Has anyone taken the train from DC to Stowe, VT? The Vermonter line takes about 11 hours and I'm thinking of going up for a long weekend of skiing. From my research, there's a free bus that services the main hotel loop to the mountain, but I'm uncertain of how to get from the train station to a hotel or B&B. Uber and Lyft don't seem to service the area. Thanks for any suggestions.
I've looked into it but the time committment always scared me away. Flights to BTV from WAS take about 60 minutes wheels up to down. They are not cheap, but get you there quickly, quick enough to ski on both your arrival and departure days.
My plan was to work from the train on a Friday and Monday and ski the weekend, so the ride length doesn't actually get in the way for me. Plus it is less expensive and easier to deal with the skis and gear, but I get the point about a 60 minute flight.
how is the riding up there in the north country
I did the same research years ago for taking train to VT.
You can take Amtrak, get off at the station closest to Burlington Airport (forgot station name, sorry). Take taxi to airport, pick up rental car and drive to Stowe. Do the reverse when you return, drop off rental car, take taxi to Amtrak. Please check rental car counter hours, if I recall, they close at 11 pm.
When I asked (in person) at rental car counter in Burlington Airport, I was told rental car company will reimburse you the cost of taxi. But I have never end up doing it, so I am unable to verify.
Enterprise will pick you up and they have a location at BTV. Another option fpr flying is Manchester Airport, which is 2.5 hours from Stowe and typically offers cheaper fares than Burlington from WAS.
After more research and calling around, I've booked my tickets. I'll be taking the train to Waterbury-Stowe station and then taking either a taxi or Lyft (which does seem to service the area) to my hotel (about 14 miles or so from the train station). After that, I'll just use the free in-town shuttle to and from the mountain. I'm planning on spending most of my two days skiing, before doing the reverse trip home. It's my first trip to Stowe and I'm quite looking forward to the experience.
thaw / freeze cycles may necessitate sharp edges .. just sayin
