Transportation

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Website
1000 Trade Dr, (Interstate 40 at Exits 284 and 285), RDU Airport; phone (919) 840-2123. Open daily, 24 hours. Located about 18 miles east of Chapel Hill, RDU Airport is the principal facility for the Research Triangle. It offers non-stop flights to about 40 cities in the U.S. and Canada, plus London, by more than 20 major and regional airline companies. For information about airport parking, call (919) 840-2140.

Airline Companies

CompanyToll-FreeWebsite
Air Canada(800) 247-2262Online
AirTran Airlines(800) 247-8726Online
American Airlines(800) 433-7300Online
American Eagle(800) 433-7300Online
Continental Airlines(800) 525-0280Online
Continental Express(800) 525-0280Online
Delta Airlines(800) 221-1212Online
Delta Connection(800) 221-1212Online
JetBlue(800) 538-2583Online
Northwest Airlines(800) 225-2525Online
Southwest Airlines(800) 435-9792Online
United Airlines(800) 241-6522Online
United Express(800) 241-6522Online
US Airways(800) 428-4322Online
US Airways Express(800) 428-4322Online

Airport Shuttles

The distance from RDU Airport to Chapel Hill is 18 miles. Depending on time of day, a taxi ride will take 20 to 30 minutes and will cost about $35, excluding tip. The least expensive ride to and from Chapel Hill is via the Triangle Transit Authority (see below).

SuperShuttle:
SuperShuttle shared-ride van service was inaugurated to and from RDU Airport in January 2009 to serve the downtown Raleigh hotel market, with full service to Chapel Hill started the following month. It provides customers with an option less expensive than traditional forms of transportation at nearly 30 airports by letting customers ride with others living or staying nearby. For more information, visit its Website here.

Local Taxi Services

TownCompanyPhoneWebsite
Chapel HillA Falcon Ride(919) 309-2700Online
Chapel HillAirport & Intown Taxi(919) 942-4492 
Chapel HillAirport Taxi(919) 942-4598 
Chapel HillAirport Straight Taxi(919) 933-3396 
Chapel HillCarolina Taxi & Shuttle(919) 883-4677Online
Chapel HillChapel Hill Taxi(919) 933-9595Online
Chapel HillDestiny Transportation(919) 968-1139 
Chapel HillIke’s Taxi(919) 961-2477 
Chapel HillMain Street Taxi(919) 923-1479 
Chapel HillTar Heel Taxi(919) 933-1255 
Chapel HillTrust Taxi Cabs Service(919) 357-1085Online
Chapel HillUniversity Taxi(919) 928-9000 
HillsboroughAngels on Wheels(919) 644-7854 
HillsboroughDoc’s Taxi & Transportation(919) 643-1843 
OtherRDU Airport Taxi(919) 840-7277 
OtherAmbassador Shuttle Service(919) 656-7436 
OtherCharlene’s Safe Ride(919) 309-7233Online
OtherLimousine Raleigh(919) 244-1608Online

Auto Rental

Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Website
1400 East Franklin St, Chapel Hill; toll-free (800) 736-8222, phone (919) 967-5128.

University Ford Rental
Website
102 Ephesus Church Rd, Chapel Hill; toll-free (800) 367-3027, phone (919) 929-0328. Open Mon.-Fri., 7:30am-6pm; Sat., 8am-1pm. We rent by the day, week or month, offering competitive rates. International and student drivers over 21 are welcomed. Local pick-up available.

Parking

Chapel Hill Parking
Website
150 East Rosemary St (Downtown), Chapel Hill; phone (919) 968-2758. Office open Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pm. The Town of Chapel Hill offers more than 850 parking spaces throughout the central business district. Rates in the staffed facilities are $.65 per half hour (first 4 hours), $1.30 per hour (4-6 hours) and $1.80 per hour (over six hours). Additional charges may apply. The metered and pay-station rate is $1 per hour.
• For permits, citations and appeals, call (919) 968-2758, fax (919) 932-2926 or email parking@townofchapelhill.org.

University Parking
Website
Public Safety Bldg, Manning Dr, UNC campus, Chapel Hill; phone (919) 962-3951. Visitors to the University may park in pay lots or in specially marked metered spaces along selected streets on campus. Metered spaces can be found along Country Club Rd, Raleigh St, Ridge Rd and South Rd. Parking lot attendants are on duty at the
• Ambulatory Care lot, Mon-Fri, 7am-6pm
• Dogwood Visitor Deck, at all times except major holidays
• Morehead Planetarium, Mon-Fri, 7:30am-5:30pm
• NC Highway 54 Lot, Raleigh Road at Country Club Rd, Mon-Fri, 7:30am-5:30pm
For more information, call (919) 962-3951 or fax (919) 962-2572 or tune your car or hotel radio to 1610 AM.

Buses, local

Chapel Hill Transit
Website
6900 Millhouse Rd, Chapel Hill; phone (919) 969-4900. Operates Mon-Fri, 5:30am-11:30pm, with limited evening and weekend service; closed on Town holidays. A completely fare-free system providing safe, convenient and reliable public transportation services to the residents and visitors of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the University of North Carolina (UNC). For route and schedule information, or for assistance in planning your trip, call a CHT representative. State where you’d like to go, and he or she will map your trip right over the phone, including routes, times and stop locations. Our Website above also features complete schedules, route maps, real-time bus information and a trip planner. Park & Ride locations:
• Carrboro Plaza Shopping Center—Intersection of NC Highway 54 West and West Main St.
• Eubanks Rd—Off NC Highway 86 North, just south of the eastbound exit (266) of Interstate 40.
• NC Highway 54 Lot—Friday Center Dr.
• Jones Ferry Rd—At the intersection of Old Fayetteville Rd.
• Southern Village—Off US Highway 15-501 South, 3/4-mi. south of NC Highway 54 West.

Tar Heel Express
Website
Phone (919) 969-4900. Bus service is provided by Chapel Hill Transit to many UNC home basketball and football games, and other major events on campus. The round-trip fare is $5, and a one-way ticket is $3. Services and prices are subject to change. See below for parking lot locations and service hours.
5th Quarter Bus Service (to and from football games at Kenan Memorial Stadium)
Website
• P Lot, Airport Dr and Estes Dr Extension—3 hours before and 3 hours after games.
• 725 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd Lot—3 hours before and 3 hours after games.
• Friday Center Park & Ride Lot, off NC Highway 54 East—3 hours before and 45 minutes after games.
• Jones Ferry Rd Park & Ride Lot—90 minutes before and 45 minutes after games.
• Southern Village Park & Ride Lot, off US Highway 15-501 South—90 minutes before and 45 minutes after games.
• University Mall (Dillard’s parking lot), off Willow Dr—3 hours before and 45 minutes after games.
Basketball Bus Service (to and from basketball games at the Dean E. Smith Center)
• Friday Center Park & Ride Lot, off NC Highway 54 East—90 minutes before and 45 minutes after games.
• Jones Ferry Rd Park & Ride Lot—90 minutes before and 45 minutes after games.
• Southern Village Park & Ride Lot, off US Highway 15-501 South—90 minutes before and 45 minutes after games.
• University Mall (Dillard’s parking lot), off Willow Dr—90 minutes before and 45 minutes after games.

Buses, intercity

Greyhound / Carolina Trailways
Website
1201 South Blount St, Raleigh; toll-free (800) 229-9424, phone. Bus service is provided by Carolina Trailways at terminals in Raleigh and Greensboro to other major cities in North Carolina and all points beyond.

Orange Public Transportation (OPT)
Website
600 NC Highway 86 North, Hillsborough; phone (919) 245-2008 or (919) 245-2006. Provides regular bus service on selected routes between northern Orange County and downtown Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. Transportation for medical appointments is available for pre-qualified Orange County citizens. Minimal fees apply for most services.

Triangle Transit
Website
4600 Emperor Blvd (#100), Durham; phone (919) 485-7433 (RIDE). Provides airport shuttle and regular bus service between the Research Triangle Park and Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh. Provides commuter bus service to Apex, Cary, Garner and Hillsborough, plus express commuter routes from Raleigh to Chapel Hill and Durham, as well as a vanpool program, online carpool matching, bicycle commuting, employer assistance with commuter benefit programs and more. Shuttle bus service to and from RDU Airport takes 45 to 60 minutes, with a transfer at the depot in Research Triangle Park. Each leg is $2 or $4 each way to or from the airport.

Passenger Rail

North Carolina’s Amtrak
Website
1553 Mail Service Center, Raleigh; toll-free (800) 872-7245, phone. North Carolina’s Amtrak, operated jointly by the State and Amtrak, is a fleet of two trains, the Piedmont and Carolinian, which provides daily service to Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte and nine other North Carolina cities, and to the Northeast. The closest train stations are in Burlington, Durham and Cary. Complete train and schedule information is available on the Website above or by calling the toll-free phone number. Reservations are required. Travelers should book early for the best fares. (As of this writing, a citizens’ group was also working to re-establish rail service in Hillsborough, which ended in 1964.)

Other Mode

Downtown Bicycle Rickshaws (Greenway Transit)
Website
1404 Angier Ave, Durham; phone (919) 957-8294. The first and only transport company in North Carolina whose vehicles run exclusively on human energy or biofuels (biodiesel, vegetable oil and ethanol, E85). The fleet includes Pedicabs (bike rickshaws) with service in downtown Chapel Hill and Carrboro, plus limos, vans and buses.


Did You Know?

Half of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which offers about 40 non-stop connections.