If you want to go outside the immediate Ithaca vicinity, it's often easiest to drive, and even if you don't have a car it is sometimes most cost-efficient to rent a car. However, there are major bus companies that have stops at the downtown bus stop in Ithaca on the corner of Seneca and Rt. 13 S. The companies that stop there are Greyhound (272-7930), Shortline (277-8800), and Trailways (800-295-5555). Shortline in particular provides frequent daily service to New York City, with many routes including pick-ups in Collegetown and North Campus. See their website, CLICK HERE, for schedules and fare information. In addition, Cornell offers a luxury campus-to-campus bus service from the Ithaca campus to the New York City Medical campus for more than twice the price of other bus services. See CLICK HERE for more details.
If you want to fly out of Ithaca, the closest airport is the Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport, only a ten minute drive from downtown Ithaca, and also on the bus routes. There are only a few flights in and out of this airport each day, with its only airlines being USAirways, Northwest Airlines, and United Airlines. However, the location makes it very convenient. The airport limousine from the airport is convenient, though slow, and they always stay open until the last plane of the night lands, even if it arrives late.
If you want to fly on a different airline, or are willing
to drive a little to get a cheaper ticket, the Syracuse
Airport is larger and has more options. People without cars
will have trouble using the Syracuse airport due to the lack of public
bus service to the airport. At the time of writing, there is early
morning daily
service to the Syracuse airport, but there is no return
service. Another option to go to the Syracuse airport is using the
Airport Limousine (273-3030), although the amount of money that you
save from flying out of Syracuse will likely be less than the cost of
this service. You may also find,
if you are going to fly overseas, that it is worthwhile to
fly out of New York City or Philadelphia and drive or take
a bus there.