Durham or Chapel Hill?-where to stay
 

Hi,

I will be reaching Raleigh tomorrow night (i.e. Monday night). I have to visit UNC Chapel Hill on Wednesday morning, and Duke University on Thursday morning. I then have a flight out of RDU on Thursday at 4pm~ (Southwest).

I am looking to stay in a budget type hotel, e.g. residence inn, hampton inn, I would definitely need a room with an iron an ironing board, and high speed internet access.

Any suggestions on which area is more lively, i.e. Durham or Chapel Hill, in terms of places to eat, walk about in the evenings?.

Also, is it better to rent a car from RDU during these three days, or is a cab more economical?. How does one get from RDU to Durham and Chapel Hill?. What about between Duke and Chapel Hill?.

Thanks

Rent a car...and I would stay close to the Chapel Hill campus.

As far as things to do, I would say Chapel Hill is the place to be in the evening. I live in Durham but have lived in Chapel Hill. Both cities have good restaurants, but Chapel Hill's are going to be closer together. There is a bus that runs between Durham and Chapel Hill. It has been a long time since I used the buses much, so you should take a look at this site: http://www.rtplinks.com
I think a car is great to have in this area because things are a little spread out.

You can expect about $25 to $30 to RDU from Chapel Hill or Durham. I have done this a few times by cab. I would guess somewhere around $20 between the universities.

Since I live around here, to be honest I cannot remember most of the hotel locations other than expensive ones. See what you can find out on 15-501, which runs between Durham and Chapel Hill (there are a few through there). It will be the most convenient for your needs. You can always drive in to Chapel Hill in the evening. There is a pay lot on Rosemary Street (parallel to Franklin Street). You may also find parking in the evening at University Square on Franklin Street, which is right where you would want to be in the evening. They don't like people to park there if not visiting the shops in the lot, but this is generally not a problem in the evening. It is easy to get a ticket around Chapel Hill, so watch where you park during the day.

There is a Hampton Inn at I-40 at Highway 54 exit (#273 I think). You can take 54 west into the UNC campus and there is a visitors lot at the top of the hill. From the hotel you could take 54 east until highway 751 into Duke. Don't know the prices, but the hotel is only a couple of years old.

Another suggestion would be the Extended Stay or Studio Plus in Durham. Extended stay is on Tower Blvd. off of 15-501. Studio Plus is at MLK and University (by the way, University Drive doesn't go by any university). I think the Studio Plus has a sign outside advertising high-speed internet. Don't know about your other requirements.

RENT A CAR. A taxi from the airport to my house (near Southpoint mall in Durham) costs $22. A local agency is Triangle Rent-a-car and I'm not sure how their rates are compared to national chains.