Colonial Williamsburg, the restored historic city of Williamsburg, Virginia is beautiful in summer and early fall. Every year, thousands of tourists flock to this small part of America, restored to Williamsburg as it appeared in colonial times, and all these tourists face the same problem – there is almost no parking in the town of Williamsburg. In this article, I offer you a local driver’s advice on how to park in Williamsburg.
I’ll start first where I don’t park. There are many places to try, such as the College of William and Mary, and a few different businesses in downtown Williamsburg that seem to be trying. College College and many businesses are primarily for students, and in the summer they are somewhat empty. But most of the downtown lot lots, at the locations of Mama Mia’s, Wawa, and the William and Mary lot at Zable Stadium, are privately owned, and the signs are posted for businesses there.
I’ve personally witnessed cars actuated by Wawa that have been there less than 4 hours, and without their own decal, W&M; the parking police will not hesitate to hand out heavy tickets and use boots. I have a friend who wrongly parked in a W & M; The spot is labeled “Faculty and Staff Only.” He was there less than two hours, and his ticket was over $100. I also saw many vehicles crowded around the camp.
However, many lots of the city, which are owned in the city, are not so strictly controlled. For example, there is a lot directly behind the town of Barnes & Noble (which also serves as the College Bookstore), on the corner of George Street and N. Henry Street, which is owned by the city. The location of the lot makes an appearance at Barnes & Noble, but no matter how much you like it, bookshop owners can’t drag you out of that lot.
Parking is sometimes difficult to get into at peak times and is limited to two hours. But this lot is not a bad bet if you stay all day for two days in Colonial Williamsburg for reasons: 1) we walked around a lot . I parked there eight hours ago and there was no ticket, and 2) the ticket was only $10 (when there was finally a ticket, I parked for two hours, almost 18 hours). The lot is also only valid from 8 AM to 6 PM, so you can always get lucky and get a spot there a little after 4, and there you can deliver all evenings for free.
I will offer a reminder though, that once you get a ticket at the bookstore, stop parking there – a second ticket in 60 days is more like $60 than $10. Two other lots are working on the same principle as the library, but are limited to one hour. One of these lots is located directly across North Henry from the bookstore lot, and the other is a little farther from North Henry, past Duke of Gloucester Street (which locals and W&M; students call “Dog Street” and above right. Also, parking in Both sides of Richmond Road are legal in the downtown area, with a two-hour ticket limit of $15.
There is a parking lot in the garage, a log from the library. This lot is a great improvement to downtown parking. It costs $1 an hour to park there, with the first thirty minutes free and a maximum charge of $8. No overnight parking is allowed in this lot. I would also like to point out that this lot has a somewhat surprising method of payment: when you enter the lot, you get a small ticket that you want to gargle in any car.
But when you plan to leave, you can’t just throw away your ticket. First, you walk up to the big vending machine, stick your ticket in, and unlock the machine. The machine then designates your password to open the exit gate. I mention this because I saw many people holding unsigned tickets while trying to pay at the exit gate.
Williamsburg also has an excellent public transportation system. The fair bus is only $1.50 one way, so if you don’t feel like negotiating this parking spot in the city, just stop at the station near your hotel and make sure to bring some supplies.
For a map of downtown Williamsburg, click here.
Legal Notice: I assume no responsibility for any money, damage to vehicles, towing of vehicles, or theft from vehicles; etc. may be found in the proceedings taken after reading this article. By no means do I encourage you to spare the spoils; The present information is just based on personal experience regarding parking in the city. Also, I am not responsible for how Williamsburg police handle parking violations, and their policies have changed since this article was published.
