Liberty and Longwood in 2 Days: A Central Virginia College Road Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing Liberty University and Longwood University in two days: how each visit works, where to park, four hotels from budget to upscale, the drive from Lynchburg to Farmville, sibling stops and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 29, 2026.
The south half of Liberty University's campus seen from above (Apr 2024). Photo: Northern-Virginia-Photographer · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) · Longwood University (Farmville, VA)
Days
2 days: Liberty on day 1, then about 1 hr 7 min to Farmville; Longwood on day 2. Arrive in Lynchburg the evening before.
Fly into
Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH), about 16 minutes from downtown Lynchburg and about 6 minutes from Liberty's welcome center with no traffic. Longwood to LYH is about 1 hr 8 min, so you can fly home from LYH too.
Best base
The Virginian in downtown Lynchburg for night 1, about 11 minutes by car from Liberty; Hotel Weyanoke, across High Street from Longwood, for night 2.
Car or transit
Rent a car: Liberty to Longwood is about 50 miles.
Registration
Book a TourLU visit at Liberty and a Longwood First Look online. Both schools ask you to register ahead.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare two very different central Virginia campuses in one short trip: Liberty University, a large private university in Lynchburg, and Longwood University, a public university in the small town of Farmville.
At Liberty, TourLU guests follow event signs on arrival to parking and check-in; at Longwood, the Admissions Office is in Radcliff Hall at 214 St. George Street, with a visitor lot next to the building.
Why this order
Day 1: Liberty's TourLU is a student-led tour, part driving and part walking, that ends with a presentation and an optional one-on-one admissions session.
Day 2: Longwood First Look is a 90-minute interactive information session and campus tour covering admissions, financial aid, academic majors and campus life.
Plan ahead: registration and timing
Liberty: TourLU isn't offered on ExperienceLU days, College For A Weekend event days or home football game days, so check the calendar before you book flights.
Liberty: Convocation is held on Wednesdays and Fridays during the academic year. If you book a morning tour on a Convocation day, bring a valid state-issued ID; the TourLU page has the details.
Liberty: to add an academic appointment or class visit, contact the Visitors Center at least 5 business days before your visit.
Longwood: First Look runs on campus and virtually. Register on Longwood's events calendar, where you can also find Academic Immersion Days and fall open houses.
Tour availability varies by season.
Liberty's tour is part driving and part walking, so Liberty recommends comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing.
If an in-person date doesn't work, Longwood also offers First Look virtually, and Liberty has a virtual campus tour.
2. The suggested 2-day drive
Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Leave extra time for traffic on U.S. 460 and U.S. 29 around Lynchburg.
Arrival evening: fly into Lynchburg (LYH)
Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH) → The Virginian (712 Church St.)
Driving (no traffic)
~16 min, 9.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car
Expedia lists valet parking for a fee at The Virginian, so plan for that with your rental car.
Amazement Square, a hands-on children's museum, is about a 6-minute walk from The Virginian.
Day 1: Liberty University, then drive to Farmville
The Virginian → Hancock Welcome Center, Liberty University (GPS: 1971 University Blvd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~11 min, 5.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car
Liberty University → Hotel Weyanoke (202 High St., Farmville)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 7 min, 50.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car
Liberty asks visitors to use 1971 University Boulevard in their GPS and to complete a digital visitor parking pass on the day of the visit. On arrival, TourLU guests follow event signs to the right parking and check-in area.
After TourLU and a meeting with Admissions, prospective students get a complimentary meal at the Reber-Thomas Dining Center on the day of the visit. Family members and other guests can join and pay at the door.
Longwood's directions from Lynchburg follow U.S. 460 East to Farmville.
Day 2: Longwood University, then fly home
Hotel Weyanoke → Radcliff Hall, Longwood University (214 St. George St.)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 min, 0.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
~4 min walk, 0.2 mi
Longwood University → Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 8 min, 52.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving and walking
Rental car
Longwood's Admissions Office is in Radcliff Hall, and parking is available in the visitor lot next to the building.
Prefer a bigger airport? Richmond International (RIC) is about 1 hr 44 min from Longwood with no traffic; book a one-way rental car if you fly home from there.
3. Campus by campus
The south half of Liberty University's campus seen from above (Apr 2024). Photo: Northern-Virginia-Photographer · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
TourLU is student-led and part driving, part walking. Stops include academic buildings, recreation facilities, the dining hall and the Jerry Falwell Library.
The tour ends with a presentation and the option of a one-on-one admissions session, where your student can get individual guidance and complete an application.
Liberty also runs ExperienceLU and College For A Weekend events for prospective students; TourLU isn't offered on those days or on home football game days.
Visitor parking
Use 1971 University Boulevard in your GPS and complete Liberty's digital visitor parking pass on the day of your visit. TourLU guests follow event signs on arrival to the right parking and check-in area.
The Hancock Welcome Center is the next building past the football stadium as you enter campus from University Boulevard and Candler's Mountain Road.
Getting there
The Hancock Welcome Center is about 11 minutes by car from The Virginian and about 6 minutes from LYH, with no traffic.
What to know
Want to meet with a specific college or sit in on a class? Contact the Visitors Center at least 5 business days ahead.
The Liberty photo in this guide is an aerial view of the south half of campus.
Contact
Liberty Visitors Center: (434) 582-2064, VisitorsCenter@Liberty.edu.
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Longwood First Look is a 90-minute interactive information session and campus tour covering the admissions process, financial aid, academic majors and campus life.
Longwood also offers Academic Immersion Days and fall open houses, and families can sign up for as many visit events as they like.
Visitor parking
The Admissions Office is in Radcliff Hall at 214 St. George Street, Farmville, with parking in the visitor lot next to the building.
Getting there
Radcliff Hall is about a 4-minute walk from Hotel Weyanoke and about 4 minutes by car from the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Farmville, with no traffic.
What to know
Need special accommodations, such as braille or enlarged materials or a sign language interpreter? Longwood asks you to let admissions know ahead of your visit.
The Longwood photo in this guide shows Ruffner Hall.
Contact
Longwood admissions: 434.395.2060, text (434) 542-6073, admissions@longwood.edu.
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
4. Where to stay: one night in Lynchburg, one in Farmville
Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Hotel · Our pickUpscale
The Virginian Lynchburg, Curio Collection by Hilton
712 Church St., Lynchburg, VA
Why here
On Liberty's lodging list, in downtown Lynchburg about 11 minutes by car from Liberty's Hancock Welcome Center and about 16 minutes from LYH, with no traffic. Amazement Square is about a 6-minute walk away.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists 115 rooms, three restaurants, breakfast and valet parking for a fee, EV charging, no pets and a minimum check-in age of 18. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
On Liberty's lodging list, in downtown Lynchburg about 10 minutes by car from Liberty's Hancock Welcome Center and about 15 minutes from LYH, with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3.5-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists two on-site restaurants, continental breakfast and self-parking for a fee, pets allowed for a fee and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
Our night-2 base: Longwood's directions page describes it as directly across from campus, and Radcliff Hall is about a 4-minute walk away. It's about 1 hr 7 min by car from Liberty with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3.5-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists 70 rooms, free self-parking, a coffee shop, two bars, three restaurants, a buffet breakfast for a fee, pets allowed for a fee and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
About 4 minutes by car from Longwood's Radcliff Hall and about 1 hr 10 min from Liberty, with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists 98 rooms, a free breakfast buffet, an indoor pool, self-parking for a fee, no pets and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
Spend night 1 in downtown Lynchburg and night 2 in Farmville, so the hour-long drive happens after your Liberty visit instead of before a Longwood visit. Hotel Weyanoke puts you a short walk from Longwood's Admissions Office.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
Lunch or dinner at Liberty
After TourLU and a meeting with Admissions, prospective students get a complimentary meal at the Reber-Thomas Dining Center that day; family members can join and pay at the door.
Dinner in Farmville
Expedia lists three restaurants, two bars and a coffee shop at Hotel Weyanoke, across High Street from Longwood, so you can eat without moving the car.
6. Things for siblings along the route
With siblings
Amazement Square
27 9th St., Lynchburg, VA
A hands-on children's museum in downtown Lynchburg, about a 6-minute walk from The Virginian. Adults need a paid or registered child to visit, and nearby parking is run by the city and the railroad. Check its site for hours and tickets.
A civil rights museum about 3 minutes by car from Hotel Weyanoke. Admission is free for the general public; on-site parking is limited, with overflow parking across the street at the Southgate Shopping Center.
Check the Liberty and Longwood athletics calendars for a home game on your dates. Remember that TourLU isn't offered on Liberty home football game days.
At Liberty, complete the digital visitor parking pass on the day of your visit and follow the event signs to TourLU parking.
At Longwood, park in the visitor lot next to Radcliff Hall, 214 St. George Street.
Liberty to Longwood is about 50 miles, roughly 1 hr 7 min by car with no traffic.
Flying in and out
Fly round trip through Lynchburg (LYH): Longwood to LYH is about 1 hr 8 min by car with no traffic. Richmond International (RIC) is about 1 hr 44 min from Longwood if you'd rather fly out of a larger airport on a one-way rental.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Lynchburg Regional Airport)
Spring: April averages about 69°F highs and 44°F lows, with about 3.5 inches of rain.
Summer: July is the warmest and wettest month, averaging about 87°F/65°F with about 4.2 inches of rain, so bring water and sun protection.
Fall: September averages about 79°F/57°F with about 4.0 inches of rain; October cools to about 69°F/45°F, with about 3.1 inches.
Winter: January averages about 46°F/26°F, with about 3.5 inches of rain and about 3.5 inches of snow.
Parent checklist
Book a Liberty TourLU visit for day 1 and a Longwood First Look for day 2, avoiding Liberty event days and home football game days.
If your Liberty tour is a morning tour on a Wednesday or Friday during the academic year, bring a valid state-issued ID.
Complete Liberty's digital visitor parking pass on the morning of your visit.
Book a rental car, one night in Lynchburg and one in Farmville.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
2 Division I
Athletics
Liberty University
NCAA Division I Conference USA
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (Liberty University and Longwood University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
Expedia listing: The Virginian Lynchburg, Curio Collection by Hilton (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Lynchburg-Hotels-The-Virginian-Lynchburg-Curio-Collection.h18816049.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Craddock Terry Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Lynchburg-Hotels-Craddock-Terry-Hotel-And-Event-Center.h1652863.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Hotel Weyanoke (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Farmville-Hotels-Hotel-Weyanoke.h23486875.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Farmville (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Farmville-Hotels-Holiday-Inn-Express-Suites-Farmville.h20009551.Hotel-Information)
