Getting There
Manchester is in the lovely Hartford metro area.
The big downside of the Hartford area is that the mass transportation system leaves something to be desired. There are no good regional trains, and the buses come somewhat infrequently. Basically, this means flying or driving in works best, and renting a car is necessary for those who fly in.
*By Plane*
The closest airport (by far) is Bradley Int'l. Southwest flies into it, and tends to be the most affordable carrier. However, we recommend using www.kayak.com to find the cheapest flight. (It searches all the airlines' sites for your travel dates, and sorts them from lowest to highest price.)
You will need to rent a car at the airport. (There is a way to get from the airport to the designated hotel using the bus system, but that would take about two hours and a transfer, so it isn't worth it.) It takes about 20 minutes (without traffic) to get from the airport to the hotel; directions are found on the hotel's website, which is accessible through our "Accommodations" page.
We highly recommend sharing a rental car with family or friends you know are also attending.
If you cannot find an affordable flight into Bradley, you might have better luck trying to fly into either Boston (Logan Int'l) or Providence (airport code: PVD). Boston is about 2 hours away (without rush hour or holiday traffic), and Providence is about 1 hour 45 minutes away. Although the New York City airports are theoretically only a few hours away, too, it is difficult and expensive to get to Hartford from them, so we do not recommend that option.
*By Train?*
Hartford does have a train station, but there are no non-Amtrak trains that go directly from New York. If you are coming from New York or New Jersey, we recommend you drive the whole way. If you cannot, take Metro North, the commuter line that runs out of Grand Central Station, to New Haven, and then make your way by rental car to Hartford.
*By Bus*
Buses run roundtrips between Hartford and New York City, and Hartford and Boston, on fairly frequent schedules. Check Peter Pan and Greyhound.
