Travel Information

Travelers to Dulles Airport (IAD)- Washington, DC
Travelers to Charlottesville Airport (CHO)- Charlottesville, VA
Students who are traveling within the U.S. prior to Orientation
Students who are traveling with family members or non-student friends

Travelers to Dulles Airport

Each of you belong in one of three groups, based on the time of your flight’s scheduled arrival time:

Group 1: Tuesday, August 19 - Flight arrival time from 1300 to 1800 hours.
Group 2: Tuesday, August 19 - Flight arrival time from 1800 to 0400 hours.
Group 3: Wednesday, August 20 - Flight arrival time from 0400 to 1300 hours.

If the flight you wish to take puts you in Group 1 or Group 2, you will need to book your flight so that you arrive on Tuesday, August 19, so that you will not miss Orientation check-in on Wednesday, August 20. If the flight you wish to take puts you in Group 3, this is the preferred arrival time, and you will need to arrive on Wednesday, August 20.

All travelers will enter the baggage claim area and be greeted by University of Virginia staff and alumni volunteers. If you do not see our volunteers, please come to the security checkpoint between Baggage Claims 8 and 10. We will have food and water for you.

If you are in Group 1:
On Tuesday, August 19, University of Virginia buses will depart from Dulles Airport and bring you to Grounds, where you will move in early to your dormitory. You will be charged USD 25.00 in your Housing bill at the end of the semester. While it may sound very appealing to have access to your dormitory room early, please keep in mind that you will be by yourself in a large building overnight; if you are traveling with parents, they are not permitted to stay in the dormitory with you overnight. You will not have the opportunity to buy bedsheets or other comfort items upon your arrival. We ask you not to leave your dormitory and wander around the campus at night. Orientation check-in is the following day.

If you are in Group 2:
On the evening of Tuesday, August 19, University of Virginia buses will depart from Dulles Airport and bring you to the Red Roof Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia. Because your flights arrive later in the evening, we strongly discourage you from trying to move-in early to your dormitory, and it may not be permitted. We have reserved 40 rooms at the Red Roof Inn, 25 are double-occupancy with two double-beds, 15 are single-occupancy with one king bed. We can add more rooms as needed. You may share a double room with another new student on the same flight or with a friend or family travel companion, and the cost is $69.99 plus tax. Single rooms are $76.99 plus tax. Instructions for booking your room are at the bottom of this message. On the morning of Wednesday, August 20, you will be brought to Orientation check-in.

If you are in Group 3:
If you have the option of a flight time such that you arrive in the morning, please plan to arrive on Wednesday, August 20. This is the easiest way to arrive at U.Va. You will be picked up at the airport and brought directly to Orientation check-in, at which point you will move into your dormitory room.

Travelers to Charlottesville Airport:

A bus will shuttle back and forth from Charlottesville Airport to Orientation check-in on Wednesday, August 20, from the airport’s first arrival time until 1630 hours, on one-hour increments. If you are flying in to Charlottesville Airport and your plane is scheduled to land after 1600 hours, you may want to consider arriving on Tuesday, August 19, reserving a room with our block at the Red Roof Inn, taking a taxicab from the airport to the hotel (approximately USD 40.00), and joining the rest of the students arriving from Dulles Airport that evening. Orientation check-in ends at 1700 hours on Wednesday, August 20.

Students who are traveling within the U.S. prior to Orientation

A number of students will travel within the U.S. before coming to U.Va., visiting family or friends or seeing the country. We welcome you to join the UVaExpress! Please book your domestic travel so that you are in the Group of your choice at Dulles Airport, or fly directly to Charlottesville Airport. Again, we strongly recommend arriving to either airport on the morning of Wednesday, August 20. If you are joining us from downtown Washington, DC, not flying into the airport, you will need to take a taxicab to the airport, or pick up the Washington Flyer bus from the West Falls Church Metro Station. Keep in mind that DC metro and bus transportation is very inexpensive but very difficult to do with a lot of baggage, so we recommend taking a cab if you can.

Students who are traveling with family members or non-student friends

Non-students are not permitted to spend the night in dormitories. Your traveling companion(s) must make a reservation at a Charlottesville hotel. In addition to the Red Roof Inn, we recommend the following hotels, all of which have online booking:

We will not book a hotel room for you. UVaExpress shuttles will not bring you to these hotels. However, maps and taxicab phone numbers will be provided to you upon your arrival.

The UVaExpress is a one-way shuttle service. Your travel companion must secure his/her own transportation back to the airport. A taxicab ride to Charlottesville Airport is about USD 40.00. A taxicab ride to Dulles Airport is about USD 200.00.

If your traveling companion is renting a car and bringing you to Charlottesville, you are not eligible for early move-in with the UVaExpress. You should plan to stay in a hotel prior to check-in to Orientation on Wednesday, August 20, or simply to arrive that day before 1700 hours.