Getting There & Getting Around
By Plane -- Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF), 14 miles east of Williamsburg (tel. 757/877-0221; www.nnwairport.com), is served by AirTran, Delta, and US Airways. Avis (tel. 800/331-1212), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700), Enterprise (tel. 800/261-7331), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131), and National (tel. 800/328-4567) have desks at the airport, and taxis await each incoming flight.
More flights arrive at Richmond International Airport, about 45 miles west of town via I-64. Norfolk International Airport is about the same distance to the east, but traffic on I-64 can cause delays in ground transport to Williamsburg during rush hours, especially on summer weekends when beach traffic funnels through the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel.
By Car -- The main drag is I-64, which runs down the center of the Peninsula between Richmond and Hampton. When traffic on I-64 comes to a standstill (as it can on summer weekends), you can take the mostly four-lane U.S. 60, which parallels it. The two-lane John Tyler Highway (Va. 5) also runs between Richmond and Williamsburg, passing the James River plantations. The scenic Colonial Parkway connects Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. Va. 199 runs around the southern side of Williamsburg, and when combined with I-64 forms a beltway around the town.
By Train & Bus -- Both Amtrak trains (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) and Greyhound buses (tel. 800/231-2222; www.greyhound.com) arrive at the local Transportation Center (tel. 757/229-8750), at Boundary and Lafayette streets within walking distance of Williamsburg's Historic Area.
Other than driving, the easiest way to get from Williamsburg to Jamestown and Yorktown from March 1 through October 31 is via the Historic Triangle Shuttle (tel. 757/898-2410), which follows the Colonial Parkway. The buses depart the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center daily every 30 minutes from 9am to 3:30pm, with the final return trips departing Jamestown and Yorktown at 5:15pm. The rides cost $2 each way but are free with admission to Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield. Save your admission tickets.
