The Society for Seventeenth-Century Music

The Society for Seventeenth-Century Music

2019 Travel to Durham, NC

By Air

The Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) hosts 10 airlines, with non-stop flights from 63 cities, including 9 international destinations (among them London, Paris, and Toronto). The airport is c. 16 miles from the conference hotel, and under normal traffic should take about 20 minutes. Our hotel does not provide a shuttle service from the airport (beware: do not take a shuttle to one of the several Hilton Garden Inns in the area that do provide such service!), and there is no regularly-scheduled shuttle service directly to Durham. There are however several other convenient ways of getting to the hotel. A cab to the hotel will cost c. $30; you will find a taxi stand right outside the baggage claim area (all the way to the left if you exit from Terminal 2). Lyft and Uber also will pick you up right outside the terminals and cost c. $20-25. Some of us have found those services very pleasant and efficient, but they do require the corresponding app on your smart phone. Several other personal and shared transportation services operate at RDU – see the airport’s website at RDU Transportation Services. We have no experience with them, but some may be more economical for a larger group (say, 5-6 people). Rental cars are available a short shuttle ride from the terminals (reservation recommended).  It is possible to get to the hotel by public transportation (via Raleigh), but we do not recommend it, since it takes well over one hour, with two bus transfers followed by a ten-minute walk!

By Car

(You may prefer using your GPS, but here are directions to the hotel):

From RDU
Go 1.2 miles Northwest on Terminal Blvd towards Airport Blvd. Stay straight onto Airport Blvd. Take the I-40 W ramp towards RTP/Chapel Hill. Take the NC-147 N exit, Exit 279B, towards Durham/Downtown. Take the Swift Ave exit, Exit 14, toward Ninth St/Duke Univ/East Campus. Take a left on West Main St. Continue for two blocks. The hotel will be on your right.

From I-95 South:
Merge onto I-85 S via EXIT 51 toward South Hill/Blackstone/Durham/Atlanta (Crossing into North Carolina). Take the US-501 N/Duke St/Gregson St exit, EXIT 176, toward Northgate. Turn left onto N Gregson St. Turn right onto W Club Blvd. Turn left onto Broad St. Turn right onto West Main St. Continue for two blocks. The hotel will be on your right.

From I-95 North: Merge onto I-40 W via EXIT 81 toward Raleigh. Merge onto NC-147 N via EXIT 279B toward Durham/Downtown. Take the Swift Ave exit, EXIT 14, toward US-70-BR/Ninth St/Duke Univ East Campus. Turn right onto Swift Ave. Take a left on West Main St at the stoplight. Continue for two blocks. The hotel will be on your right.

From I-85 North:
Take exit 172 for NC 147 South. Continue for two miles and take exit 14 for Duke University/Swift Avenue. Take a left on Swift Avenue Take a left on West Main St at the stoplight. Continue for two blocks. The hotel will be on your right.

From I-40, heading either direction:
Take exit 279B for Durham/NC 147 North. Take exit 14 for Duke University/Swift Avenue. Take a right on Swift Avenue. Take a left on West Main S at the stoplight. Continue for two blocks. The hotel will be on your right.

The hotel provides ample free parking for guests.

By Train

Those coming from the Northeast (NYC, Philadelphia, DC), for whom flying and driving are not options, may wish to consider Amtrak. The Carolinian (79) stops in downtown Durham, c. 1.4 miles from the hotel. It departs Penn Station (NYC) at 7:25 AM and Union Station (DC) at 11:10 AM, arriving in Durham at 5:55 PM. Keep in mind that train rides in the Southeast are not like train rides in France or Italy. Aside from taking forever, they are noisy, with frequent stops and frequent delays. On the other hand, you have lots more room, can walk around, get some fast food, and have free Wi-Fi!

Travel During the Conference

The Hilton Garden Inn (main conference venue) is located close to Duke’s East Campus. On Thursday afternoon most people may wish to take the walk from the hotel to Duke’s Biddle Music Building (see map on “Welcome to Durham” homepage). Alternatively, the hotel has a free shuttle that will take those who may prefer a ride anywhere within a 5-mile radius. The same can be used on Friday evening for the concert in Baldwin Auditorium (just beyond the Music Building, on Markham Ave.). There will also be a few SSCM members with cars who should be on hand to give lifts.

Duke’s two campuses are a bit of a hike one from the other. While we will provide bus transport to West Campus and Duke Chapel on Thursday evening for the opening concert, delegates may wish to visit West Campus at other points during the conference. East and West campuses are connected with free (no ticket required) bus service. For transport from the East Campus quad to West, take the C1 route: https://parking.duke.edu/buses/c1-east-west. For a connection directly from the Hilton Garden Inn to West campus take the H5: Broad-Erwin route from the stop at the roundabout directly outside the hotel: https://parking.duke.edu/buses/h5-broad-erwin This route will also take you near the beautiful Duke Gardens and the Nasher Museum of Art (both also easily walkable in c. 15-20 minutes).

If you are interested in exploring downtown Durham, turn left on Main Street (which runs in front of the hotel) and keep walking (c. 30 min,) or driving (c. 8 min.). You can also catch the free BCC (Bull City Connector) at Main and Ninth St, which will take you there in c. 8 minutes and is supposed to run every 15 min. This will take you to the interesting Historic District and the American Tobacco Campus. On your way you may like to stop for some refreshments at  Brightleaf Square, “a unique mix of locally-owned restaurants and shops in a pair of historic tobacco warehouses.”

For those who are driving, there is free parking at the conference hotel and free street parking very near to the Biddle Music Building and Baldwin Auditorium (along Markham Ave. as well as side streets). Parking on West Campus can be a bit of a nightmare although not impossible especially on weekends. We suggest taking Duke transit from either the hotel or East Campus (see above paragraph) to visit West Campus.