Options to get to Ithaca NY

[definitelyO]

we have a family wedding we are trying to go to in Ithaca, NY this summer (from Colorado).  we're on the fence as were just there last summer and it's not the easiest place to get to (and is not cheap).  when we went last year we were in NYC and took the train up to Syracuse.  Has anyone seen any good deals on getting to Ithaca/Syracuse?   or recommendations for another place we could stage out of and take the train up?  we really do not want to repeat our vacation from last year....

[protozoa]

I would fly into Syracuse or Rochester, rent a car, and drive to Ithaca. Way too far from NYC, IMO.

ETA: not sure about deals into Syracuse, but Rochester might be cheaper.

[Norticprincess]

Rochester, Buffalo, for more flight options

Closest Elmira/ Corning (I think Delta is the main one for that now, not US Air and United).

Eta
Random dates ~$300 from Denver with one stop in Detroit

[mdgirl]

I think US Air is the main airline for Rochester if that helps.

[Susie]

I lived in Ithaca for college, and did LOTS and LOTS of runs to the Syracuse airport to pick up and drop off friends who had to fly to get home. The drive from Syracuse to Ithaca is not bad at all, less than an hour from Cornell's campus.

Flying to Ithaca is usually not a great deal. It's expensive, the planes are tiny, the flights are occasionally harrowing, and you always have to go through at least one hub to get anywhere. PHL and EWR were the usuals. You might as well search just to see how the cost looks, but if you're renting a car anyway, you're inevitably going to do better in Syracuse.

The train sounds like kind of a nightmare to me. I take Amtrak between NYC and Albany often enough and it's long and slow, getting out to Syracuse is doubling that and you still have an hour drive. I would not be a fan.

You could also consider flying to Albany and driving to Ithaca; it is about 3 hours.  I think it was less when I did it a couple months ago.  Albany's airport is small too, but if Southwest is a good airline for you (I can't remember if you are near Denver), that might work out.

[definitelyO]

Thank you! I'll check out Albany and Rochester too!

[Deleted]

You might consider Buffalo too. Then you can do a day at Niagara Falls :-)