Lodging and Logistics

Participants will be inspired by the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, the hundreds of miles of trails surrounding the campus, the remarkable original Bread Loaf Inn, and the stillness of the surrounding forest.

Located in Ripton, Vermont, the Bread Loaf campus is remote and attendees who plan to arrive by plane, train, or bus must make arrangements for a taxi or shuttle well in advance of their travel day. (Note: Taxis are not easily available and transportation services, such as Uber or Lyft, are not available in this area, even if they appear to be a valid option when doing an initial search.) Please see important details and suggestions in the Travel section below.

Lodging

Participants are housed in historic buildings on the campus which provide simple but comfortable lodging. The rooms and bathrooms can be described as dorm style. Most room are doubles, and participants should plan on having a roommate. The bathrooms with stalls are shared by floor. A very limited number of rooms have access to a shared bathroom that can be locked for individual use. All buildings are within walking distance of the center of the campus, but some are farther from that center than others. We ask those accepted if they plan to bring a car, so we can arrange accommodations suitably. 

Participants who would like to be guaranteed a single may arrange to stay in off-campus housing. In this case, it’s possible to pay for tuition only; it’s also possible to pay for tuition and board for those who wish to stay off campus and have meals provided by the conference. A list of hotels and other accommodations can be found at the Addison County Chamber of Commerce. Other resources include Craigslist, AirBnB, and VRBO. Please note that any off-campus lodging will require a vehicle in order to commute to the Bread Loaf campus in Ripton. 

(Note: The closest off-campus lodging is available at the Chipman Inn, about three miles from the Bread Loaf campus. The Chipman often offers special rates to conference attendees and may be able to offer transportation options as well; contact the Chipman staff for details. The Waybury Inn is located in East Middlebury, about a ten-minute drive from the Bread Loaf campus. The Waybury Inn often offers special rates to conference attendees; contact the Waybury staff for details.)

Meals

Catered by Middlebury College Dining Services, meals are served in the Bread Loaf Inn Dining Room and include a salad bar. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals are available.

Library and Computer Room

The Davison Memorial Library on the Bread Loaf campus hosts a collection of literature, reference books, and a special reserve shelf featuring books by faculty and guests. The “Apple Cellar” housed in the Davison Memorial Library is an equipped computer lab with printers. Wi-Fi access is available in all common areas and most participant housing. Please note that cell phone service is available in the Bread Loaf Inn and the Barn on the Bread Loaf campus but access is intermittent depending upon the provider; at this time Verizon and AT&T tend to work on the Bread Loaf campus, while other providers may not.

Accessibility

The Bread Loaf campus includes options for accessible lodging, dining, and classroom and meeting spaces. Click here for more information about Bread Loaf and the Middlebury College Disability Resource Center.

Travel

Location

The Bread Loaf campus is located in Ripton, Vermont, about twenty minutes from Middlebury. The campus is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Montreal, about 4 hours from both Boston and Hartford, 5 hours from New York City, and 6 1/2 hours from Philadelphia.

The Bread Loaf campus can be found at:

4229 Route 125
Ripton, VT 05766

Driving Directions

Boston—Approximately 4 hours. For places inside Route 128 (including the airport , the South Shore, and Cape Cod), take 93N to 89N to 107W to 100N to 125W.

Montreal—2.5 hours South. Canadian 133S to I 89 S to I 189 S to 7S to 125E.

New York City via Albany—(NYC is 5 hours, Albany is 2.5 hours). I 87N Exit 20 to 149E to 4E to 30N to 7S to 125E.

Once on 125, continue on the steep, winding road until you come to the ochre-colored Bread Loaf Inn and its cluster of cottages. 

The GPS location found in most Internet map tools is 4229 Route 125, Ripton, Vermont 05766.

Carpooling

Upon acceptance we invite those who would like to share a ride from where they live or where they are flying into (Boston, Montreal, etc.) to add their name to a carpool list. From there it’s up to those interested in carpooling to connect with one another.  (Those arriving by plane, bus, or train in Vermont make arrangements in advance with the shared taxi service or with the Bread Loaf shuttle. See more details below.)

Airport

The closest airport is the Burlington International Airport (BTV).  The Airport is about an hour and ten minutes from the Bread Loaf campus in Ripton ,Vermont. 

Some Bread Loafers who are flying in from CA or overseas choose to arrive one day early and stay in a Burlington hotel overnight.  In this case, they go back to the Burlington Airport the next day to meet up with the shared taxi service to the Bread Loaf campus.

To get to the Bread Loaf campus from the airport:

Take a taxi: Each summer we work with a transportation service that arranges shared rides for attendees for a fee paid directly to the service. This is for Bread Loafers who will arrive at the Burlington Airport, the Greyhound Bus Stop at the Burlington Airport, or the Amtrak Station in Essex Junction, Vermont. Approximate taxi fees: $159 for one passenger; $89 each for two passengers; and $59 each for three or more passengers. (More details about the shared taxi service are included in acceptance materials.)

Trains 

The closest Amtrak train station is located in Middlebury, VT (about a twenty-minute drive from the Bread Loaf campus). It’s also possible to arrive in Essex Junction, VT or Rutland, VT (each located about an hour and 20 minutes from the Bread Loaf campus).

Please note that the train to Middlebury, Vermont from the New York area arrives at 8:45 p.m. so after the first event of the conference, the Welcome and Reading that takes place at 8 p.m. We encourage Bread Loafers arriving by train in Middlebury to travel the day before the main arrival day, if possible, and to stay in a hotel in Middlebury. 

In this case, passengers contact a local taxi in advance of their travel day to secure a trip from the train station to their local hotel (important note: Taxis are not easily available so it’s important to make arrangements in advance of the travel day; transportation services, such as Uber or Lyft, are not available in this area, even if they appear to be a valid option when doing an initial search). Then, on the following day—the main arrival day—a shared Bread Loaf shuttle is available at no charge to transport attendees from their Middlebury hotel to the Bread Loaf campus and back to the train station on the main departure day. (More details about local taxi options and also the Bread Loaf Shuttle are included in acceptance materials.)

If arriving by train in Essex Junction, participants make a reservation with the shared taxi service. See the shared taxi service details and fees noted in the Airport section above.

If arriving by train in Rutland, attendees contact a local taxi in the Rutland Area to arrange transportation and are sure to plan ahead to reserve a taxi in advance.

Buses

Greyhound provides bus service to Middlebury, VT.  On the main arrival day, a shared Bread Loaf shuttle is available at no charge to transport attendees from the Middlebury bus station to the Bread Loaf campus and back to the bus station again on the main departure day. (More details about the Bread Loaf Shuttle are included in acceptance materials.)

Greyhound also provides bus service to Burlington, Vermont (buses from Montreal, Boston, Albany, and NYC). Contact the shared taxi service to arrange a taxi from the Burlington Airport Greyhound bus terminal to the Bread Loaf campus. See the taxi service details and fees noted in the Airport section above. (More details about how to arrange the shared taxi are included in acceptance materials.)