Navigating Dartmouth: A Real-Talk Guide to Getting Around (Even Without a Car)
Hey everyone, if you’re a current or prospective Dartmouth student, you've probably spent hours thinking about your major, which dorm you want, & where to find the best late-night study snacks. But let's talk about something that can be just as crucial to your daily life in Hanover: getting around.
Honestly, figuring out the transportation situation can feel like its own 400-level course. You've got campus shuttles, regional buses, a winter parking ban that sounds like something out of Game of Thrones, & a whole lot of walking. So, I wanted to put together a real-deal guide to navigating Dartmouth & the Upper Valley. Think of this as insider info from someone who's been there.
We're going to dive deep into everything from the fare-free local buses that are a total game-changer, to the coach that’ll get you to Boston or NYC for a weekend escape, & yes, we're definitely going to talk about the headache that is campus parking.
The Foundation: Your Feet & The Walkable Campus
First things first: Dartmouth's core campus is BEAUTIFUL & very walkable. On a crisp fall day, there's nothing better than walking across the Green. For your day-to-day routine—going to classes in Dartmouth Hall, grabbing a meal at Foco (or "53 Commons" for the uninitiated), hitting the gym at Alumni—your own two feet are your best friends.
But what about when you need to get to the Co-op for groceries, or you live a bit further out, or it's, you know, February in New Hampshire? That's where things get interesting.
Advance Transit: Your Fare-Free Friend in the Upper Valley
This is probably the single most important piece of transportation info you need to know: Advance Transit is a FARE-FREE bus service. Let that sink in. Free buses! Dartmouth partners with local towns & organizations to fund this system, making it an incredible resource for students.
You can literally hop on & off these buses without ever reaching for your wallet. They have an app called "advancetransit" that gives you real-time tracking, which is pretty clutch when you're trying to time your exit from the library just right.
Here’s a breakdown of the routes that will likely become part of your life:
The Core Campus & Downtown Shuttle: This is a high-frequency shuttle that loops around the main parts of campus, downtown Hanover, & the big parking lots like Thompson & Dewey. During peak morning & evening hours (7-10 am & 3-7 pm), it runs every 7 minutes. Midday, it’s every 30 minutes. It’s perfect for those lazy or rainy days when walking from the library to your dorm feels like a trek.
Blue Route: This is your lifeline to West Lebanon & the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). It also hits Summit on Juniper, a graduate student housing complex. If you need to see a specialist, get to a clinical rotation, or just want to hit up some of the stores in West Leb, the Blue Route is your go-to.
Orange Route: This one is a big deal for off-campus living & errands. It connects the campus to Sachem Village (a popular spot for grad students & families), plus it goes to some great Asian markets like Yiping Asian Store. It also gets you to White River Junction.
Green Route: Heading to Norwich, Vermont? This is your bus. It runs through Wilder & Norwich, connecting them to the Dartmouth campus. It’s also the route that gets you close to the Amtrak station in White River Junction.
Red Route: This is your ultimate shopping shuttle. It's designed to get you to the major shopping centers in West Lebanon. Think Walmart, Hannaford, Price Chopper, BJ's—all the places you'll go to stock up on essentials you can't find in Hanover.
Brown & Yellow Routes: The Brown route serves Norwich & Lyme Road, while the Yellow Route hits White River Junction & the Upper Valley Aquatic Center.
There are also specific Campus Connectors for housing areas like Summit on Juniper & Sachem Village, which run on their own schedules, often late into the night, which is a lifesaver. And for students with mobility challenges, Advance Transit offers ACCESS AT, a paratransit service.
Escaping the "Dartmouth Bubble": Regional Travel
Hanover is amazing, but sometimes you just need a city fix. Thankfully, getting to Boston or New York is surprisingly easy, even without a car.
Dartmouth Coach: The Gold Standard
The Dartmouth Coach is basically a Dartmouth institution. It’s a private bus line that offers daily, direct service to Boston (South Station & Logan Airport) & New York City. It’s not the cheapest option, but it is BY FAR the most comfortable & convenient.
The buses are modern, clean, have free Wi-Fi & power outlets at every seat, & they even show movies. A ride to Boston takes about 2.5 hours, & the trip to NYC is a bit longer. The pick-up spot right in Hanover makes it incredibly simple. People rave about the service, calling the drivers professional & the experience reliable. This is how most students get home for breaks or visit friends in other cities.
Other Players: Greyhound & Trailways
Greyhound also operates out of Hanover, offering connections to a wider network of cities, including a daily route to Montreal.
Trailways is another great option, & they often focus on the student market with special deals & discounts. They offer service to places like New York & Portland, Maine. A huge plus for Trailways is that they often have break-friendly schedules, adding more buses during peak times like holidays & spring break. They also accept digital tickets, have Wi-Fi, & allow two free checked bags—pretty great for when you're hauling a semester's worth of stuff.
A Note on Air & Train Travel
The closest airport is Lebanon Airport (LEB), which has flights on Cape Air to Boston's Logan Airport (BOS). It’s a tiny airport, but it can be a quick (though often pricey) way to connect to the wider world.
For train travel, the nearest Amtrak station is in White River Junction, VT. The Vermonter line stops there, connecting St. Albans, VT, to Washington, D.C., with stops in cities like New York City, Philadelphia, & Baltimore. You can get to the station using the Advance Transit Green Route.
The Elephant in the Room: Parking at Dartmouth
Okay, let's get real. If you're thinking of bringing a car to Dartmouth, you need to be prepared. Parking on campus is, to put it mildly, a challenge. A student-run newspaper, The Dartmouth, has even run editorials about how difficult & expensive it is.
Here's the lowdown:
First-Years, Forget It: The college has a strict policy: first-year students are NOT permitted to bring a privately-owned vehicle to campus. They only consider short-term exceptions for emergencies.
Upperclassmen Permits: If you're an undergraduate who isn't a first-year, you can apply for a parking permit. The main lot for students is called "A-lot." A permit for A-lot costs around $93 per term. The catch? A-lot is a good 15-minute walk from the center of campus. So, you'll have a spot, but it won't be right outside your dorm.
The Winter Parking Ban: This is the big one. From November 15th to April 30th, the town of Hanover & the College enforce a strict winter parking ban. This means NO parking in any town public spots or College lots during the overnight hours (usually from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. for college lots). They do this to allow snowplows to clear the roads & lots, which is essential, but it creates a massive headache for students with cars. If you're parked in a campus lot for the day, you have to remember to move your car back to A-lot before the ban kicks in, or you'll get a ticket.
Tickets & Fines: And the tickets aren't cheap. Unauthorized parking can run you $25, & getting caught in a lot during reserved hours is a $50 fine. If you rack up unpaid citations, they can even tow your vehicle at your expense.
The Off-Campus Parking Dilemma & A Pro-Tip
So, what do students do? Many try to find off-campus parking. Some fraternities & sororities have spots, but they can be incredibly expensive—we're talking $300 or more per term. Others try to make deals with local homeowners. This is where the whole system feels a bit like the Wild West.
Honestly, the official parking system can be a nightmare. But here's an insider tip that's becoming more popular: using a service like Prked. Think of it like Airbnb, but for parking. It’s a platform where local homeowners who have an empty driveway or garage can rent that space out to people who need it. For a student, this is a TOTAL game-changer. You can find a spot that’s way closer to your dorm or apartment than A-lot, potentially for a more reasonable price, & you won't have to worry about the winter parking ban shuffle. It connects you directly with a local who has a space to share, which is a pretty cool, community-based solution to a major campus problem.
What About Your Stuff? The Storage Conundrum
Dartmouth's unique D-Plan, where students are on and off campus for different terms throughout the year, creates another logistical puzzle: what do you do with all your stuff? Moving everything home for a single off-term is a huge pain, especially if you live far away.
This is another area where thinking outside the box helps. Instead of paying for a traditional, often expensive, storage unit far from campus, you can use a similar peer-to-peer approach. This is another cool thing about Prked – it’s not just for cars. People rent out their empty garages, basements, attics, & even large closets for storage. For a student, this is AMAZING. You could find an affordable spot in a local Hanover resident's garage to store your mini-fridge, winter clothes, & textbooks for your off-term. It's way more convenient & often cheaper than the alternative.
Other Ways to Get Around
Zipcar: Dartmouth has a partnership with Zipcar, the car-sharing service. There are a few Zipcars located right on campus. This is a fantastic option for when you need a car for a few hours to run a bunch of errands, go on a hike, or take a trip to a nearby town. You can reserve online, & the hourly rate includes gas & insurance.
Ridesharing & Carpools: Uber & Lyft operate in the area, though they might not be as plentiful as in a major city. Carpooling is also highly encouraged. The college has resources to help students find others to share rides with, which is great for saving money & being more sustainable.
Biking: Hanover is pretty bike-friendly, and a bike can be a great way to get around campus and town, especially in the fall and spring. Just be prepared for the hills!
Tying It All Together
So, there you have it. Getting around Dartmouth is a multi-layered system. Your feet will be your primary mode of transport on campus. The free Advance Transit buses are your key to exploring the Upper Valley & getting your errands done. The Dartmouth Coach is your comfortable chariot to Boston & New York.
And when it comes to the big challenges—parking & storage—don't be afraid to look beyond the official channels. The stress of the winter parking ban & the shuffle for expensive, inconvenient spots is real. A peer-to-peer solution like Prked can honestly save you a ton of headaches (and money) by connecting you with a local homeowner who has the exact space you need, whether it's for your car or your belongings during an off-term.
Hope this was helpful! Navigating a new place has its learning curves, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be zipping around Hanover like a pro. Let me know what you think or if you have any other transportation hacks to share
