Travelling to Asheville, North Carolina
There are three major airports that serve Asheville. Below we provide information regarding airlines and ground transportation from the airport to the hotel for each airport. SSSR will provide a free van service in the evening that runs from the hotel to downtown Asheville and back. This should alleviate the need for a car during the conference. For those choosing to vacation before or after the conference, you may want to rent a car and explore the area. Asheville is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the Great Smokey Mountain National Park and other recreation areas. The Blue Ridge Parkway (http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/) has two entrances in Asheville and offers spectacular mountain scenery. For those interested in what we call the “Old South” we suggest trips to Savannah, Georgia (288 miles, 461 km) or Charleston, South Carolina (259 mi, 414 km). For those interested in the beach, Myrtle Beach (281 mi, 450 km) and Hilton Head, North Carolina are excellent spots to get some sun and have other activities such as golf and tennis. We will provide a full listing of interesting activities and places to visit as we get closer to conference time. Asheville is located at approximately 3,000 feet above sea level. Expect warm days and somewhat cooler nights. The conference is scheduled during summer in the US and it can get hot and humid, so bring clothing for warm weather, but also a warm sweatshirt or jacket in case it cools off at night.

Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) – The airport is serviced by Continental, Delta, Northwest, and US Airways. Information about the airport can be found at http://www.flyavl.com/ . The hotel will pick you up at the airport and transport you to the hotel in one of their vans for $20.00 (US). You will need to give the hotel 72 hours notice so they can plan for the pick up.

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) – The airport is serviced by Allegiant, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways. Information about the airport can be found at http://www.gspairport.com/ . The airport is approximately 59 mi (94km) from Asheville. There is a local transportation company (Atchison Transportation Services) that will provide ground transportation from the airport to hotel for approximately $125 (US). If significant numbers of people use the Greenville-Spartanburg airport we may be able to negotiate a lower price.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) – The Charlotte North Carolina airport is the largest of the local airport and is 122 miles (195 km) from Asheville. The airport is serviced by Air Canada, AirTran, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Midwest, Northwest, United, and US Airways. Information about the airport can be found at http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Airport/Home.htm. There are many transportation companies and we are in the process of contacting several of them to get rates. Be prepared to spend between $100 and $150 (US) for a ride from the airport to hotel. This charge or the cost of renting a car may be offset by the much lower fares to this major airport.

All the airports also rent cars.

Best,
Don Compton & Hugh Catts