I just checked about getting my college fencer to the NAC in Virginia Beach. Since he can't rent a car (too young thank goodness!), I need another way to get him to the venue hotel. Per the hotel it is a 20-25 min drive with no shuttle available and a taxi is $50 one way! Does anyone have a less expensive way? (Why does USFA host NACs at out of the way places with no transportation???)
Where she is flying into and the date he is planning on arriving may be helpful if you are looking for a carpool situation?
Also consider checking to see if the hotel has a shuttle.
1) find other fencers to split a cabOriginally Posted by ecofencer
2) find other fencers to split a rental car
3) find other fencers who are willing to pick you up
its not that bad, i believe the overland park nac had a 65+ cab ride.
Thanks for the ideas but I was hoping that perhaps someone from the Virginia Beach area or someone farmiliar with it might know of some reasonable transportation optons. I have found that sometimes the hotels don't let you know all the options. As far as the taxi in Virginia Beach being cheaper than OP, to our family $50 one way ($100 round trip) is alot of money. Because of this I would like to see all future venues have reasonable public transportation options.
This is posted on the USFA website:
http://usfencing.org/pages/4268
Shuttle service will be provided from all official event hotels to the Virginia Beach Convention Center, free of charge on a regular basis. Busses will run at 15-20 minute intervals during all competition and event times.
Maybe I'm wrong but I took the OP's post to mean they are looking to get from the airport to the hotel, not hotel to venue.
I agree with the post above, make friends and share is the best way. And start refereeing so you can get reimbursed for stuff like that(eventually??)
"Their interpretation is, however, refuted most elegantly by your system of radioactive atom + amplifier + charge of gun powder + cat in a box"
-Albert Einstein, in a letter to Erwin Schrödinger
After reading over, I think you are correct.Maybe I'm wrong but I took the OP's post to mean they are looking to get from the airport to the hotel, not hotel to venue.
I agree with the post above, make friends and share is the best way. And start refereeing so you can get reimbursed for stuff like that
Taxis from airport to hotels/venues are often expensive but that is the case in many cities in the US, except those cities with good public transportation or where the venue is beside the airport.
Portland had cheap public transportation airport to venue.
And in other countries, even if they have excellent public transportation, the town where the event is located could be miles from the city with an international airport.
Last edited by teacup; 01-07-2010 at 10:30 AM.
I would suggest posting the hour when your fencer will arrive at the airport. Perhaps others are arriving at the same time and you can share a cab.
Hmm...<thinks about my own parents when I was college aged> Perhaps this is a parent who doesn't want their daughter riding around with total strangers in a far-away city. I for one had a hard time (with my parents) going ANYWHERE solo--i.e., not travelling with a Club/group--before I even graduated college
Depending on other people going to the same event can be a total pain as well, depending on what events they're fencing and when. If *you* were a local, or at the same venue hotel attending the same event, and had to fence at XYZ time, how much would you want to go out of your way to meet with someone who may/may not be on time, etc.? To me, that would just add more anxiety with respect to getting to the venue, checking in on-time, etc. There are inconveniences on both sides.
To the OP: is the issue indeed the transportation between the Airport and the Venue Hotel? If so, I would check into a service called Super Shuttle, which is a national chain of shuttle buses that you can call to arrange transportation between airports and hotels. Check to see if they offer service to your airport from that hotel. (Sometimes you can even find coupons online for discounts).
Good luck!
It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not.
--Andre Gide (1869-1951)
SuperShuttle usually runs about $20 each way. That's for airport transport.
For hotel to venue, there are often gypsy cabs to be found. In Pittsburgh, out hotel's doorman found us one of these---just a guy with his own car who takes fares. Much cheaper than cabs.
Most city bus schedules can be found on line.
Use the Shift key, people! Keyboard manufacturers everywhere are ineffably saddened when you ignore what they made just for you!
i assumed when the fencer was referenced as "he" that it was a son. and therefore, totally fine to ride with total strangers in a far-away city.
Thanks for all the replies about Virginia Beach travel options. I am sorry if I was unclear (I am new to this!) but I was looking for transportation from the airport to the venue hotel. I called the hotel and they said there was no schuttle service in the Virginia Beach area, not even Super Schuttle. They said the only way was car or taxi ($50 one way). While sharing a taxi is a good option, it is difficult to co ordinate with fencers coming from around the country and events on different days. I agree the venues like Portland and Atlanta were great as the transportation was convenient and cheap (a fencing parent's dream!)
indeed. travel can be frustrating at some of the NACs. venues in bigger cities with a more robust infrastructure tend to cost more, so you could probably consider it a way to offset some of the costs.
Norfolk Airport, right?
I just checked Supershuttle's website, it says it serves that airport.
OTOH, $41, so not much savings.
Use the Shift key, people! Keyboard manufacturers everywhere are ineffably saddened when you ignore what they made just for you!
My experience is that SuperShuttle is always cheaper than a cab for 1 person, about the same but less convenient for 2, and you'll get a better deal on a cab if you have 3 people splitting it. YValueMV, of course.
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