Anchor Trailways offers students affordable ways to travel from Florence to Nashville

By: Nick Ware

Posted: 2/4/10

Local charter bus company Anchor Trailways is running a daily shuttle service from the UNA campus to Nashville, Tenn..

Every Monday through Friday at 4 a.m. and 8:40 a.m., an Anchor Trailways charter bus picks up travelers bound for Nashville at the Harrison Plaza entrance of UNA. A one-way ticket is $32.56 and a round trip ticket is $55.36.

"This service is good for students who are going to the airport," said Anchor Trailways employee Bud Hale.

The one-way tickets must be used on the same day they are purchased but round trip tickets may be used whenever they are needed. If a student needed to go the Nashville airport and bought a round trip ticket, he or she would have a bus waiting for when he or she got back from the trip. $55.36 may seem like a hefty price for a trip to Nashville and back, but compared to the amount of money one would spend on parking his or her car in the airport parking lot, it doesn't seem that bad.

Though the bus picks up at UNA, the tickets are available to anyone. The bus also makes a stop at the Shell gas station on Cox Creek Parkway across from the Regency Square Mall. This service has the same prices and goes to the same destination.

If students aren't able to ride the shuttle during the week because of classes, stops are made on Saturdays and Sundays at 7:15 a.m. at UNA.

"I don't mind paying the ticket price at all. I don't have to drive and I could even sleep on the way if I wanted to," said UNA student Mark Lanpher.

If it's safety you're worried about though, Anchor Trailways is certified by the Department of Defense, a higher level of safety certification that only 10 percent of motor coach carriers qualify for. This certifies the company to carry military personnel.

For more information on the route to Nashville, inquiries about other routes or group tours, visit www.anchortrailways.com.