple and safe to enjoy the area nightlife.

Best of all, Charlottesville offers free trolley service in roughly a figure eight that serves the major areas of local attractions, including Scott Stadium, the Rotunda and The Corner at UVA, historic downtown and the Downtown Mall, the Amtrak and Greyhound stations and West Main.  The free trolley runs every 15 minutes with service from early morning to last stops at nearly midnight Monday to Saturday and 5:40 p.m. on Sundays.

And of course, there are Uber and Lyft ride-share services, as well as Bird and Lime scooters available for cruising around the downtown area.

Get ready for an amazing adventure – book your tickets to the Festy today!