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The Cornell campus is located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of central New York, approximately 200 miles (320 km) from New York City. Note: Ithaca is NOT in New York City, and those flying into New York City have some further distance to travel; see map at right.

Visit Cornell University's Getting to Ithaca webpage for all the information you will need to get to Ithaca by plane, car, or bus. Please refer to this link to assist you in your travel plans. It contains travel directions and maps as well as information about public transportation. However we also make some suggestions below.

Travel Commentary by John Abel, modified by Peter Davies

One of the charms about Ithaca is that it is "centrally isolated," but this sometimes complicates travel arrangements.

By air directly into Ithaca [blue lines on map]

As far as air travel is concerned, the Ithaca Airport (ITH), which is only minutes from campus and downtown, is served by three airlines, sometimes flying rather smallish planes on the Ithaca routes -- USAirways/America West (member of the Star Alliance with Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, United, etc.), Northwest, and Continental(member of Skyteam with KLM, Air France, Continental, etc.).

USAirways has service between Ithaca and both Philadelphia (PHL) and LaGuardia (LGA), which is just to the east of New York City. International travelers, particularly from Europe should arrange to fly via PHL because one need not change airports. US Airways has numerous flights between European cities and Philadelphia. International travelers arriving at New York City's JFK airport will need to transfer from NYC JFK to LaGuardia airport, which is not always quick and easy, and therefore not recommended.

Northwest has service between ITH and Detroit (DTW), but only three per day each way. But it is a clean transfer and best for traveling from the far east or from Amsterdam by KLM.

Continental connects only with Newark, but this is an appropriate gateway for some international airlines.

An excellent way of finding economical fares to Ithaca is to go to the Fly Ithaca website and enter your originating city and Ithaca and click.

The Ithaca Airline Limousine Service, phone (607) 273-3030 (or toll-free: 1-800-273-9197), can provide transport to the north campus halls of residence for about $18. A taxi ride from the airport to the north campus halls of residence costs about $16 + $2 per suitcase: Contact Ithaca Dispatch, phone (607) 277-7777. Both Statler and Courtyard hotels provide courtesy transport; please contact the hotels directly.

By air into Syracuse [red lines on map]

The favored nearby city with more airlines and more frequent service is Syracuse, NY (SYR). It has 7 major airlines, and is about 75 minutes from Ithaca by rental car. International travelers can connect conveniently to Syracuse via several major airports, but for transiting through NYC I would advise preferring Newark (EWR) to JFK. DET is still one of the best for connections from the far east.

Car rentals are available at Syracuse Airport. You can also book a ride with one of the two airport limousine services. The Ithaca Airline Limousine Service, phone (607) 273-3030 (or toll-free: 1-800-273-9197), offers regularly scheduled trips throughout the day at approximately 2.5 hr intervals, cost is $80 one way or $110 round trip. They require 48 hr advance notice, and they will add more vehicles if many people reserve. Their last evening trip leaves Syracuse at 10:00 pm on Saturdays. Ithaca Dispatch, phone (607) 277-7777 (or toll-free: 1-888-321-1149), is a local taxi service that can also send larger vehicles to Syracuse Airport. The cost is $145 one way for the first one or two people, additional $20 per person up to 7 passengers total if luggage is minimal, so the minimum cost if shared among 7 people is $32. They require a one-day advance reservation; service can be obtained any time day or night.

By bus from NYC [green lines on map]

International travelers may find it most economical to fly into NYC and take a bus to Ithaca (green lines on map). The drive from NYC to Ithaca takes approximately 4.5 hours. The nicest way to travel from New York City to Ithaca is by the Cornell luxury bus. This bus runs only twice a day and advanced reservation is required. See the Campus to Campus bus website for more information and to make reservations. The bus has free refreshments and Wi-Fi access. The bus departs from 6 East 44th Street in Manhattan, and in Ithaca stops at both the Statler hotel and the North campus residence hall area The cost is $75 each way.

Short Line Bus Company offers direct trips every 2 hours from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, 42nd St and 8th Ave in downtown Manhattan, directly to the Cornell campus and on to the downtown Ithaca bus terminal. There are frequent shuttle trips from all of the New York area airports to the Port Authority Bus terminal.. The first bus stop, upon reaching the Ithaca area is the North Campus area. The round-trip cost is approximately $100-120. Tickets can be purchased online at the Shortline Bus website or at the terminal. Do not use Greyhound Bus service from New York City, it is both more expensive and a very long trip with several stops and transfers.

By car [green lines on map]

For driving directions to Cornell from all points, see the Getting to Ithaca website. There are visitor information booths at all of the main entrances to Cornell University, where directions and campus maps may be obtained. If you plan on driving to Ithaca (green lines on map), you will need to purchase a parking permit to park at the residence hall area. The cost is $15.

Finally, forget the possibility of train travel to Ithaca -- it's not possible.

Visas

Some international visitors will need a visa to visit the United States. Determine whether you will need a visa and if so how to get it.