Best way to get to the park from airports

My wife and I are planning a trip up to CP from Texas and are wondering what might be the best way to fly in and get to the park? We were looking at flying into Cleveland but since we planned on staying at the resort and spending most, if not all, of our time at the parks for about a week (how many times can you ride all the coasters when spending a whole week trying ;-), renting a car, parking it there, etc costs as much as the difference between a room and a suite ;-).

So far we've found that Greyhound has a route between Cleveland and Sandusky, but is there something that comes through the airports and heads off to CP? There's a point when you have to take a taxi to the bus station, a bus to the hotel, etc, that it becomes worth parking a rental car.

Ideas?

Well, if you fly my girlfriend up from austin with you I'll drive you there myself, J/K well if you fly into cleveland hopkins and you decide to rent a car, then take 480 west to the turnpike west, then get off at 57, which is the first exit, your fee will 50 cents, take 57 north, get on to 2 west, you'll turn left to get on it, and take this to cedar point. From Burke Lakefront Airport, take 2 west all the way to the point

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Arms down.....Arms down.....Arms down.......Arms down.....Arms down....Arms down...(you think they would get it the first time?!)

TTD-15 Rollbacks-1

If you are staying at a CP resort, parking will be covered for your entire stay. I would rent the car. You can still leave the penninsula and return with the parking ticket you get from the hotel.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

There really isn't any easy way to get from Hopkins to Cedar Point. You won't have to pay for parking (actually you do, then get it back when you check in), and trust me, you want a car if you're going to be there for a week. You'll save cash just from leaving the park to eat now and then, or pickup supplies at a store.

Heck, since you'll be there that long, consider visiting the islands too. It'd be a nice break from the park. You'll need it for a week.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - My Blog
Blogs, photo albums - CampusFish
What time does the water show start?

There is nothing I know of that goes direct from Cleveland Hopkins Airport to Sandusky. There is a rapid transit rail line that has an airport station that goes into downtown Cleveland. At a $1.50, it's much less expensive than a cab.

The main Greyhound terminal is about 14 blocks from the closest rapid station. You would have to transfer to a bus at Tower City Center (main terminal) to get there. I think the Center City Loop bus would get you close. There is a Cleveland Amtrak Greyhound terminal that is accessible from the rapid transit, I'm not sure if the Sandusky bus stops there though.

From the airport, take the Red Line east to downtown Cleveland. To get to the Amtrak Greyhound terminal transfer to the Waterfront Line at Tower City Center and get off at the Amtrak station,

To get more information on Cleveland transit, look at:

http://www.riderta.com/

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I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Rent a car, go to CP for 3-4 days and go to Put-In-Bay (South Bass Island) on one of the weekend days. CP is so busy on the weekends, the island will be a breath of fresh air. Just be sure to have a DD for the 20 min drive back to CP.

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Beer and golf Thursday thru Monday, Cedar Point & beer, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Like Pete said, rent a car :)

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Walt Schmidt
Virtual Midway

With a whole week, you could also actually hit parks other than Cedar Point, as well. Check prices into Pittsburgh as well as Cleveland, and if it's cheaper (not likely ;) ) take in a day at Kennywood. Drive time from PIT to Cedar Point should be 2.5 - 3 hours.

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--Greg
My Home
MF count: 69 TTD: 9
*** This post was edited by GregLeg1 10/14/2003 12:34:39 PM ***

What i woudl do is fly into Toledo Express. The airport is right on the turnpike, just rent a car and drive the 45 mins to CP. With the deals you can get on cars now days its the easiest route.

Toledo has major service to it and its small uncrowded and VERY easy to get to. Plus the fact that it is right on the turnpike makes it a no brainer.

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Thats right Virginia, I am Santa Claus.

However, almost nowhere is one hop away from Toledo; everything requires at least one connection. In contrast, almost everyone (via Continental) is one hop away from Cleveland, via USAir from Pittsburgh, or via Northwest from Detroit.

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It's not war, famine, or pestilence; it's only downtime.

How fast are you people driving and how much money have you contributed to the Ohio Highway Patrol ticket funds?

I live in Sandusky and my sister lives in Pittsburgh. I've driven that trip a number of times and have yet to make it in less than 3 hours at the bare minimum... 2½ hours is insane!

I lived in Toledo and commuted to my Sandusky job for a few months before moving here. Five minutes away from the Ohio Turnpike in Toledo and all the way into downtown Sandusky -- a trip which I made a hundred times or more, but never even close to 45 minutes.

Best of luck to you Doc Rock, but if you end up flying into Toledo or planning a side trip to Kennywood, plan a little bit longer drive time unless you either have a good radar detector or have money to spare on Ohio speeding tickets.

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Visit Tommy'sWorld!!!

Notice that I specifically said from the airport, which is a decent ways out of the city, and directly on the way from Pittsburgh to Cedar Point via the Route-60-to-the-turnpike route. That cuts a good 30 minutes from the drive "from Pittsburgh". Going from Kennywood to Cedar Point, yes, that's actually more like 3.5 hours, since Kennywood is to the east of the airport, and Sandusky significantly west.

--Greg, who uses cruise control to make sure he doesn't speed, and made it from his brother's house near the airport to Cedar Point this weekend in 2:40.

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--Greg
My Home
MF count: 69 TTD: 9

*** This post was edited by GregLeg1 10/15/2003 12:31:01 AM ***

Well, after taking a look at people's recommendations here and looking into it with my wife we have decided that a rental car is going to be the best way to go.

A lot of that was predicated on my realization that we would be arriving on a Saturday, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland, and they are open later on Saturdays ;-). So we are gonna come in, hit the rockhall, then out to the hotel. I'll be all set to hit the beach and hang out for the weekend and then we can spend the weekdays at the park for a few days.

And I always like to travel with my Valentine One radar detector. Since I live where going faster is the norm, I find myself needing to watch myself when I travel.

I'm looking forward to seeing how many times I can make it through each coaster while there.

Thanx for the advice!!

Doc

Doc,

I have a Valentine One also, great device. A few tips on speed traps. The Highway Patrol almost always uses laser on the Ohio Turnpike, but the only places they sit is in the center divider crossover. The Turnpike is three lanes with a concrete divider, so the crossovers are easy to spot. 80mph to 90mph travel is pretty easy to do, with a low risk of getting caught if you keep a careful watch for the crossovers.

You can either take the Turnpike to rt. 250, or you can exit at rt. 57 and take rt. 57 north to rt. 2 west to Sandusky. On rt. 2, past the Berlin Heights exit, there is a long right hand turn in the highway. Just after that is a crossover that is a favorite spot for speed traps, mostly laser again. Be careful of that spot and slow down about a third of the way around the turn.

Have a good trip and enjoy CP!

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I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

I disagree, Pete... I've seen the troopers parked behind bridges now, with lasers, which of course makes detectors useless. Also, since he'll be coming from downtown, I assume he'll take I-90/SR2 all the way in, in which case you've gotta deal with the local jurisdictions the first half of the drive, the OHP the second part. If you don't know where the traps are, you'll get nailed.

That said, you're generally safe at anything under 75 in a 65, and it's only an hour from downtown anyway. Speeding won't save you a lot of time.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - My Blog
Blogs, photo albums - CampusFish
What time does the water show start?

When it comes down to lasers, be sure to sit in the right lane, and be sure to have another car in front of you, that way when the trooper zaps the guy ahead of you, your detector goes off. I have a Bell 980, and made it Erie to CP in 2 hours, 85mph.

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Beer and golf Thursday thru Monday, Cedar Point & beer, Tuesday and Wednesday.

I use the Jeff system, sort of. I keep my speed to just under 5 mph over the actual limit I try to stay in the right lane, and use the left lane to pass only.

Personally, I don't see the need to speed. I just allow myself plenty of time to get where I'm going to be there when I wish to be.
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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

Thank you OldCPer, if everyone would drive right, and use the left lane to pass only, traffic to CP (and everywhere else) would move a lot better and safer.

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I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

And if I wasn't being tailgated in the left lane while driving 75 and actively passing, then I wouldn't be so frustrated. :)

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Walt Schmidt
Virtual Midway

I normally don't have a problem keeping to the speed limit. The limit is higher in most places then it is up here in Canada, so I find in some places going the speed limit is fine.

Although when I do end up going a bit faster I have to stop and remember where I am. Taking the 401 from my city to Detroit the speed limit is 100(60 mph). But it's basically a fact that you won't be stopped unless you're doing well over 120(70ish mph). So whenever driving to CP I have to keep remembering that going 80 in a 70 isn't going to save me from a ticket.