If you have are calling Chapel Hill home after a divorce, you may be interested in learning about local transportation resources. Also, if you are attending a court hearing in Orange County, you will be interested in how to get to the area, as well as what the transportation situation is to and from the courthouse. This article will provide you with a wealth of information related to all things transportation.
Travel by Flight
Chapel Hill is a great location for a recent divorcee to call home. Just minutes away from RDU airport, it is easy to get here from just about anywhere. Thanks to the number of large businesses that are located in Research Triangle Park and the surrounding areas, there are many flights that come and go from RDU every day. You may be needing access to the airport for frequent business travel, maybe simply to attend a court hearing in Orange County, or even just for the occasional vacation – whatever the reason RDU is a great travel resource.
The airport is centrally located between Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Durham. It is easily accessible from Interstate 40 as well as Highway 54, and is only a short drive from Chapel Hill.
RDU supports flights from the following carriers and their regional partners:
AirTran
Air Canada
American Airlines
Delta
Frontier
JetBlue
Southwest Airlines
United
U.S. Airways
Terminal 1 of RDU is currently under construction due to extensive renovations, however AirTran and Southwest Airlines still operate out of this terminal. Every other airline operates out of Terminal 2. This terminal is new, stylish, efficient, has a unique design and houses Raleigh favorites like 42nd Street Oyster Bar and Carolina Ale House.
Parking is easy at RDU – there is a large parking deck located directly between the two terminals that offers both hourly and daily parking. If you plan on leaving your car at the airport for an extended trip, there are park-and-ride lots available. If you have questions about parking, or are looking for park-and-ride locations feel free to visit the website provided above.
Once you have landed at RDU, you have several transportation options for travel from the airport to your ultimate destination. Taxi dispatchers and hotel shuttles can be found outside both terminals. There about fifty area hotels that provide shuttle service to the airport, so be sure to ask your hotel in advance if they can provide transportation to and from the airport – chances are they do. You can also easily rent a car from any number of rental car kiosks situated hear baggage claim. The following companies provide rental cars at RDU: Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty. Lastly, the RDU website an extensive list of transportation services that provide private cars and limos, and you can also utilize Greyhound busses, or the regional Triangle Transit Bus.
We advise that you plan your airport transportation in advance. Taxis are plentiful, but if you plan to use a hotel shuttle or private car you will need to make arrangements in advance. Also, if you plan on using the Triangle Transit bus you will need to ensure that the busses are running when you intend on using them.
Travel by Train
Traveling by train to the Chapel Hill area is not as convenient as other modes of travel as there is no Amtrak station in Chapel Hill. If you do prefer to travel by train, however, there are stations nearby in Durham, Cary, and Raleigh. You can rent a car at any of the aforementioned stations and travel by car the remainder of the trip until you reach Chapel Hill.
Travel by Bus
Greyhound (intercity bus carrier)
Triangle Transit Authority (regional bus carrier)
Chapel Hill Transit (Chapel Hill circulator)
The Greyhound bus is an option for those looking to travel to or from Chapel Hill from another city or state. Some prefer Greyhound as it can be less expensive than air travel, however this mode of travel does take longer than air travel and you should be prepared to stop at various bust stations on your route. Visit the Greyhound website above for detailed information about station locations, prices, and estimated travel time. Unfortunately, there is no Greyhound station in Chapel Hill, however there are stations in Raleigh and in Durham.
The Triangle Transit Authority bus system provides transportation to Chapel Hill as well as around Chapel Hill. Bus fare costs about $2 per ride, and the busses are equipped with free wireless Internet, have air conditioning and heating and easy-to-use bike racks. The bus routes that service the Chapel Hill area are as follows:
Durham – New Hope Commons – Chapel Hill (400)
Durham – Chapel Hill (405)
Hillsborough – Chapel Hill (405)
Chapel Hill – Southpoint (800)
Chapel Hill – Woodcroft (805)
View the Triangle Transit website to access route information and maps. Bus schedules are not posted at many bus stops, but TTA offers a service where you can get an update on the arrival time of your bus by text message. Look for a sign at your bus stop with text alert information.
The Town of Chapel Hill runs a bus service known as the Chapel Hill Transit. The goal of this bus service is to provide safe, convenient, affordable, reliable and responsive public transportation services to those in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. You can track the buses and see real time arrival predictions through Nextbus and the Chapel Hill Transit website. A great perk about using this bus system is that most fares are free. Some routes charge a $3 one-way fee, but the all of the fixed route service busses are fare-free.
Rental Car
Because it is a fairly small town, Chapel Hill has limited a limited number of rental car providers. If you are partial to a specific brand, check and see if they have a location in or near Chapel Hill. Otherwise, the following location may be helpful to you:
Enterprise Rental Car
1400 E. Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 967 – 5128
Additionally Chapel Hill, specifically the University, has zipcar, which is membership based car-sharing company. If you are a member, you can log on to their website and reserve a car by the hour, or by the day. This service is available to UNC students, faculty and staff and there are about 10 vehicles that are found in various campus parking lots. The zipcar website can provide information as to where vehicles are available, as well as the size and type of vehicle.
Taxis and Car Services
Unlike large metropolitan areas, arranging for a cab ride is not as easy as stepping outside and hailing a cab. The main cab company servicing the Chapel Hill area is Chapel Hill Taxi. There are a few others around the area as well – the phone numbers below may be of some assistance to you if you are looking for a taxi.
If you are looking for a private car, White Horse is a great option. They provide large SUVs, passenger vans, and town cars, and can transport you anywhere in Chapel Hill, or even to other cities and towns in North Carolina. The owners and drivers are all local, will know their way around, and can offer tips or suggestions on what to do, where to eat, and other local attractions.
Chapel Hill Taxi: (919) 933 – 9595
Time To Go Taxi: (919) 407 – 9747
Tar Heel Taxi: (919) 933 – 1255
White Horse Transportation: (919) 782 – 5893
Purchasing a Car
If you have recently relocated to Chapel Hill and find yourself in need of purchasing a car, you have several options in the area. Whether you are looking for that post-divorce shiny new luxury car, or something more practical that accommodates car seats, Chapel Hill has plenty of resources for purchasing cars. Performance Auto Mall in Chapel Hill has Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, Porsche, and Subaru dealerships that sell both new and used cars. There are also countless dealerships nearby in Raleigh and Durham.
If you are looking for a used car, Carmax on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh might be a great place to look as they offer a huge inventory. Also, many people find that buying a used car from Craigslist can be very convenient and hassle-free. Whatever your vehicle needs may be, chances are you can find it in or near Chapel Hill.
Special Tips for Those Traveling to Attend Court
You may be in a situation where you need to travel to Orange County just to make a court appearance. Perhaps your divorce proceedings are being held in Orange County, or maybe you are appearing as a witness in someone else’s divorce proceedings, or you could simply be attending the hearing to provide emotional support for a friend or loved one.
It is important to note that the Orange County courthouse is not actually in Chapel Hill, but rather in downtown Hillsborough. So if you are only traveling to the area to attend court it may be more convenient to seek lodging in Hillsborough rather than Chapel Hill. The following are hotels conveniently located near the courthouse:
120 Old Dogwood Street
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 245 – 3102
Distance to courthouse: 1.3 miles
202 Cardinal Drive
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 644 – 7997
Distance to courthouse: 1.6 miles
122 Daniel Boone St.
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 732 – 8101
Distance to courthouse: 1.3 miles
If your preference is for a luxury hotel, you may be better suited to stay in Chapel Hill at the Siena Hotel, Carolina Inn, or the Franklin Hotel. However, the three hotels listed above are much closer to the courthouse.
Hillsborough is a small community with limited transportation resources, so unfortunately public transportation does not provide easy access to the courthouse. If you fly to RDU, or take Amtrak or Greyhound to a nearby station, you will need to take a taxi or rent a car to get to your hotel and/or the courthouse.
