2026 History Book Festival  

Author Accommodations and Transportation Guide 

This page outlines some of the accommodation and transportation options available for HBF authors visiting Lewes.

Have questions? Contact Marley Enright at marley@historybookfestival.org.

Home Hosting: HBF offers FREE local home stays for participating authors, on a first-come, first-served basis. Home hosts are friends of the festival, who live in the Lewes area who are excited to support your visit. If you would like to book with a home host, please email Marley at marley@historybookfestival.org to make the arrangements.

Ground Transportation Overview

• When planning ground transportation to/from Lewes and the Delaware Beaches, please allow for 1.5+ hours travel from the Wilmington Train Station and 2+ hours for the Philadelphia Airport. We do not advise flying into BWI, Reagan, or Dulles airports due to traffic in the D.C. area. 

• Weekend traffic to/from the Delaware Beaches and Maryland/Virginia resort areas can extend travel times. We recommend that Saturday authors travel to Lewes on Friday (or Thursday if doing a Friday school visit). 

• Train Station to/from Lewes: We offer a limited number of no-cost rides to/from the Wilmington Train Station, on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to book a ride with us, please email Marley at marley@historybookfestival.org to make the arrangements.

• Transportation During Stay in Lewes

  • Authors without personal vehicles are strongly advised to book accommodations in downtown Lewes, so that they can be within walking distance of most festival activities.

  • Saturday Shuttle Service – HBF provides free shuttles for authors and audience members that run from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday, following a continuous loop between HBF venues and downtown.

  • Author Ambassador Transportation – Each HBF author is provided a volunteer Author Ambassador, who can assist with local ground transportation. In addition to Saturday presentations, volunteer ambassadors can be available to provide rides to other events such as keynote & closing, school visits, and welcome party. Authors will be paired with ambassadors in advance and given their contact information to coordinate. If you know you’ll need transport support at any point during your stay, please let us know in advance so we can plan accordingly.

  • Parking Information – The City of Lewes enforces parking meters downtown, so please be prepared if you plan to park on the street. All of our festival venues have free parking available for authors and guests.

Ground Transportation Providers

Delaware Limo - Provides rides to/from PHL airport and Wilmington Train Station

• (302) 319-3329 | reservations@delaware.limo

• To book, call and mention you are with HBF or book online and include “History Book Festival” in the notes section; use code HISTORY10 for 10% off Black Car Service:

  • Mon–Fri: 8 AM–8 PM

  • Sat–Sun: 9 AM–5 PM

  • 24/7 Dispatch available (text alerts may be delayed during off-hours)

Jolly Trolley - Provides rides to/from PHL airport and Wilmington Train Station

• (302) 644-0200 | reservations@jollytrolley.com

• To book, call or email and mention you are with HBF or book online and include “History Book Festival” in the notes section:

  • Mon–Fri: 9 AM–5 PM

Atlantic Transportation Services - Provides rides to/from PHL airport and Wilmington Train Station

• (302) 644-6999 | atlanticlimode.com

• To book, call after making train/flight reservations and mention you are with HBF or book online and include “History Book Festival” in the notes section.

Lewes Bus - Provides rides to/from PHL Airport 

• (302) 470-6784 | https://www.lewesbus.com/book

• To book, visit their website and use their booking form, selecting “History Book Festival” from the drop-down menu.

• $65 one-way fee

• Lewes to PHL: Departs at 6 A.M. and 2 P.M. from the Lewes Transit Center (17616 Coastal Hwy. Lewes, DE 19958)

• PHL to Lewes: Departs at 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. from Zone 6 at your terminal

• Please select “History Book Festival” from the drop-down menu when booking

Need something different? Explore your options at the Lewes Chamber of Commerce website.

Accommodations Overview

• Hotel room blocks expire on August 1.

• Hotels/inn are categorized as in-town Lewes (walking distance to all events and Saturday shuttle - highly recommended for authors who are not bringing a personal vehicle) and Route 1 (requires car - 15+ minute drive to town).

• Note: There are other properties in the area that are farther from Lewes. HBF recommends staying in/near town to ensure that presenters can avoid traffic delays.

• HBF offers free local home stays for presenters on a first-come, first-served basis. Accommodations are hosted by community members in the Lewes area who want to support your visit. If you would like to book with a home host, please email Marley (marley@historybookfestival.org) to make the arrangements.

   

In-Town Lewes

Hotel Rodney - Located in downtown Lewes, within walking distance of Saturday venues and direct access to HBF Saturday shuttles | 142 Second Street, Lewes, DE 19958 | (302) 645-6466 | info@hotelrodneydelaware.com

No minimum stay requirement for HBF presenters.

Note that parking is very limited for this property. HBF can arrange for off-site parking 1/2 block away if needed. Inquire with Marley to explore.

All rooms are double occupancy maximum, and Hotel Rodney is a non-smoking property. 

Booking:

• Call the hotel and mention that you’re a presenter at the History Book Festival.

Rooms held for HBF presenters (these are per-night base rates – state and local taxes added at the time of booking):

• 4 Executive Rooms (Full-Size Bed): $229 (Fri/Sat) | $189 (Thurs/Sun)

• 6 Deluxe Rooms (Queen Bed): $279 (Fri/Sat) | $229 (Thurs/Sun)

See Hotel Rodney website for amenities (note that lift is only available for luggage currently).

The INN at Canal Square - Located in downtown Lewes, within walking distance of Saturday venues and 1 block to access HBF Saturday shuttles | 122 Market Street, Lewes, DE 19958 | (302) 644-3377

Free on-site parking.

Booking:

• Call all the INN and mention that you’re a presenter for the History Book Festival. Rooms in our block will not show as available to book online.

Rooms held for HBF presenters (these are per-night base rates – state and local taxes added at the time of booking – other options may be available):

• 2 Harbor View King Rooms: $250 (Fri/Sat) | $190 (Thurs/Sun)

• 6 Harbor View Queen Rooms: $210 (Fri/Sat) | $160 (Thurs/Sun)

See INN at Canal Square website for amenities.

The Beacon Inn - Family-friendly property located on the beach side of Lewes (1/4 mile to Savannah Beach, downtown & Saturday shuttles, and an approximately 15 to 20-minute walk to venues) | 514 E. Savannah Road, Lewes, DE 19958  | (302) 550-9283

Free on-site parking.

No minimum stay requirement for HBF presenters.

Booking:

• Call the inn and give code HBF26 to receive discounted rates below.

• Book online and use code HBF26 under rate options.

Rooms held for HBF presenters (these are per-night base rates – state and local taxes added at the time of booking - other options may be available):

• King (2 King Beds/2 Singles): $235 (Thurs/Fri/Sat)

• Standard (2 Queen Beds): $195 (Thurs/Fri/Sat)

• Standard (1 King Bed) - $195 (Thurs/Fri/Sat)

• Standard (2 Full Beds) - $175 (Thurs/Fri/Sat)

See Beacon Inn website for amenities.

Want to be in town but none of these are quite right? Visit the Lewes Chamber of Commerce website to explore other properties. Note that staying in or very near downtown Lewes is highly recommended, given the challenges posed by resort-area traffic.