<p>My D is very excited about her acceptance but being a practical mom I am trying to figure out travel/transportation issues. It's about a 10 hour drive from our home to Ann Arbor so we probably won't be driving there on a regular basis and clearly she will need some way of coming home on breaks. Do most students fly out of the Detroit airport? Any recommendations for getting to Detroit from Ann Arbor? How about Amtrak? Is that a practical way of getting to Chicago/O'Hare? </p>
<p>Amtrak is practical to get to the loop area of Chicago, but not the Detroit airport. In Chicago, you'd have to take a cab or walk to a subway from union station to get to O'hare from there. Also, there is a bus (the Michigan Flyer) that makes multiple daily trips to/from A2 and Metro airport and of course a cab is always an option. Ann Arbor is about 20 miles from the Detroit airport.</p>
<p>The amtrak train station is a small facility in the heart of Ann Arbor with safe/easy/economical access to the U. I think it would be a practical option for somebody coming from Chicago. As rjkofnovi said here are multiple services from Detroit Metro Airport to the university, including Custom</a> Transit.</p>
<p>During major breaks (Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring) there are buses that go from UMich to the Detroit airport. I think the ride is $8 each way. There is a schedule on the Michigan website (I think it's called airbus - but not sure) You buy the ticket ahead of time to the airport, and then pay for your ride back to campus on the bus. Flying is probably the easiest back to Chicago.</p>
<p>You might check out the MegaBus - It runs between Ann Arbor and Chicago 3 times a day. Very Cheap the further you book in advanced. The schedule is as fast as driving (ie. direct - not a bunch of stops along the way). State Street Park and Ride lot to Union Station.</p>
<p>If you live 10 hours away, then you don't live in Chicago, are you trying to figure out how to get her to Chicago to then fly from there to your home? Are you sure there are not direct flights from DTW?</p>
<p>I was actually asking about both Detroit and Ann Arbor- have gotten some very helpful replies in that regard- but flight pricing can vary widely depending on the hub. Just trying to check all the options. I appreciate everyone sending me so much info so quickly!</p>