Loki5

How do students travel home who live in the Northeast? Do You fly out of Greenville? How far is the campus from the airport? Is it expensive?

BobbyCT

My D is not a student (at least not yet, wish her luck) but we live in Connecticut and have traveled to Furman 3 times in the last 6 months. Greenville/Spartanburg Airport is about a 30 minute drive from Furman, and the cab fare was about $40.00. It is the closest airport, however direct flights into this airport are limited and a little more expensive. Continental does fly some direct flights from Newark. The other option is flying into Charlotte, which has a ton of direct flights from the Northeast, and the airfare is cheaper. However, it is almost 2 hours from Furman and cab fare is close to $200.00, one way. The roundtrip airfare is less expensive than the one way cab fare.

GRITS80

My daughter is a Furman student from New Jersey. We have booked her flights out of Greenville solely because of the convenience factor in getting to the airport. Continental's flights from Greenville to Newark can get rather pricey so it is important to plan ahead for reasonable fares. I believe Delta has one direct flight into LaGuardia and USAirways has several nonstops to Philadelphia but I can't speak to the affordability of these flights. Charlotte is the next best option and is the airport my husband and I always use when we go down because there are so many more flights for much less cost. I have read about a transportation company that offers shuttle service to the Charlotte airport which would be much less expensive than taking a cab.

Loki5

Thanks to both of you. Sounds as if it is a little involved to go back and forth---always something to consider when you live a distance away.

GRITS80

Loki5, you are smart to consider ease of travel, but I wouldn't consider getting back and forth to Greenville difficult. As is true for all regional airports, the flight options are more limited and prices tend to be higher so planning ahead is necessary in order to save money. The Greenville airport is only 20 minutes away and there is a transportation company that will take students from campus for $25. While making a reservation for my daughter, I learned that they run 5 shuttles/day to the Charlotte airport for $80 and will pick up on campus by request.

op2misticmom

Hi Loki5, My D is at Furman and we too are from New Jersey. We have found Continental to be the best airlines for her to commute home. Yes, it can be a bit pricey, sometimes more than $400 R/T, but the convenience of non-stop is a plus. She has tried a connecting flight from GSP to Charlotte to EWR and while the flights are cheaper, she was not confortable with the shuttle aircraft ( really small plane) from GSP to Charlotte, additionally there is generally a layover, sometimes more than 2 hours, making it a long trip for a less than 2 hr. flight. It is wise to book early. Since my D only flies home at Xmas, for us the expense is not too great. She has a car and drives home at the end of the year and drives to meet us in Florida for Thanksgiving & Easter. We generally drive to Greenville to move her in at the beginning of the school yr and for family weekend. If you have the time, the drive down 81 is quite pleasant. It is about 11 hrs. We leave at 5 AM and are there in time for dinner. Furman is a great school and if the only thing that will keep your child from going is the travel aspect, book early and enjoy the college journey. You and your child will not be disappointed! Good luck.

op2misticmom

Just a quick note, Continental has a flight from GSP to EWR right now for $238 R/T for Xmas break.