Penland School of Craft

Traveling to Penland

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP

Below are the main points to be aware of when making your travel plans, but please note that our various sessions have different schedules. For specific times and dates for your session, including arrival and departure times and important events, see the 2024 Session Schedules section of the Penland Student Handbook.

If you are attending a workshop, please plan to arrive at Penland between 1:00 pm and 4:45 pm on the first day of the session (unless you are a work-study student, in which case see below). This means arriving on Sunday for most sessions; for weekend workshops, arrival is on Friday. The session will begin at 5:00 pm with an all-school orientation in our Northlight building.

Your session ends after breakfast on the last day of the session (Friday for most sessions; Monday for weekend workshops). Please plan to depart campus by 10:00 am that day.

Are you a work-study student or studio assistant? Your schedule is different. Housing will be available to you after 5:00 pm on the Friday before your workshop begins. Please plan to arrive on Friday evening or Saturday morning in time for your workday, which begins with breakfast at 9:00 am. Please plan to depart with the rest of the workshop participants, by 10 a.m. on Friday at the end of your session.

DRIVING TO PENLAND

If you are driving to Penland, be sure to print and bring along the driving directions on our website, as cell phone service in this area can be unreliable, and some GPS devices do not give accurate directions to our campus. If you are unfamiliar with the area, we strongly suggest making sure you arrive before dark; there are no streetlights, and it’s easy to get lost.

After you enroll, Penland will send you a rideshare link, which allows you to connect with other workshop participants who may be driving to Penland from your area.

FLYING TO THE AREA

The closest city, and airport, to Penland’s campus is Asheville, North Carolina. It is approximately a 1½ -hour trip from the Asheville Airport to Penland, so keep this in mind when scheduling your flights. Below are resources to help you plan your trip through Asheville, including shuttle services that offer transportation between the Asheville airport and Penland’s campus.

If you are planning to fly and then rent a car for the duration of your session, you might also look into flying in and out of Charlotte, which is about a 2½-hour drive.

Airlines that fly to Asheville

Shuttle Services

It is your responsibility to make arrangements to get to Penland from the airport. Below are some companies that provide ground transportation out of the Asheville airport. These companies are independent from Penland School of Craft and should be booked in advance.

Note: These are listed in the order we see most often on campus.

Rental Cars Available at Asheville Airport*

Hotels and Motels in the Asheville Area (*please note that some area hotels are closed since Hurricane Helene)

Airport Area

Biltmore Area

Downtown