Getting to the Acadia Trad Festival

College of the Atlantic is located at 105 Eden St. in beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine, about an hour drive from Bangor ME, a three hour drive from Portland ME, and a five hour drive from Boston. There are a variety of good travel options to choose from.

Carpooling: In the interests of the environment – and limited parking space at COA – we encourage you to ride share to campus. There is a carpool form for participants/concert attendees to connect for this purpose. (Note that this form is used at the discretion of participants, and AFTMD will not be responsible for organizing rides/connections.)

By Air: The closest major airport, Bangor International Airport (BGR) is about 50 miles away and features direct service to New York, Newark, Philadelphia, DC, Charlotte and Chicago and connecting service to hundreds more destinations. There are several ground transportation options available from BGR, including a reservation-based shuttle service, Monday-Friday bus service and rental cars. An Uber/Lyft between the airport and COA typically costs $80-$100.

Bar Harbor is also served by a local airport, Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (BHB), located just 11 miles from COA. BHB features direct service to Boston Logan International Airport via Cape Air. Connections via Boston to many more destinations are available to book via JetBlue. Information on taxi operators and car rentals from BHB can be found here.

By Coach: Concord Coach and Greyhound both operate daily bus service between Bangor, Portland and Boston. Timetables and booking information can be found on their websites. Downeast Transportation provides Monday-Friday bus service between Bar Harbor and the Concord/Greyhound bus stations in Bangor.

By Ship: The CAT Ferry sails from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to Bar Harbor in just 3.5 hours. Schedules can be found here.

By Boat: Since Bar Harbor is located on an island and a popular place for both sailing and powerboating, there are many suitable moorings. You can check with the Harbormaster’s Office at 207-288-5571.

Getting Around Bar Harbor

Once you have arrived on Mount Desert Island, there are a variety of ways to get between College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, and other areas of the island. The Island Explorer bus provides free summer service between COA, Bar Harbor Airport, Bar Harbor town, Acadia National Park and many more points. Routes and timetables can be found here. 

Please note that connecting from Bar Harbor Airport to COA via the Island Explorer requires a route transfer. Information on taxi operators and car rentals from Hancock County Bar Harbor Airport can be found here.