Plane Travel to and from HVC

Please contact us before making any reservations.
• Be informed about airline policies regarding unaccompanied minors and overweight luggage.
• Our counselors will meet children at the gate at the airports.
• We keep passports, etc. in safe-keeping.
• Some arrivals and departures can be coordinated with other families.
• Please read on, as there are many details to consider.

Campers await the arrival of their cabin-mates in front of the Kassens' farmhouse.

Timing of Flights and Choosing a Destination

Please read this section very carefully and note that there will be extra charges (see section below) for airport trips outside of the recommended arrival/departure windows noted here.

Portland, Maine:

  • Flight arrival at Portland Jetport must be timed between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the first day of camp, Sunday (6/23 & 7/21, 2024). Saturday evening is OK as well.
  • Flight departure from the Portland Jetport is best if timed between 9 a.m. and 1p.m. on the last day of camp, Thursday (7/18 & 8/15, 2024)
  • Cost for one-way Portland trip: $50.00.

West Coast families: We suggest you arrive in Portland on Saturday evening (6/22 & 7/20, 2023). Please arrange to have your camper arrive in Portland by 9 p.m. Boston also possible (see below) but not preferred as there is a much longer drive to HVC after airport arrival.

Boston, MA: For international campers. Note that we will pick up and drop off a small number of Americans at Boston's Logan airport, if absolutely necessary. Extra charges will apply.

  • Please arrive in Boston on the Saturday afternoon prior to the first day of camp prior to 5 PM. There is no Sunday pick-up in Boston
  • Trip home: Departure on last day of camp (Thursdays, as noted above) must be after 2 p.m. to allow for travel from Maine and check-in.
  • Cost for one-way Logan trip: $100.00.

Travel not associated with the beginning or end of HVC's regular 4-week sessions: Significant extra costs are associated with "custom travel." Please contact [email protected].

Please send us a detailed itinerary so that we have full information for children's flights both to and from camp. We expect to receive your transportation form by March 1st. Thank you!

Airport Transfer Info

If you schedule as requested, minimal transfer fees are charged (Portland - $50; Boston - $100.)
If you reserve at any other times, extra transfer charges will apply:

  • Portland flights on days/times other than noted: $300.00
  • Boston flights at times/days other than noted: $900.00. Our trusted local van service will make these trips. Drivers - not camp staff - will take children to the gate.

Airport Pickup

Portland's Jetport accommodates all aircrafts, but is small enough that we can easily meet all flights. Our counselor groups spend the day at the airport greeting campers at the gates; we can obtain gate passes. We pick up luggage, offer snacks to all, and then travel to camp in large touring buses or our modern vans. Meanwhile, back at Hidden Valley, our office staff will call you at home as soon as we hear from the airport that campers have disembarked (about 30-45 minutes after touchdown.)

Departing Camp

Note that staff remain in the airport until all flights have departed. Upon takeoff, our office staff are notified and you will receive a call from HVC. Do not be alarmed if this takes a while, as calls take time and actual departure rarely takes place at the exact time predicted.

For Parents Who Do Not Drive

If you intend to fly into Maine and need to then make a trip to camp to pick up or drop off your child, please consult this list of Portland Jetport car services. Hidden Valley cannot transport families. Ask services if they can take you to Montville - just inland from Belfast in Waldo County. Physical address is 161 Hidden Valley Rd, Montville, Maine.

Important Details

To assist our office, please provide travel details via your Online Camp Account. Please complete a Transportation Form to provide itineraries, etc. by March 1st.

Unaccompanied Minors: Some campers will fly to/from Maine in this manner. Please note:

  • Make sure that we have all the necessary paperwork in this regard.
  • Please pay required fees for this (round trip if necessary) as soon as possible.

Chaperones' ID's:

  • Shortly before camper arrival, we'll send an email confirming the name and driver's license number of the HVC staff member meeting your child. Due to our staffing schedules, we will not know exact personnel until 2 days prior to arrival.
  • If you need a placeholder name prior to the summer, use this: Peter Kassen - 161 Hidden Valley Rd - Freedom ME 04941

Luggage and Carry-on:

  • Please consult with your airline with regard to weight limits.
  • Consider shipping luggage to/from camp. (We recommendUPS.)
  • All overweight charges are the advance responsibility of parents.
  • Remember, campers cannot carry sharp or heavy objects (pocket knives, guitars, etc.) on board.

Arrival: All children will be met at the gate upon arrival. Portland's airport has only one terminal so our staff-members can easily meet all flights. Campers and staff then travel together from the airport to camp in a chartered touring bus or our new vans... Arrangements in Boston are similar and "gate passes" are made available to staff allowing us to meet within the terminal.

Arrival Confirmation: Upon arrival, our office staff will be notified and you'll receive a call. If a call does not come right away, do not be alarmed. Even a short delay - along with the expected runway and unloading time - means that we will not have your child in hand until well after the scheduled arrival time.

Arrival at HVC: Upon arrival, our counseling staff helps move luggage. Campers are introduced to their cabin counselors who help them unpack, settle in to their cabins, etc. Dinner, a counselor show, and good-nights round out the days events, with camp tours and other introductory activities taking place the following day.