RE: Missouri University of Science & Technology
Transportation Shuttle & US Arrival Suggestions
Congratulations on
your admission to the Missouri
University of Science
& Technology (Missouri S&T)!
Our entire staff looks forward to
greeting you on our campus. The Office of International Affairs in
coordination with the International Student Club and the India Association here
at the Missouri University
of Science & Technology would like to provide all new international students
a transportation option upon your arrival to St. Louis, Missouri.
Shuttle Service from Airport to Missouri
S&T
The local shuttle
company, USA Express, can provide you transportation from Lambert
International Airport
(airport code STL) in St. Louis, Missouri to the Missouri
University of Science & Technology
in Rolla, Missouri.
Their vans run approximately every two hours between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.,
as long as they have a paid reservation to pick up or drop off at the
airport. The Office of International Affairs has negotiated a reduced
shuttle rate for our newly arriving students, and will partially subsidize the
shuttle fee for students arriving in the two weeks prior to orientation;
Saturday, July 26, 2008 and Monday, August 11, 2008.
The student’s
cost for the shuttle is $35.00 USD per person. If you have more than two
standard-size suitcases and one carry-on or any of your bags are oversized,
there is a charge of $20.00 per additional or oversized bag. (See our
later section on suitcase / baggage restrictions.) You will need to
identify yourself as a “New Missouri S&T International
Student,” and pay the driver at the time of your pick up at the
airport. USA Express accepts USD currency (cash) as well as MasterCard,
Visa, Discover and American Express credit cards. (These are the only
credit cards they can take at this time.)
If you have further
questions for the shuttle company, you may call* them at 573-368-4656 or email
them at
.
(* USA Express has one operator
who manages their 24-hour phone. Please try to place your calls to USA Express between the hours of 8 am and 10 pm
US Central Daylight Savings Time {approximately 6:30 pm and 8:30 am in India}.)
As you arrange your
flight to the United States,
please try to schedule your arrival in St.
Louis for no later than 9:30 p.m. This will
allow you enough time to deplane, collect your baggage and catch the last
scheduled shuttle (10:00 p.m.). If you arrive after 9:30 p.m. you will
have two options:
♣ You may schedule a special pick-up
for after 10:00 p.m. by calling USA Express directly at 573-368-4656. The
cost of a special pick-up is $147 USD. This must be reserved at a minimum
of 48 hours in advance of your arrival in St.
Louis.
♣You may wait in St. Louis until the next day to catch the
shuttle to Rolla. Please see the hotel options below if you have to stay
in St. Louis
overnight. The airport security prefers that students find a safe place
to stay, rather than sleeping in the airport.
To welcome you, we
have student Ambassadors meeting our newly arriving students at the
airport. The Ambassadors will be available from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00
p.m. and wearing a light mustard yellow t-shirt
with the Missouri S&T and Joe Miner logos in dark green. You
can find the Ambassadors at the Welcome Table in a section of the airport
called the “Meeting Place,”
which is located in the Main Terminal, Lower Level, across from baggage
carousel M1. The “Meeting
Place” is now Wi-Fi!
♣Before you leave
your home country - To help us coordinate our shuttle
and our student Ambassadors, a minimum of two days prior to your departure,
please email the India Association via Vachaspathy Kuntamukkala at
. We ask that you give him
your full, complete name (Family Name, Given Name); your Missouri S&T ID
number (on your admission letter); your flight arrival information (day, date,
airline, flight number, arrival time, and connection city prior to St. Louis);
the number of suitcases, bags, and carry-on bags you’ll have; and whether
or not you need a temporary place to stay in Rolla. The India Association
has been most helpful in finding places for new students to live until they
find their own housing. This assistance is available to all new International
students. You do not need to be from India to take advantage of this
service.
♣After you arrive in
the St. Louis
airport - Please call USA Express to check-in with their
dispatcher. You will need to provide your Full Name (Family, Given); your
Missouri S&T ID number; and request the New International Student standby
rate.
Another Transportation Option
Greyhound Bus Lines
does have service from the St. Louis
airport to Rolla. If you choose to make other transportation arrangements
with Greyhound, please confirm before purchasing a ticket that you are
traveling on a direct route from St.
Louis to Rolla. You will also need to email the
India Association that you will be arriving on Greyhound so someone can meet
you in Rolla as it will drop you off at the local McDonald’s restaurant.
Greyhound Bus
Lines:
Telephone
toll free: 1-800-231-2222
Telephone
toll number: 573-364-2348 (Rolla)
Website:
http://www.greyhound.com
(to check rates, the departure location is St. Louis Lambert Field)
Currency Travel Tip
Do
not forget to bring at least $100 to $200 USD in small cash denominations or
traveler’s checks with you. Sometimes you need U.S. money before you reach a
currency exchange center for miscellaneous expenses that may occur during your
trip here (i.e., layovers, food, hotel rooms, etc.). For other important
travel tips to the U.S.A.,
please visit Education USA: http://educationusa.state.gov/predeparture/travel/plan.htm
Suitcase / Baggage Restrictions
♣Airlines in the United States
◊Please be aware that many U.S.
carriers are now charging passengers for their checked baggage. You
should review the U.S.
portion of your trip and then refer to that airline’s web site for any
notes, updates, etc. about this relatively new practice. The web site
should also be able to tell you what size and weight are considered acceptable
for standard suitcases and baggage.
♣USA Express (shuttle)
◊Suitcases must weigh less than 50
pounds and may be no larger than 26 inches high, 19 inches wide, and 10 inches
thick. Carry-on bags must be able to fit comfortable on a
passenger’s lap, if necessary. USA Express drivers carry a scale
and tape measure and may measure baggage. If a suitcase or carry-on bag
does not fit the stated criteria, the student will be charged an extra fee.
◊If USA Express is not informed of
extra baggage there may not be available space for it in the shuttle.
Neither the Office of International Affairs nor USA Express is responsible for
baggage that will not fit into the van, if either the Office of International
Affairs or USA Express was not informed of the number and type of additional or
oversized baggage.
◊Boxes, trunks, and similar packing
items are not considered suitcases or carry-ons, but are considered baggage.
Hotels in St. Louis
and Rolla
If you are in need of
temporary hotel options close to the airport in St. Louis or upon your arrival in Rolla, here
are a few suggestions for you:
St. Louis, Missouri
♣Days Inn at the Airport
4545 Woodson Road
Telephone:
314-423-6770
Toll
Free: 1-800-329-7466
♣St. Louis Travelodge
9645 Natural Bridge Road
Telephone:
314-890-9000
Toll
Free: 800-578-7878
♣St. Louis Airport Hotel
10232 Natural Bridge Road
Telephone:
314-427-5955
(tell them you’re a new Missouri S&T student & show your
admission letter)
♣Drury Inn
10490 Natural Bridge Road
Telephone:
314-423-7700
Toll
Free: 1-800-278-7946
♣Peartree Inn
10810 Peartree Lane
Toll
Free Telephone: 1-800-378-7946
Rolla, Missouri
(tell them you’re a new Missouri
S&T student & show your admission letter)
♣Quality Inn
1507 Martin Springs Drive
Telephone:
573-364-8200
♣Best Western
Coachlight
1403 Martin Springs Drive
Telephone:
573-341-2511
♣Budget Deluxe Inn
1908 N. Bishop Avenue
Telephone:
573-364-4488
♣Sooter Inn
2001
North Bishop
Telephone:
573-364-1333
♣Drury Inn
2006 North Bishop Avenue
Telephone:
573-364-4000
Toll
Free: 1-800-378-7946
(ask
for “Cheers” rate)
Transportation Within Rolla
Taxi
Companies
♣ABC Taxi 573-341-3100
♣American Cab 573-364-6021
♣City Cab 573-341-3733
Checking In With Missouri
S&T International Affairs
If you arrive in
Rolla before August 9th, please come visit us in our office, 104 Norwood Hall, to
check-in. You should bring your passport, I-20 / DS-2019 and your I-94
card (you’ll receive this on the plane entering the US or at the airport after you
land). If you arrive in Rolla on or after August 9th, please
bring these same documents with you to the Orientation on Tuesday, August 12th.
Best regards and
safe travels. We look forward to seeing you at our Fall Semester Orientation
on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 8:00 a.m.
New Students
