Traverse City, Michigan?

[UnderTheMistletoe]

Hi all-

We have a wedding to attend this summer in Traverse City, Michigan. DH is in the wedding party.

We're kind of stumped (Ok, a lot stumped) on how to get there at a reasonable price. We know there's an airport in Traverse City, but already the airfare is over $500 for both of us to fly in there Is there another airport we could fly into and drive? We're going to have to rent a car regardless. I was thinking it might be easier to fly into Toronto and drive south? Or should we be crossing our fingers and hoping to get a better airfare? We'd be flying from a DC airport or BWI.

Thanks much!
xoxo

 

[Pinnie]

Actually, Toronto would be about an 8 hour drive! One suggestion would be to fly into Detroit Metro and drive up from there...about 4 hours depending on traffic. Make sure you drive up to see the Mighty Mac Bridge and enjoy some fudge on Mackinac Island!

pinnie

 

[figment52]

There is also an airport in Grand Rapids, MI, just a short couple hours south of Traverse City - you may have to connect in Detroit but it will shorten your drive. Even Chicago would be closer than Toronto.

Traverse City is wine country - if you have time drive up and visit some of the wineries. There are beautiful view of the bay from some of them.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I may have my areas mixed up because I still don't know my Michigan areas very well but what about flying into South Bend and driving? If I'm not wrong it wouldn't be a far drive. Like I said I still don't know my Michigan towns very well but I always thought I went through Traverse City on my way to St Joe.

 

[sharbear]

It's $500 for both of you to fly to Traverse City in the summer. That's $250 a piece, right. You may be able to find a cheaper flight out of Detroit but how much cheaper. Then you have to rent a car, and it's more like 5 hours to Traverse City than 4. After renting a car and driving 5 hours, how much more would it be to just fly into Traverse City.

It's high season up north and nothing is very cheap that time of the year. They only have 6-8 weeks of "high season" so prices are inflated.

You could try to fly into Grand Rapids 2.5 hours (I think) or Flint (2.5 or 3 hours).

 

[Poohs Pal]

Could you post the dates you will be flying? I would try Flint(fnt) Detroit(dtw) Grand Rapids(grr) or Pelston(plt). Pelston would be the closet but probably double in price as the others. For fun i used 8/11/06-8/15/06 out of bwi to detroit and it was under 150.00. This would add and additional hour to hour and a half over choosing flint or grand rapids. If you have the time during your visit I would check out the shopping in Traverse City and Petosky and Mackinaw City. I know flint and detroit have on location rental cars, not sure about the other locations. Susan

 

[lw49033]

My guess is that Flint would be the most practical alternative to TC. If you don't already have accomodations, the Best Western is a nice place. Summer is very expensive in TC for all the hotels there, and they have the Cherry Festival the first part of July, so if that's when you're traveling you'd better make reservations now!

 

[OhMari]

My dd's and her friends used to fly for $50 from Northern MI in Marquette to Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Traverse City. For some reason those little jumper planes have all jumped to over $200 one way. It was cheaper to fly to school, than drive, with gas prices now-it is pretty even.

Keep checking plane flights, try MidwestExpress.com or NWA.com, they both have direct flights and sometimes they lower them on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 4:00 a.m. I know for a fact Midwestexpress flies out of DC to Detroit, Traverse City, Milwaukee.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Good advice on this thread.
Flint, GR or DTW would be your best bets. If you can get Flint or GR for less do it, but DTW shouldn't be too bad Flint would be the easiest I think.

TC for a summer wedding should be wonderful. We went to one in early fall and it was lovely. It is a beatiful area. Southwest has some ding fairs from DC to DTW that are pretty cheap, but I don't think they have any for summer right now. (April and May only I think.) Spirit also flys into DTW alot. (I think goes to DC also.)

Air Tran is the airline that flys out of Fint (bishop) airport (and NWA.)
Stick to flying into any place in MI. Don't do Cananda.

OhMari, I think the smaller planes feel the gas increase more then the larger companies, or at least have to refeclt the price more. Larger airlines can take some cuts and not go under.

Best of luck. Enjoy yourselves. It should be a nice time.

Mama4u don't you live near TC. What airport do you use the most?

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

It's $500 for both of you to fly to Traverse City in the summer. That's $250 a piece, right. You may be able to find a cheaper flight out of Detroit but how much cheaper. Then you have to rent a car, and it's more like 5 hours to Traverse City than 4. After renting a car and driving 5 hours, how much more would it be to just fly into Traverse City.

I don't know. We're just really feeling it with weddings right now! We're at that age that the invitations and bridal party request just keep rolling in. Heck, we were at a wedding last night.

It's swallowing the flights, car rental (which we need regardless), tuxedo, wedding gift, round of golf the day of the wedding from Brye, etc., etc. right now. Not to mention the whole bachelor/bachelorette weekend over the 4th of July weekend. I don't think we can do that and make the wedding. It's just a wedding every 4-6 weeks (not to mention recovering from our own in December at Disney financially) that's a huge drain when we're trying to so hard to purchase a home... and pay for our Disney vacation in May.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed something comes in from Ding. I am in the middle of summer finals over the wedding weekend. We're wondering if he flies in elsewhere and meets his parents (a cheaper fare) and we just swallow the big one for me as I cannot leave here until the Friday that he has the rehearsal and whatnot?

I dunno...thinking out loud really...

 

[figment52]

I may have my areas mixed up because I still don't know my Michigan areas very well but what about flying into South Bend and driving? If I'm not wrong it wouldn't be a far drive. Like I said I still don't know my Michigan towns very well but I always thought I went through Traverse City on my way to St Joe.

Here's a born and bred Michigan trick to Michgan geography -

Hold out your left hand, palm down, fingers closed. Grand Rapids is on the far left of your hand about the bottom of the knuckle below your little finger, Travers City is near the tip of ypur little finger, close to the ring finger. St Joe is south of Grand Rapids near your wrist. Flint is almost on the right hand side of your left hand almost level with Grand Rapids.

I love having the basic map of my home state with me everywhere I go

 

[gapack]

I have flown into Grand Rapids direct from Atlanta before. Was an easy trip and then drove north to Manistee which is near Traverse City. It's really a beautiful place to visit especially if you can spend some time on Lake Michigan. Hope you can find a good price on tickets.

 

[TCPluto]

We have a wedding to attend this summer in Traverse City, Michigan. DH is in the wedding party.

We'd be flying from a DC airport or BWI.

Detroit and Flint are serviced by Airtran and Spirit. Southwest also flys into Detroit.

These are your two best bets. Spirit frequently has some great flight specials from DC into Detroit.

Right now, using the dates July 21-24 arrival/departure, the flight is $158.60
from Reagan National to Detroit.

 

[Poohs Pal]

You can also fly northwest airlines out of these airports. Susan

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I have flown Northwest thru Detroit (DTW) into Pellston (PLN) before - what a beautiful airport for such a tiny town. The further out you book the better chance you have of getting a cheaper fare.

Be sure to check out Mackinaw City and the theater there - always a great place!