Hoping this post gets a few eyes this holiday weekend. We live in NJ and I’m planning to fly with my son to look at U Michigan later this summer. Given his interest in pursuing a pre-med path, we thought we might drive from Michigan to Cleveland to see Case Western, in which he’s a bit less interested, and then fly home from Cleveland. I’m finding it very difficult to find reasonably priced flights into Detroit and out of Cleveland. The cost of renting a car to drive from Ann Arbor to Cleveland probably will be high, too. Has anyone done this? It’s almost enough to make me forget flying and just do a long road trip. Or, perhaps, skipping Case. I’d love some thoughts.
Southwest Airlines flies from Newark to Detroit…and from Cleveland to Newark. About $150 for each way…maybe a tad more per person.
The rental car issue is a whole other issue. It typically costs more to drop off at one place…than another.
If you book through southwest, you could see what rental cars would cost…picking up in Detroit and dropping off on Cleveland.
Or you could drive. It’s about a ten hour drive to Cleveland from Newark. It’s about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Cleveland to Ann Arbor.
AAA discount gets you almost reasonably priced one way rentals. About $90 per day for 2 days, unlimited miles for DTW-CLE including drop off charges and unlimited miles at Hertz.
I would seriously consider driving instead. It’s about 9 hrs to Ann Arbor from Cherry Hill, plus stops, which isn’t too bad for 2 drivers. Drive on day 1, see Michigan on day 2, drive to Cleveland day 2 eve, see CWRU day 3 AM, then drive home. Otherwise when you consider total door-door travel time when flying it’s 5-6 hrs each way. Your EZ-pass works on the Ohio turnpike too.
And gas prices are the lowest they have been in the summer for years.
I will say…the drive across NY is boring.
I agree much more efficient to drive.
Current Michigan student here (from NJ) - I recomend the drive for the following reasons:
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Gets you to understand how far Michigan really is (you will likely be driving when you move in/out just because of all the stuff)
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It’s cheaper
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You get to see parts of the country you may not have otherwise seen (although I must say, driving through Ohio sucks - but that might just be the inner Wolverine in me speaking).
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In AA I would recommend BOTH driving and walking around to get a good sense of arguably the best college town in America.
Use the trip as a vacation to places you would otherwise fly over. Over the years we saw much of the country between Wisconsin and the east coast by driving instead of just flying. Of course Michigan required a different trip (there’s that lake to go around). Look at AAA books for their ideas of things to see in places along the way. Fun driving through the Appalachians et al as well. btw- at each state’s welcome center you can find those coupon books for cheap hotels. No reason to pay more than you have to for just a bed.
I still recall how a family from Boston loaded up their van and drove to Madison WI for their son’s summer UW orientation. Probably the only chance the rest of the family got to see the Midwest. Plus the son got a sense of more than just the campus- went through regions fellow students would be more familiar with. You have it easy- no Chicago (great place to visit, btw).
Ohio isn’t as boring as central IN, IL or Iowa- at least there be hills near the eastern border.
UW is better than U Michigan- we have a lake and hills!
Could you fly to Michigan, drive to Case and then drive back to Michigan to fly out?
A friend just visited Case last week with her D and has been raving about it, so I would keep it on the list!
If you are doing the Ann Arbor/Cleveland drive, Cedar Point is great place to spend a day.
When we visited Case many years ago I followed it up with a visit to my aunt in Lansing. It was much more time efficient to drive from Cleveland to Michigan although the car rental was pretty expensive.
Drive it–route 80 is not that bad and scenic. By the time you do all the connecting driving will be as fast, easier and much cheaper.
Cedar point has both an amusement park and a water park. The roller coaster selection is just awesome, some of the best in the country. If you like them it is not to be missed! It’s around an hour west of Cleveland. Weekends are crowded, but if you have an extra day it is well work the visit. Beautiful views of lake Erie from the top of the coasters!
Consider Greyhound.
We did a trip with my S from Rochester, NY to Cleveland and had a similar problem. That bus trip was the best decision ever. Very scenic, interesting for site-seeing and people-watching, not as tiring as driving or flying (in fact, not tiring at all) and 5 times cheaper than flying. I think we even didn’t loose much time compared to the flight if you account for getting to-from the airport - no need to get to the bus 2 hours in advance.
You don’t really need a car in Cleveland - there is a good public transport from the bus station to Case campus (and it’s just a couple of miles) and there is a direct train from the campus to the airport.
Driving from NJ makes the most sense to me. And driving through northern Ohio is no more boring than driving through southern Michigan. They’re both flat and unspectacular.
If I were doing it, I’d probably drive. It’s 7.5 hours from NYC to Cleveland via I-80, and 7 from Philadelphia to Cleveland via the Pennsylvania Turnpike. From Cleveland it’s 3 hours or less to Ann Arbor. Only downside is lots of trucks on both I-80 and the Turnpike, with lots of steep hills, so they tend to be slow on the uphill, and then come roaring past you on the downhill. An alternative route would be via southern Ontario, Niagara Falls and the NY Thruway, much flatter but also longer.
Alternatively I’d fly to Cleveland r/t and rent a car there to drive round-trip to Ann Arbor. Probably cheaper than open-jaw airline tickets combined with steep drop charges for returning a rental car to a different location—all to save 3 hours of driving time or less on the return drive from Ann Arbor to Cleveland.
Look at it this way: if you fly, getting from your home to your hotel in Cleveland is probably going to take 5 to 6 hours anyway, between getting to the airport, leaving time to get through security and to your gate, a couple of hours flying time, getting to your rental car, and driving to your hotel. Driving will be probably 8 to 9 hours including stops for gas and lunch. Not a huge difference. Some people can’t stand long-distance driving. I can’t stand flying these days with all the waiting time, being herded around like cattle, and cramped quarters on airplanes unless you pop for first class. I find driving much more comfortable, and for trips of this length much preferable as there’s not a huge time saving if you fly. YMMV.
About those trucks. Our experience has been fast ones in the rain, dark and steep terrain in the Pittsburgh area- stayed in the right lane as they zoomed past while keeping an eye on the barrier at the edge. We drive fast- with the flow. Worse was 65 through Indiana with slower speed limits for trucks and having faster ones going less than the car limit using the left lane. That said, driving that distance is no more time consuming nor stressful than flying these days. Plus you get to pack what you want as long a it fits in the car.
Road trip!
I would drive. For our Midwestern college tour last year we flew into Columbus, visited LACs in Ohio, then up to Cleveland (Case is wonderful and demonstrated interest is important), then Chicago, then St. Louis, then Twin Cities, and then home.
Comparatively NJ to Ann Arbor and back with stops does not seem that onerous. Audiobooks or good music will help to relieve the tedium.
Alternately, fly into Cleveland, drive out and back to Ann Arbor and fly home.
If you are still considering a one way car rental, for us Alamo was the cheapest. The surcharge for drop off elsewhere was nominal.
Enjoy!
I’ve driven that route (or close: WI or MI to NYC) dozens of times. My only concern is about the timing of your trip. If summer session is over, you’re not going to get as much of a feel for either campus with few students around and even many of the faculty on vacation. Check the academic calendar and also talk with the admissions office for their recommendations regarding timing. Figure out what you want to see at each location, and schedule meetings in particular departments or programs, if that’s appropriate.
It’s a pretty boring drive over I-80 most of the way. You may not be into roller coasters. So if you want a break you could stop at Falling Water, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural gem in Western PA. In Cleveland you could also go to Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.