East to West Transam start suggestions?

[emfausto]

Hi,
I am Ed, 50 year old, from the Philippines and will start my first East to West Transam tour this May 2016.  I will be flying out of Chicago and I plan to start the tour with the traditional rear wheel dipping at Virginia Beach.  I would like to get suggestions on the following;

a. Which airport would be the most ideal if I am coming in from Chicago?
b. With the big bike box, what transportation can I take to go from airport to the motel/hotel?
c. What motel/hotel would be ok to assemble the bike before going out to start the tour?

Any suggestion will be very much appreciated.
Thanks.

PS I forgot to add, which stores sells camping fuels that are available locally near Virginia Beach area?
1. Coleman fuel
2. Butane canister
3. Denatured alcohol

[jamawani]

Norfolk International Airport is closest - (ORF)
http://www.norfolkairport.com/

Airport van shuttle - probably $50 + bike charge to Va Bch
http://jamesrivertrans.com/norfolk-airport-shuttle-service/

It's been some time since I cycled in the Virginia Tidewater area.
It's tough because of all the rivers, bridges, tunnels - most of which prohibit bicycles.

I did a wide loop to the west - took the James River Ferry -
which will connect you to the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown.

If you wanted to do a more direct route -
you would have to shuttle across the Hampton Roads Bridge/Tunnel

There are a few threads about the various possible route here
and at Crazyguyonabike and Bike Forums.
All the routes have their challenges.

[emfausto]

Hi jamawani,
Thanks for the suggestion :-)
I now just need to look for a motel/hotel in the area.
I plan to do the exact route of ACA Trans America bicycle trail so I bought their maps.
Regards,
Ed

[John Nelson]

The "traditional" wheel dip is not at Virginia Beach, but at Yorktown, where the official start of the TransAm is. Some have issues with Yorktown is that it isn't officially on the Atlantic Ocean, but it's close enough for most people. If you decide to start in Yorktown, you can fly into Newport News, assemble your bike in the airport and ride the short distance to Yorktown. If you decide to start at Virginia Beach, it's not possible to ride directly to Yorktown, but you can ride to Jamestown, a little ways down the TransAm route.

[emfausto]

Hi John,
Thanks for clarifying that the location of the wheel dipping "traditional" is at Yorktown. I will check the ACA map and Google map to give me the relative distance of those places.  Being a foreigner, its hard to visualize the distance and the logistics challenges to start the tour.
Regards,
Ed :-)

[Pat Lamb]

Also, when you make motel or hotel reservations, check to see if they offer a free airport shuttle.  Many do (especially the ones near the airport!).