Transportation

Reunion Transportation


Getting to & from Nauvoo


Nauvoo is a rural town with a population a fraction of the size of the quiet Lancaster setting of our last reunion, and far from the nearest large city. It is a small community with no public transportation. Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft do not operate there. There are no rental car companies (even Turo) within Nauvoo itself. You will likely need to bring your own car, rent a car, or take our Reunion Airport Bus from/to St. Louis, MO, to get to Nauvoo.


Drive


Our reunion “home base” will be the Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites at 1875 Mulholland St., Nauvoo, IL 62354. See Reunion Accommodations for more detail on Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites. You can get directions and driving times to the hotel by plugging your starting point into Google Maps here.


If you plan to drive an RV or similar vehicle, please click here and review the City’s rules about parking and driving vehicles over 30’. RVs travelling on non-approved routes will be ticketed.


Fly


Most people who fly to visit Nauvoo arrive at a major airport a few hours away and then rent a car to drive the rest of the trip. There are small regional airports within an hour drive of Nauvoo, but no regular shuttles, buses, trains, or rideshare companies to get you from the airports to Nauvoo. You will probably need to rent a car when you get to your chosen airport. There are no rental car companies in Nauvoo proper, and rental cars in towns nearby will likely be sold out if not reserved well in advance given the amount of people expected in Nauvoo.


We looked up this information about airports online for your convenience, but please verify anything that’s important for your trip yourself. There are other airports in the area, but these are the ones we gathered information about. Share your Nauvoo travel arrangement tips on our facebook page and help other family members out!



Major Airports:

St Louis Lambert International (STL), St. Louis, MO

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 3 hours

Notes: The Reunion Planning Committee flew into this airport and can recommend it.

Chicago O'Hare International (ORD), Chicago, IL

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 4 hours

Des Moines International (DSM), Des Moines, IA

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 3.5 hours

Kansas City International (MCI), Kansas City, MO

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 4.5 hours

Notes: We’ve heard some people prefer to fly into MCI because there are non-stop Delta flights between SLC & MCI.


Medium & Small Airports:

Quad City International (MLI), Moline, IL

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 2 hours

Notes: This is a smaller airport with 12 gates, served by several rental car companies and 4 airlines (Allegiant, American, Delta, and United). Food-wise, there is only a deli that is open all day, every day on a regular basis.

Downing Peoria International (PIA), Peoria, IL

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 2 hours

Notes: Not full-service. 3 airlines use this airport: Allegiant, American, & United. Limited car rental availability near baggage claim.

Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI), Springfield, IL

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 2.5 hours

Notes: Limited hours, food, etc. 3 airlines use this airport: Allegiant, American, & United. Rental cars available.

Quincy Regional Airport (UIN), Quincy, IL

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 1 hour

Notes: Not full-service. Limited Enterprise car rentals available.

Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), Cedar Rapids, IA

Drive Time to/from Nauvoo: About 2 hours

Notes: 5 airlines use this airport: Allegiant, United, Delta, American, Frontier. Car rental available.


Reunion Airport Bus from/to the St. Louis Airport


If we sell enough tickets (36 or more), we will be able to provide a Reunion Airport Bus from the St Louis Airport to Nauvoo and back. It will cost $50 per person each way to take the Reunion Airport Bus. Purchase your Airport Bus Tickets when you register for the reunion.


You are welcome to bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks on the bus in nonbreakable containers with the exception of sunflower seeds. The buses are equipped with bathrooms.


Friday Airport Bus

On the first day of the reunion, July 29:

We’ll load the buses at or near the St. Louis Airport (STL) at about 10am on Friday, July 29. We’ll drive by a few sites and stop for you to purchase a quick lunch along the way, then continue to Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites, arriving in the afternoon for people to get settled in their rooms before dinner and The British Pageant. The Friday Airport Bus includes bus service that evening, so if you take the Friday Airport Bus, you don't need to purchase a Friday Evening Bus ticket.


Tuesday Airport Bus

On the last day of the reunion, August 2nd:

The Airport Bus will return to STL on Tuesday. The buses will load in the morning with all our luggage to join the Springfield Trip. We're not coming back to Nauvoo that night. Once we're done in Springfield, we'll proceed directly to our central drop-off location near the St. Louis Airport in the evening, around 6:30pm. Because you must come with the group to Springfield as part of your Tuesday Airport Bus ticket, make sure you also purchase your activity and meal tickets for that day.


******VERY IMPORTANT******

Like a cruise, if you choose to join us on the bus, we recommend that you fly in the night before (July 28), fly out the day after (Aug 3), and reserve a hotel near the St. Louis airport for both those nights. That way if flights or buses are delayed for any reason, you’ll still likely be able to make it on time to catch the bus or your flight. Because of the logistical difficulty of moving so many people, we will plan for the bus to leave on time even if someone with a bus ticket has a flight delayed and can’t get to the bus on time. We will not refund the cost of your flight if our bus is delayed on the way back to St. Louis.


General Travel Note: We encourage you to purchase travel insurance to cover the cost of your airfare and reunion costs because of the unpredictability of COVID and flights.


Getting Around Nauvoo


Nauvoo is a small community with no public transportation. Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft do not operate there.


Travel in Your Vehicle or a Rental Vehicle

Traveling in your own vehicle or a rental vehicle will give you the most flexibility for getting to and from all of our reunion activities. Finding parking may sometimes be challenging because we will be in Nauvoo during their very busy pageant season. Keep in mind that we plan to take some fairly narrow unpaved roads to see some of the places where the Bushmans lived (nothing too remote, but not all paved either).


If you plan to rent a car to get around, there are no rental car companies (even Turo) within Nauvoo itself and no shuttles, public transportation, or rideshare services to get you to a rental company outside Nauvoo. Consider reserving rental cars far in advance because we are meeting at the end of Nauvoo’s busy pageant season and rental companies (and even airports in surrounding communities) may not have rental cars available last-minute.


Again, if you plan to drive an RV or similar vehicle, please click here and review the City’s rules about parking and driving vehicles over 30’. RVs travelling on non-approved routes will be ticketed.


Daily Buses

If you want to leave the driving and navigating to us, and sometimes even enjoy commentary from bus guides, purchase tickets in advance to use the Daily Buses we provide to get you around for each day’s activities & field trips. On the days you have purchased Daily Bus tickets, your bus will pick you up in the morning at the Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites at 1875 Mulholland St. (see Reunion Accommodations for more detail on our “home base”) and return you there in the late afternoon or evening.


Daily Bus ticket prices vary by day:

  • Friday Evening Bus: $25 (If you purchase the Friday Airport Bus ticket, it includes Friday Evening Bus access.)

  • Saturday Daily Bus: $33

  • Sunday Daily Bus: $33

  • Monday Daily Bus: $33

  • Tuesday Nauvoo-Springfield-Nauvoo Bus: $37 (Do not purchase this ticket if you purchase the Tuesday Airport Bus.)


You can purchase your Daily Bus tickets during reunion registration. They are a separate purchase from any other ticketed meals and activities (like the Lincoln Sites ticket)--bus tickets are for transportation only. You will need to purchase any meal & activity tickets in addition to a Daily Bus ticket.


You are welcome to bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks on the bus in nonbreakable containers with the exception of sunflower seeds. The buses are equipped with bathrooms.


We have reserved four buses totaling 220 seats on a "first come, first served" basis. We may be able to get more buses. Please be sure to reserve your seats early!


Walking - Not Recommended as Primary Transportation

Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites is within 2 miles (Google Maps says a 22 minute walk) of the Historic Nauvoo District and the Nauvoo Stake Center where we have planned many of our activities. Those activities may be walkable if you choose to stay at Nauvoo Family Inn & Suites or similarly nearby. There is a Dollar General and a convenience store nearby, but no full-service grocery stores in Nauvoo.


Many of our activities take us many miles outside of the town and across state lines. You will need to drive or purchase Daily Bus tickets to participate in those activities.


General Travel Note: We encourage you to purchase travel insurance to cover the cost of your airfare and reunion costs because of the unpredictability of COVID and flights.






Click here to return to the Reunion main page.