Hey :)
Currently i am starting to plan a backpacking trip around the US for 6-8 weeks relying on public transport (i%26#39;ve already heard its going to be hard!) and wondered if Raleigh would be a good place to visit
We are two 22yr old female students, not so much interested in museums/history, more interested in beaches, shopping, the outdoors, river tubing, and so on.
From reading Lonely Planet USA Raleigh comes across as a lively student town although not as big and hectic as Charlotte which i think suits us well.
Are there budget accommodations and is there a greyhound station that links to the main tourist spots??
Thanks for any help!
Raleigh for 2 female students on a budget!
You might be interested in Raleigh. However, if you%26#39;re not into museums or history, it does take a chunk out of the offerings here but there%26#39;s other stuff.
Obviously no beach...we%26#39;re 3 hours inland. Shopping yes. Outdoors, yes...there%26#39;s a few state parks here plus county %26amp; city parks, greenways, and an arboretum. Nightlife entertainment is decently abundant though.
Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill all three have lively student populations, but if you%26#39;re coming in the summer you%26#39;ll miss the bulk of it. However there is an ample population of year-round young adults (recent graduates) in all three cities.
Raleigh does have a Greyhound station...it%26#39;s in the heart of downtown which makes it convenient to the nightlife %26amp; dining scenes of our city. Plus there%26#39;s a really cool IMAX theatre, as well as the Performing Arts Center which has plays %26amp; concerts. And there%26#39;s a free downtown bus circulator called the R Line which links all the downtown hotspots for restaurants, cafes, art galleries, bars and nightclubs.
The cheapest accommodation near to all that would be the downtown Days Inn, at the corner of Lane Street and Dawson Street. It%26#39;s a short stroll from the Greyhound Station.
Some good sites for more info: http://www.downtownraleigh.org http://www.downtownraleigh.com http://www.visitraleigh.com http://www.indyweek.com http://www.zspotlight.com
Raleigh for 2 female students on a budget!
Rob has already sent you to the sites I would recommend as a starting point. I have seen your similar post on the Charlotte board and think you would find a younger, funkier crowd here in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area than in Charlotte, due to the all the colleges, etc.
As Rob, says, the Days Inn is right downtown, walkable to lots of things and on the R line, so you can get anywhere downtown you want on it...and it is walkable from the Greyhound station.
If you want tubing, hiking, etc. though, I would highly recommend heading to Asheville.....a great town too.
Let us know when you are closer to coming and we can help you with more specifics...what particular is happening that weekend. There are many events in the summer, for instance, so you could meet people easier and find a like minded group to hang out with.
HI VaNC, how long would you think it would take to drive from RDU (Raleigh-Durham Airport) to Asheville?
I%26#39;m looking to spend time in the water (tubing, white water rafting, swimming, jumping...)
Thank you.
to Iowaguy, the trip from RDU -%26gt; Asheville is about 4 hours w/ normal traffic.
The2Beans, the problem with the Raleigh/Durham area is that it%26#39;s very spread out and not so easy to get around on public transport. One of my biggest complaints about the city is the lack of a decent public transport system. There are options available, but the stops are few and far between and the area it covers isn%26#39;t nearly as expansive as it should be.
That being said, there is some fun stuff to do. Walking around Chapel Hill (Franklin St.) in the daytime is fantastic and there are a ton of bars there. Tons of parks, but again, somewhat difficult to get to. The nearest beach is Wilmington, about 1.5 hrs away. In Durham, 9th street and Brightleaf Square are fun walking around/shopping places.
If you%26#39;re going out drinking, Franklin St. in Chapel Hill or Glenwood South in Raleigh are the places to be.
you might want to also consider charlotte, lots of young people in the area and a more lively downtown scene, but not overwhelming. also more concentrated than the RDU area and more public transport options.
additionally you will be only a 2 hour drive from asheville, and charlotte also has the US Nationaal Whitewater Center: http://www.usnwc.org/
of course, the RDU area is my favorite area but as other posters have mentioned, no water sports in the area and also difficult to get around with public transport. lots of things to see and do here, would just need a car.
another option - going into wilmington intead.
enjoy ur trip to NC!
PL
