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home | life in ann arbor | travel | travel in north america Travel in North AmericaTrip PlanningU-M International Center, Overseas Opportunities OfficeThe Overseas Opportunities Office has information about traveling on your own as inexpensively as possible, places to visit, transportation, lodging, and student tours in the U.S. and Canada. International Student/Teacher/Youth identification cards and International Youth Hostels membership cards are available, as well as a list of embassies and consulates in the U.S. Call 734.647.2259 or 734.647.2299. U-M International Center Main OfficeThe main office has Canadian visa application forms and instructions; there is a charge for a Canadian visa. If you plan to visit Canada more than once, a multiple entry visa will save you money. If you are an international student and plan to return to the States after your trip, be sure to see an International Student/Scholar Advisor about your U.S. visa before you leave. Call 734.764.9310. University of Michigan Map LibraryThe Map library is located in the Graduate Library, Room 825. Call 734.764.0407. They have free state highway maps for the 50 states as well as maps of many cities across the U.S. that can be photocopied. The Ann Arbor District LibraryThe Ann Arbor District Library has an extensive collection of current travel guides, which can be checked out. Since libraries on campus do not collect a lot of these materials, students should keep this resource in mind. To get a borrower card at the Public Library, you just have to give them proof of Ann Arbor residency (such as an envelope with your name and local address on it). They have all the most popular guides, such as Fodor's, Let's Go, Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, etc., for all regions of this country. State and National Tourist OfficesThese offices have free brochures and maps for travel within each state or country and the telephone numbers are available in the Overseas Opportunities Office. Some cities also maintain their own Convention and Visitors Bureau with information about the city and local events.
Local Travel AgenciesTravel agencies sell or provide information on airline tickets, student tours, train passes, car rental, and hotel reservations. For bus travel or for individual train tickets, see Greyhound and Amtrak information below. There is no cost to visit or call a travel agency but there may be a fee if the agency makes a booking for you. There are several travel agencies in Ann Arbor that offer special airfare discounts from time to time. Here are a few of them:
Local ToursThe North Campus Recreation Building (NCRB) sometimes sponsors trips within Michigan or other nearby states. For more information, call the Outdoor Recreation Center at 734.764.3967 (limited hours) or the general information number for the NCRB at 734.763.4560. The Outdoor Recreation Center also offers camping and sports equipment rentals to students at very reasonable rates. The InternetYou can access travel information on the World Wide Web. See our Resources page for links to some useful travel sites. For information on individual cities, check out Travel Excite which links you to information for cities all over the world. Maps are also available from MapQuest. American Automobile Association known as “Triple A” or AAA) Once a membership fee is paid, members receive emergency road service, free Travelers Checks, discounts on car rentals or admission tickets to local amusement parks, free tour books and city, state or country maps, as well as other useful information. AAA will also plan the best route for any automobile trip in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. If you are good at doing your own planning, you may not need to join AAA. AAA Worldwide Travel Service is located at: TransportationThis section contains information on several major modes of transportation: Train Travel, Bus Travel, and Airlines, and Car Travel. Train TravelAmtrakAmtrak offers train service to most major cities in the United States. The Amtrak Station in Ann Arbor is located at 325 Depot St and can be reached by telephone at 734.994.4906. For routes and schedules, please visit www.amtrak.com. VIA Rail CanadaVIA Rail Canada offers train service in Canada only. For routes and schedules, please visit www.viarail.com. Bus TravelGreyhound Bus LinesGreyhound offers cross-country bus service as well as service between cities within Michigan. The bus station in Ann Arbor is located at 116 W. Huron St. between Main and Ashley Streets and can be reached by telephone at 734.662.5511. For routes and schedules, please visit www.greyhound.com. Green TortoiseSlow but sure is the rule of thumb here. This company offers long leisurely trips through the U.S. national parks, Alaska, the west coast of the U.S., Mexico and several Central American countries as well as elsewhere in the U.S. Participants work together to set an itinerary, cook meals, etc. Past participants have occasionally reported mechanical problems with the buses, so make sure you are not in a hurry if you sign up! For routes and schedules, please visit www.greentortoise.com. Greyhound of CanadaThis bus company is independent of Greyhound USA. Tickets and bus passes for Greyhound of Canada cannot be bought or used in the USA! They can only be purchased at the Greyhound Canada station IN CANADA. For routes and schedules, please visit www.greyhound.ca. AirlinesPrices and schedules change so quickly in the airline industry that the best idea is to call several airline companies or travel agencies or check out their websites every time you want to take a trip to see what special offers they have. Be sure to ask about frequent flier programs; most airlines will give you a free ticket after you have used that airline a certain number of times. A few on-line travel sites are provided below: For information on airlines and flights to and from Detroit Metro Airport please visit: www.metroairport.com/airlines Shuttles to Detroit Metro Airport Airport taxis and shuttles make it easy to get from your home to the Detroit Metro Airport. Please visit the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau for a list of companies. The Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) also offers airport shuttle service before and after Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Breaks. Please visit the MSA website to learn more about this service. Car TravelThere are many different companies that rent cars, and they often run special offers. Look in the yellow pages of the telephone book under "Automobile Renting & Leasing" to find the names of companies, or ask a travel agent to help you. You must have a valid U.S. driver's license or an International Driver's License to rent a car. If you already have automobile insurance, please check with your insurance agent regarding whether or how your policy covers you in a rental car. Insurance is also available from the rental car company. Please check with the rental car agent for details. U-M Campus Information Centers maintains a list of car rental companies in the area. Auto DriveawayWhen a family moves a long distance away, they often fly to their new home and look for someone to drive the family car there. Driveaway companies provide drivers to transport these cars. You can work for such a company; you will not be paid, but you will have free transportation while you drive someone else's car. For information please visit www.autodriveaway.com or call 800.346.2277. Ride BoardThe RideBoard is a system of exchange between drivers and riders in the University community. An individual looking for a ride locally or nationwide can leave contact information at the RideBoard and search for available rides posted by drivers. You can access the on-line Ride Board or visit the original RideBoard in the basement of the Michigan Union. If you wish to ride with one of these people, you should offer to help pay for gasoline and share the driving (if you can drive). Talk with the car owner before you agree to ride together, just to be sure that he or she is a trustworthy person. AccommodationsIn general, hotels are the most expensive places to stay in North America. Motels are somewhat less expensive. Please refer to resources on this page for hotel and motel information or check the telephone book yellow pages. For alternatives to hotels and motels you may consider:
Further ReadingPlease also see the Resources page on this site for more travel information. Local book stores typically have a travel section. Last reviewed: 5/08 |