Air Travel

If you're traveling by air, you will fly into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). (The airport in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP), is also an option, but only if you're planning to rent a car to drive to Athens thereafter—unfortunately, a shuttle service to Athens no longer operates from GSP.) Groome Transportation operates the shuttle, which takes approximately 2 hours in each direction Atlanta-Athens; please see the Airport Shuttle Service page on this site for information on how to reserve a seat.

Driving Directions to the Holiday Inn/Athens-University Area

Note: we are NOT at the Holiday Inn Express. Don’t go there! (You should pass it on your right if you approach campus and the conference hotel from the west on Broad St./US-78.)

From the west on I-85 N:

1. Take EXIT 106 off of I-85 N toward Lawrenceville/Athens on GA-316 E. Travel for ca. 39 miles.

2. GA-316 E becomes Epps Bridge Parkway/Rd. You’ll pass a Lowe’s on your left, a Home Depot on your right, a Trader Joe’s on your right, and quite a bit of other commercial & residential development.

3. Stay on Epps Bridge Parkway until it essentially runs out, at which point it curves quite steeply up and to the right (you’ll be headed east after you take the curve) to merge with Atlanta Hwy/US-78 Bus E/GA-10, a.k.a. West Broad St.

4. Follow Broad/US-78 Bus E for about 3.2 miles (it becomes East Broad after you cross Milledge Avenue).

5. Go past the Holiday Inn Express … again, don’t go there!

6. At Hull St., turn right onto S. Hull—you should see the Holiday Inn to your right immediately across the intersection.

7. Make an immediate left (in about 20 ft.) into the Holiday Inn/Athens-University Area’s parking lot at 197 E. Broad St. (If you reach Wray St. at a T-intersection to your left, you’ve gone too far.)

From the east on I-85 S (or from the north on US-441; see footnote*):

1. Take EXIT 149 toward Commerce/Homer/Banks Crossing, and keep to the left on the exit ramp to take US-441 S/GA-15 toward Commerce.

2. Continue to drive approximately 20+ miles on US-441 S. Stay straight to go onto Martin Luther King Pkwy, and follow it for about 0.9 miles.

3. Turn right onto North Avenue and go about 0.3 miles.

4. You’ll drive under a railroad trestle. Keep to the left, and turn left at the next traffic light, onto N. Thomas Street.

5. Get in the right lane. In about 0.3 miles, turn right onto E. Broad/US-78 Bus W/GA-10. There’ll be a BB&T bank immediately to your right at this intersection.

6. Get in the left lane as soon as you can. Proceed about 0.3 miles (again!), and turn left onto S. Hull St., directly in front of the Holiday Inn/Athens-University Area.

7. Make an immediate left (in about 20 ft.) into the Holiday Inn/Athens-University Area’s parking lot at 197 E. Broad St. (If you reach Wray St. at a T-intersection to your left, you’ve gone too far.)

*Note: This set of instructions also serves for drivers approaching from the NORTH on US-441. Begin with no. 2, which refers to US-441 S immediately after you have crossed I-85.

From the south on I-75 N:

These instructions begin on I-75 N at Macon, GA:

1. Take EXIT 165 east toward Savannah onto I-16 E/GA-404 E. Drive 0.9 miles.

2. Merge via EXIT 1A onto US-129 N toward Milledgeville/Gray. Drive 13.6 miles.

3. Turn left onto Eatonton Hwy/US-129 N/GA-44. Continue for ca. 23 miles.

4. Turn left onto James Marshall Bypass/US-129/US-441 N/GA-24. Continue for about 22.5 miles.

5. … at which point that road becomes just US-129 N/US-441 N. Remain on it for another 3.6 miles, then …

6. Merge onto Athens’ “outer loop” (counter-clockwise) GA-10 Loop/US-23 N/US-78/US-129 N/US-441 N.

7. Take EXIT 8 (Oconee St./US-78 E/Lexington Rd.) and keep left as you go down the ramp to prepare to go toward downtown Athens.

8. Turn left onto Oconee St./US-78 W.

9. You’ll soon proceed up a fairly steep hill on Oconee St. Get in the left lane, and turn left at the top of the hill. Stay in the left lane.

10. You’ll pass through 3 controlled intersections: 1) Jackson St., 2) College Ave. (a T-intersection, on your right), 3) Lumpkin St.

11. The 4th intersection is Hull St. Turn left onto S. Hull. (The hotel will be immediately to your left.)

12. Make an immediate left (in about 20 ft.) into the Holiday Inn/Athens-University Area’s parking lot at 197 E. Broad St. (If you reach Wray St. at a T-intersection to your left, you’ve gone too far.)

From either east or west on I-20:

1. Take EXIT 82 to Conyers, GA, and head north on GA-138 N (a right turn off the ramp if you’re approaching from Augusta & the east; left off the ramp if you’re approaching from Atlanta & the west).

2. Eventually (ca. 32+ miles) merge right onto US-78 E.

3. Turn right onto GA 316 E—there’s a traffic light at this intersection.

4. GA-316 E becomes Epps Bridge Parkway/Rd. You’ll pass a Lowe’s on your left, a Home Depot on your right, a Trader Joe’s on your right, and quite a bit of other commercial & residential development.

5. Stay on Epps Bridge until it essentially runs out, at which point it curves quite steeply up and to the right (you’ll be headed east after you take the curve) to merge with Atlanta Hwy/US-78 Bus E/GA-10, a.k.a. West Broad St.

6. Follow Broad/US-78 Bus E for about 3.2 miles (it becomes East Broad after you cross Milledge Avenue).

7. Go past the Holiday Inn Express … again, don’t go there!

8. At Hull St., turn right onto S. Hull—you should see the Holiday Inn to your right immediately across the intersection.

9. Make an immediate left (in about 20 ft.) into the Holiday Inn/Athens-University Area’s parking lot at 197 E. Broad St. (If you reach Wray St. at a T-intersection to your left, you’ve gone too far.)