If you do not have a car, getting home for break comes down to a parent driving four hours each way, a flight that costs more than your textbooks, or a bus. In the Northeast the bus usually wins, and OurBus runs the college-town routes the big carriers treat as afterthoughts.

Short version. Book it for one reason: you can cancel or move the ticket up to an hour before departure and get the fare back. Break plans change constantly and nothing else about going home is that forgiving. There is no student discount, so compare on your route first.

The airport runs are the underrated part

Flying home is easy until you work out how to reach the airport, and from a college town that leg is the whole problem.

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Ithaca to JFK from $110, LaGuardia direct, and Newark from $80, with pickups on Cornell's North and West Campus
FromYou can reach
IthacaCornell, Ithaca CollegeJFK, LaGuardia, Newark, New York, Brooklyn, Washington DC
BinghamtonBinghamton UniversityNew York, Washington DC
ConnecticutHartford, New Haven, StamfordBoston, Worcester, New York
Newark, DelawareUniversity of DelawarePhiladelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, New York
Breckenridge and VailDenver Airport

Before you book

Good to know

  • Free cancellation or rebooking up to 60 minutes before departure
  • Free wifi, charging ports, onboard restroom, live tracking
  • Refunds go to your OurBus Wallet or your card, depending how you booked

Watch out

  • Miss the bus and there is no refund and no transfer. Arrive 15 minutes early
  • One suitcase up to 50 lb plus a bag on your lap; more costs extra
  • Booking and facility fees are not refunded when you cancel
  • No student discount, and coverage is regional

Two habits worth having: book early and cancel late, because the seats go before the prices drop and cancelling costs you only the fees, and check where the campus stop actually is before the morning you need it. It is usually a corner or a lot, not a terminal.

If your campus is on the map, check the route and the fare before committing to anything more expensive.

Fares, routes and policies from ourbus.com, September 2026, and subject to change. DormScouter may earn a commission if you book through a link here; see our disclosure.