I am sending my D to audition for the music program at Ithaca. I need advice on how to help her get from airport to hotel and to restaurants on her own. Everywhere else she is traveling has Uber or Lyft. Does anyone have experience trying to get around Ithaca using taxi services/shuttles? She has to be there for two nights.
I don’t know the best way to manage transportation in Ithaca, but have you tried asking in the music majors forum? Very friendly, helpful group of folks there.
Ithaca is not that easy to get to. I checked the Ithaca College website for travel info, and couldn’t find anything helpful. I’m sure if you called admissions, you could get help. However, I checked the Cornell website and came across this travel info.
I would book a hotel now. We have visited Ithaca a few times for various events, and sometimes it’s hard to get a room depending on timing. There are plenty of hotels in Ithaca. They just seem to book up.
And yes, ask the friendly folks on the music page.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/
Good luck to her! Exciting times.
Thanks! I will post the question on the music major page, and thank you so much for trying to help!
Your kid could take a taxi from the airport to Ithaca college. My kid went to Cornell. She used taxi quite a bit. The hotel that’s closest to Ithaca college is Country Inn & Suites by Carlson. I am sure they would provide shuttle to the college.
https://www.expedia.com/Ithaca-Hotels-Country-Inn-Suites-By-Carlson-Of-Ithaca.h1882935.Hotel-Information?chkin=02%2F11%2F2017&chkout=02%2F12%2F2017&rm1=a2&hwrqCacheKey=92a8959f-8690-4887-aee3-49edaa903866HWRQ1484407973942&c=4db93a63-1e36-48e6-8319-0b64bd0980ce&&exp_dp=163.2&exp_ts=1484407973681&exp_curr=USD&exp_pg=HSR
She can also stay downtown Ithaca (Hilton, Ithaca Hotel, Holiday Inn Express), and many of those hotels provide free shuttles to Cornell and Ithaca.
I she is going to be there for 2 nights, I would suggest downtown Ithaca (Common) because she could get to restaurants easier.
Yes the music forum is very good 
Transport within Ithaca is no problem. You call Ithaca Dispatch for a taxi: http://www.ithacataxi.biz/
There are also buses, but it might be a challenge to figure them out in time: https://www.tcatbus.com/
If I were staying there, I would want to stay at the Ramada Inn because it’s next to the mall – which has a decent food court. It’s quite far from Ithaca College by Ithaca standards, but Ithaca standards are based on the fact that it’s a very small community. The distance is actually only 6 miles.
If she’s going alone, make sure the hotel will accept her as a guest despite her age. You don’t want them turning her away when she tries to check in and they see the age on her driver’s license.
This student is going to Ithaca for an audition…without a car or parent with them. I would suggest this student stay as close to the Ithaca campus as possible so that getting to the school is NOT an issue. In terms of food, when my kid was at colleges for auditions, he was able to get food at the dining halls…or one of the snack places on campus. Perhaps someone on the music forum knows which hotels,would,fit this need. Some might include a continental breakfast as well.
On the pricy side but fabulous place to stay. Would feel very comfortable that they would help with whatever your daughter needed in terms of logistics. Located downtown near Moosewood rest etc. Loved staying there (and I’m from Ithaca originally)!
I have reserved a room for D1 at the Hotel Ithaca when D1 was 18 because of impending snow storm. We dropped her off at the hotel and we went home. She took a hotel shuttle to her dorm room next day, and the shuttle was free.
I would strongly suggest for her to stay around the common (Ithaca downtown) for the convenience. Country Inn at Carlson is closest to Ithaca, but there is nothing around there for food.
You have gotten some good suggestions for hotels. See if your student can get a handle on times…and then make sure transportation back and forth to the hotels is reliable. It should be for this town!
You just have to be sure your musician can actually be where she has to be at Ithaca for,the various audition related things she will be doing.
@oldfort which airport should this student fly to?
Ithaca airport is the best. Many students fly into Syracuse, but it is costly to get from Syracuse to Ithaca.
Given the possibility of snow, I would stay downtown as opposed to near the mall. I agree, the mall isn’t that far, but it’s nice to walk around the corner and have restaurants, coffee place, pharmacy, etc. And it’s less than ten minutes to the college. Loved the Moosewood Restaurant, but there are plenty of good choices. We stayed at the Ithaca Inn. There is also a commercial strip about two miles from the common with lots of hotel and restaurant chains (Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn) and a Wegmans! In general, I have found Ithaca hotels to be pricey.
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. We have worked it out between hotel and shuttles and schedules, so I am hoping things will go well. The hotel managers I have spoken with had similar suggestions and have also been really helpful!