<p>I have relatives that live in NYC, so I've been wondering about this....</p>
<p>The website says there are buses that go to NYC daily, but I'd like to know from the perspectives of Cornell students how convenient this is. After researching prices at ShortLine, I was surprised to see that it costs quite a bit for a round trip fare (~$90). Is there some kind of membership for students, and if so how much does it cost then? Do few students go to NYC on breaks/weekends? Or is car the best way to go?
I'd prefer public transport; it only it weren't so expensive..</p>
<p>I’m not a Cornell student yet, but I agonized a bit over the fares and the different bus lines in planning my visit for Cornell Days. ShortLine seems to be the cheapest during no-school-breaks, but makes a few more stops along the way. Greyhound is slightly more expensive (~$100 for a really early bus), but has more buses running each day (not sure what the difference between Greyhound and ShortLine is). Campus-to-Campus is the most expensive ($150), but the most comfortable.</p>
<p>Does anyone know about some sort of membership package that would make it more easy to travel to NYC on the weekends sometimes and during breaks?</p>
<p>Roundtrip on the Shortline on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays is about $80 (They call it the TGIF discount). I’ve taken it one-way a couple of times ($43) and it’s not too bad. If the bus is really crowded it’ll go straight to NYC (with one stop in NJ), otherwise it’ll make a few additional stops. </p>
<p>I’m not sure about discount packages. How often are you planning to go to NYC? Other than the odd weekend away and school breaks, I don’t think too many students go into the city that often. There’s enough work as it is, and there are often parties, events, and club meetings on campus.</p>
<p>^Thanks. Well I guess work-study will help me save money for occasional NYC excursions…</p>
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<p>It is around five hours between NYC and Ithaca. Gas alone will cost you $40 each way. Add in the cost of depreciation, insurance, and the cost of a car: the bus is quite cheap.</p>
<p>speaking from experience, Shortline is rather nice. They’re always on time, I have often had two seats to myself for at least part of the trip, the clientele isn’t questionable (I’m looking at you Greyhound), they don’t charge $14 in “processing fees” (again, Greyhound), and they always leave from the same gate 314 at Port Authority (<em>ahem</em>, Greyhound). $100 or so peak round trip isn’t exactly cheap for a college budget, but it’s still the cheapest method I could find.</p>