Charlottesville is about a two-hour drive from Alexandria, and groups head down for a few very different reasons. Some are going for a UVA football Saturday, some are taking a prospective student to see the Grounds, and some are spending an adult day in Virginia wine country. A charter bus fits all three, because the real work on a Charlottesville trip is the long round trip and the parking, not the visit itself. One bus keeps the group together from the pickup in Alexandria to the ride home. Charter Bus Alexandria books and dispatches these trips out of Alexandria every week.
This guide is for the fan groups, alumni crews, prospective-student families, and adult getaways making the trip from the Alexandria area. It covers the drive, the three main kinds of Charlottesville trips and who each one is for, where the bus drops, choosing a vehicle, a sample game-day timeline, and what it costs. Call 703-705-7785 to plan a date, or request a free quote for a price.
How Far Is Charlottesville From Alexandria
Charlottesville sits about 115 miles and roughly two hours southwest of Old Town Alexandria, usually down I-66 and US-29. That four-hour round trip is the main reason groups bus rather than caravan, since a string of cars loses each other on the highway and splits up again once it arrives. On a football Saturday the traffic and the parking near campus add even more reason to let one vehicle handle the day. The driver manages the drive and the parking while the group rides together and arrives at the same time.
Three Ways Groups Visit Charlottesville
It helps to plan a Charlottesville day around one main purpose rather than trying to do everything at once. After a two-hour drive each way, a realistic day has time for one focus and maybe one extra stop, not four. The three trips also serve different groups, so the right plan depends on who is on the bus.
A game day is for fans and alumni, built around UVA football at Scott Stadium with a tailgate before and the ride home after. A campus visit is for prospective students and their families, built around the admissions tour and an age-appropriate second stop like Monticello. A wine country day is an adults-only outing for groups twenty-one and older, built around the wineries on the Monticello Wine Trail. A campus tour and a winery do not belong on the same trip, since a college visit centers on high-school-age students, so we keep those days separate and match the stops to the group.
Game Day at Scott Stadium
A UVA football Saturday is the classic Charlottesville group trip for fans and alumni. The lots around Scott Stadium fill early, so a bus that drops the group close to the gates and stages nearby beats circling for a spot. The driver waits through the game, so there is no rush back to a meter, and the group rolls home together once the post-game traffic clears. For the adult crowd, a single winery stop on the way out of town is an easy add to a game day, since everyone aboard is over twenty-one and nobody has to drive afterward.
University of Virginia Athletics (Scott Stadium)
1815 Stadium Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 924-8821
virginiasports.com
Groups making this trip usually book through our sporting event transportation, which covers fan, alumni, and team travel across the region.
Campus Visits for Prospective Students and Families
A campus visit is a different trip with a different group. The day centers on the admissions tour and the information session on the Grounds, and the riders are prospective students and their families. Because those students are high-school age, this trip stays away from wineries and keeps to stops that fit a college visit. The natural pairing is Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, a short drive away, which adds a genuine piece of history and an easy lunch break without leaving the area. A bus drops the group at the visitor center, waits through the tour, and keeps a family contingent or a whole school group on one schedule.
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy, Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 984-9800
monticello.org
For school-organized visits, our school trip transportation page covers the logistics of moving a class or a grade with chaperones.
A Wine Country Day for Adults and Alumni
Charlottesville anchors the Monticello Wine Trail, a cluster of vineyards in the rolling country south and east of town, which makes it a favorite for adult getaways, alumni reunions, and milestone celebrations. This is a twenty-one-and-over outing, and a bus is what makes it work, since the whole point is to taste at two or three wineries without anyone behind the wheel between stops. Jefferson Vineyards sits right along the same road as Monticello, so a wine day can pair tastings with a stop at the historic house for a group that wants more than just the vineyards.
Jefferson Vineyards
1353 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy, Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 977-3042
jeffersonvineyards.com
If wine country is the main draw, our guide to a Loudoun winery bus trip covers a closer option for the same kind of day.
Which Bus Fits Your Group
The right vehicle comes down to headcount and the trip. A small family on a campus visit fits a Sprinter, a fan group or alumni crew fits a minibus, and a large game-day party fills a full-size coach, sometimes more than one. For the two-hour ride each way, the reclining seats and the onboard restroom of a larger coach earn their keep.
| Vehicle | Seats | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to 14 | A small family on a campus visit or a VIP group |
| Sprinter limo | Up to 14 | A small adults group for a wine day |
| 35-passenger minibus | 15 to 35 | A fan group, an alumni crew, or a class |
| 56-passenger charter bus | 50 to 56 | A large game-day group, restroom for the drive |
Larger coaches can include WiFi, power outlets, reclining seats, climate control, an onboard restroom, and luggage space. Compare every size on our buses page.
A Sample UVA Game Day
Here is a realistic football Saturday for a group of forty fans and alumni, with a single winery stop on the way home for the adults aboard.
- 8:00 AM Depart Alexandria, headcount on the bus
- 10:15 AM Arrive in Charlottesville, drop near Scott Stadium
- 10:30 AM Tailgate in the lots
- 1:00 PM Kickoff
- 4:30 PM Regroup at the bus
- 5:00 PM Optional winery stop for the over-21 group
- 7:30 PM Head home to Alexandria
You set the stops and we drive them, so the day flexes around your tickets and your tour times. For more group outings around the region, see our roundup of things to do near Alexandria.
What It Costs and When to Book
How much a charter bus to Charlottesville costs comes down to the vehicle size, the hours, and the round-trip distance, which is real on a two-hour run. As a rough guide, a minibus generally starts around $150 per hour while a full-size coach runs about $180 to $500 per hour, so a full game day can land in the range of roughly $1,800 to $3,800 depending on the size and the hours. Home football Saturdays and graduation weekends book up well in advance, so reserve as soon as your date is set. Our charter bus prices page shows ballpark ranges, and the fastest way to a real number is a quick 30-second quote or a call to 703-705-7785.
Book Your Charter Bus to UVA and Charlottesville
Whether it is a football Saturday, a campus visit, or an adults day in wine country, we get your group down to Charlottesville together and leave the drive and the parking to us. As your Alexandria charter bus company we run trips to UVA and Charlottesville all year.
Call Charter Bus Alexandria at 703-705-7785 or request a free quote for your group. Our charter bus service team is available seven days a week to plan your trip.
