Getting There

Burlington is at the junction of I-89, Route 7, and Route 2. Burlington International Airport (BTV), about 3 miles east of downtown, is served by Continental Express (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com) nonstop from Boston and Newark; Delta Connection (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com) nonstop from Atlanta and Cincinnati; JetBlue (tel. 800/538-2583; www.jetblue.com) daily from New York City, United (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com), from Chicago and Washington's Dulles airport, and US Airways Express (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usair.com) from New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington's National airport.

Amtrak's (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com) Vermonter service offers daily departures for Burlington from New York, New Haven, Springfield, Massachusetts, and points beyond such as Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It's a pretty cheap ride ($44 one-way from New York at last check) -- but it also takes 9 1/2 hours from New York, longer from most other points.

Vermont Transit Lines (tel. 802/864-6811; www.vermonttransit.com), with a depot at 345 Pine St., has bus connections from Albany, Boston, Hartford, New York's JFK Airport, and other points in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

Visitor Information

The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, 60 Main St. (tel. 877/686-5253 or 802/863-3489; www.vermont.org), maintains an information center in a stout 1929 brick building just up from the waterfront and a short walk from Church Street Marketplace. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. On Saturday and Sunday, helpful maps and brochures are left in the entryway for visitors. A summer-only information booth is also staffed at the Church Street Marketplace at the corner of Church and Bank streets (no phone).

The free local weekly, Seven Days (www.7dvt.com), carries topical and lifestyle articles, along with a very good weekly listing of local events and happenings.

Special Events

First Night Burlington (tel. 802/863-6005; www.firstnightburlington.com) turns downtown into a stage on New Year's Eve. Hundreds of performers -- from rockers to vaudevillians -- play at nearly three dozen venues (mostly indoors) for 10 hours beginning at 2pm. The evening finishes with a bang at the midnight fireworks. Admission is $20 for adults (or $12 if you purchase before Christmas), $6 for children, and covers all performances.

The Vermont Mozart Festival (tel. 802/862-7352; www.vtmozart.com) takes place in and around Burlington (and farther afield) from mid-July to August. (The festival also has a winter series.) Ticket prices vary considerably. Call for a schedule and information, or check the website.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.