Traveling to Dover on Public Transportation

The following post was written by Liz Sutton, NACADA Region 2 Communications Chair and public transportation cheerleader. 

Despite not being on a major train line or near a major airport, Dover Downs is surprisingly easy to get to via public transportation. In December, I had the pleasure of traveling from Philadelphia and Dover via train and bus - other than the rainy December cold and a few blocks walk, it was as easy as can be!

Both Amtrak and SEPTA regional rail stop at Wilmington Station, 100 South French Street in Wilmington, DE. This station has a full indoor waiting area with news and snack shop, so don't worry if you have a bit of a layover. For Amtrak service and reservations, visit https://www.amtrak.com/home.html. For SEPTA schedules and fares, visit http://www.septa.org/service/rail/. Wilmington is on SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark line.

From Wilmington Station, you have two bus options: DART Route 301 and Greyhound. When I traveled I went totally local and took DART, which is also the cheaper option. DART buses pick up from the Southwest corner of French Street and Front Street. You'll know you're in the right place if you see a lot of bus route signs and you're standing across the street from the Train Station Parking Garage. You can purchase a DART stored value card in advance, but I found it easier to just have the $6.00 cash fare ready to go. You'll notice on the 301 schedule that there's a lull in service from Wilmington to Dover between 9:00 am and noon - just something to note if you're trying to arrive at the conference early. The bus takes a mainly highway route. To get to Dover Downs, you will need to get off at the Delaware State University stop and walk about 10 minutes across the street and through shopping center parking lots. With a backpack and one piece of rolling luggage this walk wasn't an issue. There's also a T.J. Maxx on the walk - bonus!

Greyhound takes about the same amount of time as DART from Wilmington, but runs in the $12 to $22 range and drops off a bit farther from Dover Downs (1 mile instead of .5 miles). There are also options to take Greyhound directly from locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania - check their website for schedules and fares.

Taking public transportation can take longer, but can be an inexpensive and relaxing way to get to the 2018 NACADA Region 2 Conference. If carpooling is more your style, the conference committee has set up a Google document for registrants who are both looking for rides and travel companions. Email Georgeanna.Spagnolo@wesley.edu for access.

Whether you get there by car, train, plane, bus or boat, we're looking forward to seeing you soon at the 2018 NACADA Region 2 Conference! As a reminder, the last day for early bird registration is this Wednesday, February 28!