<p>Hello- Our son (a HS Jr) is interested in Bowdoin, and we hope to drive up for a visit this spring. Could any current students or parents tell us about transportation for students without cars? Do kids take Amtrak to Boston to head home for points south, or do they usually just fly out of Portland? Taxis or local shuttles to the airport?
Mundane questions, but things to consider nonetheless, esp. for parents…
Thank you!</p>
<p>Mermaid Transportation offers shuttling from Bowdoin, Colby, and Bates to Boston Logan / Manchester Airports and also from the airport to the above colleges. Portland Airport is very close to Brunswick, you can take a taxi. Also, the "Downeaster" on Amtrack from Portland-Boston. It's not too difficult. It is also easy to catch a ride with someone who has a car or split a cab fare with several people if you are going to the same airport.</p>
<p>I fly home to North Carolina from Portland for most breaks - in terms of transport to the airport, almost everyone who lives south of Maine who is driving home ends up taking 295S or 95S right past the airport exit, so it's easy to find someone who will drive you right to the airport and drop you off.</p>
<p>On the way back, a large group of Bowdoin kids generally congregates around the baggage claim, and either one person has a ride arranged and offers space to other people, or the group shares a taxi/mermaid van back to school.</p>
<p>Thank you, Maroon and Oliver (and apologies for referring to college students as "kids" -- I didn't notice that until I read my own post).
We are looking forward to our drive up there in the spring, but was curious about ease/difficulty of travel for students during holidays and breaks.</p>
<p>hey I was in the same position, visiting from NJ. If you are willing to wait till November, you should call up the college and ask about the Bowdoin Invitational. Its a cool program, they fly you up for four days and let you explore the college. Else check out this site for visiting Bowdoin,<a href="http://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/visit/directions.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/visit/directions.shtml</a></p>
<p>THanks for the suggestion - will look into it.</p>
<p>An article on last year's large Invitational:
<a href="http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1bowdoincampus/000871.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1bowdoincampus/000871.shtml</a></p>
<p>I find that most students outside of New England tend to fly back home, though I find the bus so much easier and cheaper, since it drops off and picks up right on campus around breaks.</p>
<p>i live in "upstate" (sort of near albany) new york, and i generally take a combination of the bus and the train. occasionally i can catch a ride, but no one really lives near me so that usually requires having someone from home meet me somewhere along the way (random rest-stops in mass and connecticut, usually). i've flown to/from bowdoin once or twice - usually when i have to stay home until the very last minute for one reason or another. flying and taking the train are generally both slower than just taking a bus - with flying, i usually have to fly somewhere else (like pittsburgh) before flying up to portland, and the train is really really slow.</p>
<p>I just read the link re: the Invitational, and it looks as though it is geared more for students of color, but every bit of information helps, so thank you all. S. has only a few schools on his 'mental list' so far, and is very interested in Bowdoin. Wish it was closer, but at the same time, what a wonderful opportunity to spend four years in a beautiful part of the northeast...</p>
<p>"I just read the link re: the Invitational, and it looks as though it is geared more for students of color, but every bit of information helps, so thank you all."</p>
<p>Thats half true, it is a recruiting program for minorities, but minorities in a broader term. They are trying to get a diverse body of students, which includes geographic diversity. There were "white" students there, but from states where a large population is not great represented at bowodoin.</p>
<p>Thanks- will check it out. At this point we are hoping for a visit the week after Easter, though he will be embarassed that younger siblings will probably be along for the trip too as it's a district holiday...</p>
<p>haha, he can always spend a night with a current student - he'll get a chance to spend some time with some college kids and then brag to his siblings about how cool his night was. </p>