How to Get Around Vermont: Driving, Roads, Trains & Transit
For most Vermont vacations, a car is the easiest way to get around.
Vermont has passenger trains, regional bus systems and some ride-share service, but those options work best for getting between specific towns or staying within a limited area.
If your trip includes scenic drives, small villages, trailheads, farms or several towns, you will probably want your own vehicle or a rental car.
The other thing to know: Vermont driving is not difficult, but it is different. Roads are winding, cell service can disappear, unpaved roads are common, and GPS occasionally displays an impressive lack of judgment.
Walking, buses and occasional ride-share may be enough for a city-focused stay.
It can work if your lodging offers transportation and your plans stay close.
Attractions and scenic stops are spread across multiple towns and rural roads.
A vehicle gives you the flexibility these trips actually require.
Many trailheads and outdoor destinations are not practical by public transit.
Vermont's regional transit systems are not designed for sightseeing loops.
Rail can get you here nicely. Your plans after leaving the station determine the rest.
Get picked up, let someone else handle the route and enjoy the view.
What Are Vermont Roads Like?
Vermont roads range from normal state highways to rural dirt roads that look considerably more adventurous on your navigation screen than they do through the windshield.
State highways & major roads
Routes such as 4, 7, 100 and 106 are normal paved roads, although they can be winding and often pass directly through towns.
Maintained town roads
These may be paved or unpaved. Many scenic Vermont back roads are ordinary maintained public roads and are completely reasonable for passenger vehicles in good conditions.
Seasonal or lightly maintained roads
Conditions vary. Mud, washouts, snow, ice and recent storms can quickly turn an otherwise usable road into a poor choice.
Class 4 roads
Do not assume these are suitable for a normal vehicle simply because your mapping app shows a road. Maintenance can be limited or nonexistent.
Simple rule: if the road looks questionable, marked private, washed out or clearly unsuitable for your vehicle, turn around. There is very little prize money for successfully completing a bad GPS shortcut.
Check Current Vermont Road Conditions
Construction, flooding, storms and seasonal road conditions can all alter a route. When weather or road conditions are questionable, check before starting a long driving day.
Vermont's official road-information system provides current information on road conditions, closures and construction.
Driving in Vermont in Winter
Winter driving requires more planning than simply renting an all-wheel-drive vehicle.
Good winter tires provide traction for braking and turning. AWD or four-wheel drive can help a vehicle move through snow, but it does not remove stopping distance, improve grip on ice or repeal physics.
- Choose a vehicle with appropriate winter tires when possible.
- Slow down well before curves and intersections.
- Leave substantially more following distance.
- Check weather and road conditions before leaving.
- Allow more time than your navigation app estimates during storms.
AWD is useful. It is not invincibility. If conditions are bad enough that you are uncomfortable driving, change the plan rather than trying to prove something to a mountain.
Spring Dirt Roads Are a Different Animal
Dirt roads that are completely ordinary in July can become soft, deeply rutted or muddy during spring thaw.
Stick to appropriate maintained routes, pay attention to temporary signs and closures, and do not assume a shortcut is a good idea simply because somebody drove it successfully during summer.
If the road surface is deteriorating or you are unsure whether your rental vehicle belongs there, turn around.
Can You Get Around Vermont by Bus?
Yes, in some places. Public transportation is much better for specific trips than for general sightseeing.
Vermont has several regional public-transit providers. Green Mountain Transit serves Burlington and parts of northwestern and central Vermont, while other regional systems serve southern, central and northeastern parts of the state.
These services can work well for getting between particular communities. They are much less practical for scenic roads, rural attractions, trailheads or an itinerary with several spontaneous stops.
Planning a car-free trip? Build the itinerary around the transit routes first. Do not choose the destinations and assume transportation will somehow materialize afterward.
Getting to Vermont by Train
Amtrak can be a very good way to arrive in Vermont. The question is what happens once you get off the train.
The Vermonter
Runs through southeastern and central Vermont, serving communities including Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Windsor, White River Junction, Randolph, Montpelier, Waterbury, Essex Junction and St. Albans.
Ethan Allen Express
Connects New York City with western Vermont and Burlington, with Vermont stops including Castleton, Rutland, Middlebury, Ferrisburgh-Vergennes and Burlington.
The catch: unless you are staying somewhere walkable or have arranged local transportation, you may still need a rental car, taxi, shuttle or pickup after arriving.
Parking in Vermont Towns
Parking is generally straightforward, but popular town centers can fill during foliage weekends, holidays and major events.
Look for municipal lots and signed street parking. Do not block driveways, park in travel lanes or pull onto soft shoulders simply because the thing you want to photograph happens to be nearby.
In busy destinations such as Woodstock, Stowe and Manchester, arriving earlier in the day usually makes parking considerably easier.
Scenic Driving Is Part of Getting Around
One reason having a car works so well in Vermont is that transportation itself can become part of the day.
Route 100 is Vermont's best-known scenic road, but mountain gaps, river valleys and maintained town roads offer hundreds of alternatives. Smugglers' Notch is especially dramatic but seasonal and closed to through traffic in winter.
Don't turn every drive into a separate scenic-drive mission. Often the best route is simply the interesting road connecting places you already planned to visit.
Coming during foliage season? The Vermont Fall Foliage Guide has more detailed advice about timing, regions and scenic driving.
Rather Not Handle All the Driving?
There are two very different ways to make the logistics easier, depending on whether you want someone else behind the wheel.
Private Vermont Wayfinders Tours
The completely hands-off option. I handle the route, traffic, timing and stops while you get to look out the window.
Explore Private ToursTimeless Vermont Audio Tour
Prefer to drive yourself? The Woodstock-to-Windsor audio tour provides turn-by-turn guidance, local stories and GPS-triggered narration that works offline.
Explore the Audio Tour