The following are car-free directions to various points on the AT (only in the Northeast for now). Most involve long-distance buses; these are restroom-equipped 50-55 seat coaches (no standing allowed). The seat pitch is similar to coach class on airlines. Unlike Amtrak, the privately-operated buses below generally run on time. A list of shuttle services is maintained by Appalachian Trail Conservancy (click on Getting to the Trail under The Trail menu).

No point of the AT in Maine is close to public transit. However, a number of shuttle services make it possible to get to the AT without a car.

• Cyr Bus Lines runs a daily bus service from Bangor to northern ME, continuing Greyhound's and Concord Trailways's bus service from Boston's South Station Bus Terminal. The Concord Trailways terminal is less than 1 mile from Bangor Airport (BGR). Cyr Bus Lines stops at Medway, about 1 hour from Bangor. Shuttle services are available from AT Lodge in Millinocket, Maine Quest Adventures, and Millinocket taxi; the 2008 rates were around $12 from Medway to Millinocket and $50 to Baxter State Park and Abol Bridge Campground (north end of 100 Mile Wilderness). Last updated: 10/17/09
• Shaw's Lodging in Monson (south end of 100 Mile Wilderness) runs shuttles as far as Bangor (about $100 from Monson to Bangor). Last updated: 10/17/09
• Concord Trailways runs a daily bus service from Boston to Gorham, NH, about 10 miles west of ME/NH border on US 2. A number of shuttlers and Gorham taxi provide service to trailheads in western Maine; the 2007 rates to the AT crossing of ME 26 in Grafton Notch ranged from the cost of gas + tip to $100. Last updated: 10/17/09

Concord Trailways runs daily bus service from Boston to Gorham (close to NH/ME border) and Pinkham Notch AMC Center, twice daily (summer 2009) to Lincoln, and more frequently to Dartmouth (on the NH/VT border) as Dartmouth Coach (also from NYC daily).

• The bus trip to Gorham from Boston is about 4 hours. The Gorham bus stop is at the Irving gas station at the west/north junction of US 2 and NH 16. The main AT route crosses US 2 about 4.5 miles east of the bus stop. The alternative route enters US 2 just before its east junction with NH 16, a little over a mile from the bus stop, and follows along US 2 and NH 16 through Gorham to the bus stop and then north along NH 16. Several motels are located in Gorham, within one mile of the bus stop. Last updated: 06/22/10
• The bus trip to Pinkham Notch from Boston is about 4 hours. The Pinkham Notch bus stop is on NH 16 at the entrance to the AMC Center, which includes a large lodge. The lower-level of the smaller building is open 24 hours and has pay showers; the upper level consists of an information center and a cafeteria. In the summer, AMC runs a twice-daily shuttle to its Highland Center in Crawford Notch on US 302 (about 2 miles north of the AT crossing, but the driver may take you there on request) and Fraconia Notch State Park on I-93/US-3 (.7 mile south from the AT crossing, which is not accessible by car). Last updated: 06/22/10
• The bus trip to Lincoln from Boston is about 3 hours. The Lincoln bus stop is located at the gas station, at the west edge of town; there are several motels and a taxi service in town. Last updated: 06/22/10
  • The west end of Wilderness Trail (WT) is 4 miles east along NH 112 from the bus stop. From there it is 7 miles to the south junction of AT with Fraconia Ridge Trail (FRT): 1.4 miles along WT (very easy), 4.1 miles along Osseo Trail (moderate-to-strenuous), 1.5 miles along FRT (ridge walk, easy-to-moderate). A short-cut, Old Osseo Trail, climbs from Clearbrook Condominiums, about 3 miles east along NH 112 from the bus, to join Osseo Trail shortly before the latter ends; the trail distance is similar, but it begins much closer to the motels on the east end of Lincoln.
  • The parking lot on US 3 closest to the AT (near the Flume Gorge visitor center) is about 5 miles north from the bus stop.
  • The south end of Gordon Pond Trail is about 2 miles west along NH 112 from the bus stop; the north end of this fairly easy 5mi. trail is on the AT.
  • The AT crossing of NH 112 in Kinsman Notch is about 7 miles east from the bus stop.
• The bus trip to Darmouth from Boston is about 2.5 hours. The Dartmouth bus stop is located near the intersection of Main and Wheelock Streets, through which the AT passes. Last updated: 06/22/10

The AT in MA is reasonably accessible by public transit throughout the state. Peter Bus provides direct service from New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal to Great Barrington, Lee, Pittsfield, and Williamstown, as well as from Boston's South Station Bus Terminal via Springfield to Lee and Pittsfield. Amtrak runs a daily train from Boston to Albany with a stop in Pittsfield (often very late). Berhshire Regional Transit Authority operates bus service M-Sa throughout the area, from Williamstown and North Adams in the north to Great Barrington in the south. Taxis operate from Pittsfield, Lee, and Great Barrington.

• BRTA's bus #2, Williamstown-North Adams stops at the AT crossing of MA 2 in North Adams, near the border with Williamstown.
• BRTA's bus Chester
• Dalton
• Crossing of MA 20 about 5 miles east of Lee, MA.
• Tyringham

The AT in CT is

The AT in NY is reasonably accessible by public transit near the northern end, at the southern end, and 3 places in-between.

The AT in NJ is reasonably accessible by public transit at the northern end, roughly half-way through the state at NJ 23 (short taxi ride from Port Jervis, NY), and at the southern end (via Delaware Water Gap, PA).

• NJ Transit's bus 197 runs from New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal to Greenwood Lake Marina, NJ, via Willowbrook Mall (a major transfer point). The official bus top is located 200 or so feet north of the marina, between where Lakeside Dr. leaves the main road and the huge Welcome to New York sign; the bus driver may well be willing to stop at the marina itself. This stop is way south (and before) the town of Greenwood Lake, NY. The buses take a bit under 2 hours from NYC, run every 2 hours on Sundays (more frequently on other days), and are of the intercity style, except they do not have restrooms; the ride costs about $10. From the parking lot across Greenwood Lake Marina, State Line Trail climbs 1 mile and 1000 feet to the AT just south of the NY/NJ state line; it is blazed in either blue or white in the middle of blue. Last updated: 10/17/09
• NJ Transit provides train service from New York's Penn Station to Port Jervis, NJ, with a transfer at Secacus Junction, NJ (9-minute ride from Penn Station). The Secacus Junction-Port Jervis train runs every 30 minutes in the peak direction, not at all in the reverse peak direction, and roughly every 2 hours otherwise. The trip takes about 2 hours, faster in the peak direction, and costs about $15. The NY portion of the ride is very scenic. Short Line runs bus service from the New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal. The train station in Port Jervis is about 6 miles from the AT crossing of NJ 23; there is more than one taxi service in town. There is a Comfort Inn off NJ 23, just south off I-84, 2 miles from the train station and 4 miles north from the AT. In May 2009, Tri-State Taxi of Port Jervis (a single-person operation apparently) charged $7 for the ride from the Comfort Inn to the AT. Last updated: 10/17/09
• At the southern end, the AT crosses the Delaware River on the I-80 bridge into Delaware Water Gap, PA; see the PA section below for bus information.

Roughly half-way through the northern part, the AT crosses NJ 517 and 565 (about 1 mile apart). These crossings are about 1 mile from Apple Valley Inn, a nice B&B at the junction of 517 and 565. This makes it feasible tranversing the northern part of the AT in NJ on a nice summer weekend with little more than a daypack and without a car. The walk from AT to Apple Valley Inn along 565 involves a drop of about 300 feet and there is no shoulder along one short stretch; the walk along 517 should be fairly flat. Visiting NJ's high point would add about 1 mile and 200 feet elevation gain to this section.

The AT in PA is reasonably accessible by public transit at a few points throughout the state.

• Martz Trailways and Greyhound run buses from New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal and Philadelphia to Delaware Water Gap, about 1 mile from the AT's crossing of Main Street. The trip from NYC is about 1.5 hours. Last updated: 07/01/10
• Trans-Bridges Lines, Bieber Tourways, Susquehanna Trailways, and Greyhound run buses from New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal and Philadelphia to Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. LANTA runs buses between the three cities, as well as from Easton to Wind Gap (1 mile south of the AT crossing of PA 33) and from Allentown to Walnutport/Slatington (1.7-2 miles south from the AT crossing of PA 248). The Easton-Wind Gap and Allentown-Slatington buses do not run on Sundays. Last updated: 07/01/10