Campus News

Travel Options for Academic Breaks

Airplane.
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 20, 2021) — The 2021-2022 academic year has just begun, but it’s not too early to start thinking about travel options for Thanksgiving break and beyond.

University of Kentucky Transportation Services offers two options for students who plan to travel during academic breaks: BreakShuttle and free regional airport shuttles.

BreakShuttle

BreakShuttle is a charter bus service that enables students, staff and faculty to take a bus from campus to their hometowns and other destinations during major academic breaks. The company contracts with UK Transportation Services to provide this service, offering transportation for students who prefer not to fly or who need a last-minute, comfortable ride home.

BreakShuttle allows people to purchase one-way tickets, so those interested in a return trip will also need to purchase a return trip option.

Tickets are now on sale for Thanksgiving break along the following routes:

UK to Atlanta Route, with stops in:

  • Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Chattanooga, Tennessee
  • Kennesaw, Georgia

UK to Chicago, with stops in:

  • Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Merrillville, Indiana
  • Naperville, Illinois

UK to Medina, Ohio, with stops in:

  • Dayton, Ohio 
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • Medina, Ohio

The buses are scheduled to depart from Kroger Field 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, and return to campus on Sunday, Nov. 28. 

For specific trip, prices and route information, visit BreakShuttle’s official UK page and sign up for email alerts and discounts.

Free Regional Airport Shuttles

Students who plan to travel by air over academic breaks can take advantage of free regional airport shuttles, offered by UK Transportation Services, with funding assistance from the UK Student Transportation Council.

Free transportation to and from Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Louisville International Airport (SDF) and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is available to both students and staff, just by signing up. The shuttles leave from and return to Kroger Field.

Sign-ups are now open for Thanksgiving break. Airport shuttles are scheduled to depart from Kroger Field on Wednesday, Nov. 24, and return on Sunday, Nov. 28. More details about airport shuttles can be found here.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.