<p>Planning ahead from the airport for my daughter traveling by herself - What are the best ways to get from La Guardia to Barnard. I see that the M60 is direct. Is it easy? Are there other options that aren’t crazy expensive? The only other airport that she can fly to is Newark but I know that is very expensive by cab unless she takes the bus to Port Authority. Is there a shuttle for either airport that goes to Barnard/Columbia?</p>
<p>Our D will start at Columbia this fall. Another poster on a recent Columbia thread mentioned a site called wikicu. One of its pages is titled ‘Getting to Columbia’ and, if it’s accurate, includes information on transport options: [Getting</a> to Columbia - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia](<a href=“http://www.wikicu.com/Getting_to_Columbia]Getting”>Getting to Columbia - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia). I don’t see a reference to a dedicated shuttle however and don’t know whether one exists. Perhaps your daughter might contact Barnard and ask?</p>
<p>Congratulations to your daughter, by the way! Ours is very excited and I imagine yours is too. (Mind, for her parents, it’s probably all a little more bittersweet.)</p>
<p>I am unaware of any dedicated shuttle. My D (who graduated in 09) always took a cab from LGA to Columbia (we did as well when visiting). When traveling around the time of school breaks, she often met up with fellow students and was able to share a cab. To add to the relative convenience, all cabs now accept credit cards, so your D will not need to be carrying cash. Regardless, we felt the cab fare (no more than $25 or so, as I recall) was well worth not going through the REALLY long bus ride on the M60. That bus can also be crowded and dragging suitcases around can be a pain/annoying. But it’s certainly do-able!</p>
<p>Congrats to both of you! It’s an exciting time…</p>
<p>I agree with CMM. Our daughters picked the airport which was connected to the airline with the cheapest fares. They would wear Barnard or Columbia shirts so that other students could pick them out to share cabs.</p>
<p>Glad to hear that the cab is not expensive. I forgot that going through Manhattan north is cheaper and easier than getting into the Times Square area. We have been to NY often but now she is on her own getting around. Barnard was her first choice, got in ED, loved the 2011 commencement speaker and I am happy for her. I read on line how long the M60 route was so am even more pleased about her taking a cab.</p>
<p>I always fly through Newark (I think the airport is just a lot better than LGA). It’s easy to get from Newark to campus – you pay $15 for the AirTram to Penn Station (30 minutes tops), then $2.25 for a direct subway ride to 116th and Broadway (25 minutes).</p>
<p>mysteryflavored: That is really good information. I guess it depends on how important it is to save $8.00. With luggage, my D always found it easier to use a cab as well. After a short break without luggage, it’s a completely different story. But good for you in being so self-reliant. Brava.</p>
<p>Southwest just opened to Newark and already the least expensive flights have sold out to Newark over Thanksgiving. I’ll be looking at both airports and depending on the time of day will also effect how my D gets to the airport. I haven’t taken the AirTran from Newark but have taken the bus that stops at Port Authority. I agree with mythmom, luggage will be a factor.</p>
<p>Definitely, if you’re toting a lot of luggage, I recommend a cab no matter where you’re coming from. A cab from Newark costs about $50. I live in NJ so when I say I fly out of/into Newark, I’m talking about spring break vacations and the like, where I’m carrying at most one large suitcase. The trains accommodate luggage better than buses do, I think. The AirTram from Newark includes a brief ride on a NJTransit train, which is short enough to take advantage of the standing room between cars. I imagine cabs would also be the better option around Thanksgiving, when the trains to/from Newark would be super crowded.</p>
<p>I just thought I’d throw out there that we found Thanksgiving to be THE most stressful time for D to fly home. It’s obviously a very busy travel time and also comes at a time in the semester when a LOT is going on. My D stayed up there one year and spent the holiday with a friend’s family, but did manage to come back the other 3 years. But it was pretty hectic. Just a heads-up, you know? Also, we found she really could not leave early, so had to travel on the dreaded day-before-Thanksgiving…</p>