Williamsburg Transportation

You don’t have to have a car to get here, though it helps. We drove of course as we were on a driving tour of Virginia at the time, and if you do the same you need to exit I-64 midway between Richmond and Norfolk(exit 238) and look for signs to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center. Once you’ve parked and purchased your entry ticket (see below) you can either walk or get a shuttle to the historic area. If visiting one of the taverns in the evening we found you could drive and park within an easy walk.

You can also get here by public transport however. Amtrak serves the Williamsburg Transportation Center with a connecting train from Washington, D.C. The center is a few blocks from the Historic Area and has car rentals, and a cab stand. There’s also a Shuttle which runs between Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, Jamestown and Yorktown., which is free if you have an entry ticket for one of these attractions.

Shuttle buses to the Historic Area leave from the loading platform on the lower level of the Visitor Center. Shuttle buses run around the perimeter of the Historic Area, and offer return transportation to the Visitor Center. All you need to do is show your ticket to the driver on boarding.

Admit it. At some point or another, you've dreamed of riding one of these. They're a common sight around Williamsburg, though you will have to pay a moderate-sized fee to ride one. We opted out, though I think it probably would have been an enjoyalbe experience.

While the best way to explore colonial Williamsburg in my opinion is walking, you can also take buses that run regular routes throughout the museum complex. There are two bus routes: Red and Blue. Red line was a short run between the Visitor Center and the stop at the Governor's palace. Blue Line encircles the entire colonial village, running through the Market Area, the Governor's Palace, and a dozen other places. The Red Line stops operating at 5 PM; the Blue Line stops at 9 PM.

Another fun way to experience the Historic Area and its surroundings is by bicycle. Stop by the Recreation Center at the Williamsburg Inn and rent a bicycle (tandem bikes are also available). The Historic Area and the surroundings are filled with biking and hiking trails.

Once you get inside Colonial Willaimsburg, no car is needed. If you have purchased a pass to enjoy all of the building tour inside Colonial Williamsburg, the shuttle is also included. The shuttle has roughly 10 stops located close to all of the major locations.

Inside your welcome brochure, you will find a map with all the needed information.

If you don't have your own car and want to visit area around Williamsburg (Hampton Roads; Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Kingstown and Williamsburg, James River Plantations in Charles City) the best option is to rent a car. The most comfartable is surely to rent a car at the airport of your arrival. Always look for and ask about various discounts (incl. fly + drive option).

I did it two days before at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia (close to Washington DC). Why just there? Because they offered discount prices at Budget car rental that time which was very important for me, as it was main expense during my trip. Surely you can rent a car in any other airport including Richmond International Airport (RIC: details here), Norfolk International Airport (ORF; details here) and Newport-News Williamsburg International Airport (PHF; details here).

Keep in mind that the total price you pay for the car rental consists of numerous taxes, insurance fees, additional surcharges and is far higher than the price you find at first on advertisements. I recommend to buy full insurance coverage although it's very expensive, especially for non US-residents. It added additional almost 60% to my basic rental price. It hurts...

I had to show valid driving licence and a credit/debit card (to be identified) and I had to be 25 years of age or older to rent any car in the USA and surely I was.

We had to wait approx. 20 min. to take on the blue line shuttle bus at Marchants Square which was not that bad although unexpected. I do believe that they are well prepared for thousands of visitors but in more crowded days do expect longer time of waiting (esp. after 5.00 pm and around dusk). Think about coming back on foot. The Visitor's Center is only about 10 min. by a footbridge from the Governor's Palace.

HOURS
Don't miss the last bus. The blue line shuttle circles historic area daily from 9.00 am to 10.00 pm including Visitor Center only 5.00 - 10.00 pm. The red line shuttle bus (Visitor's Center - Governor's House and back) goes from 8.50 am to 5.00 pm.