Introduction
Academic Advice from the Dean of the College
Campus Services and Resources
Maintaining Legal Immigration Status:
Maps of the United States can be deceiving, and Meadville is further away from most points than it appears. For example, Meadville is about 400 miles away (8 hours by car) from New York City, 300 miles (4.5 hours) from Detroit, and 450 miles (8.5 hours) from Philadelphia. he nearest larger cities are Erie, Pennsylvania (about 40 miles); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (about 90 miles); and Cleveland, Ohio (about 100 miles). While buses travel from all of these cities to Meadville, trains and planes do not. Please make sure you plan your ENTIRE trip ahead of time and make all necessary arrangements.
Ideally, your travel arrangements should bring you to Meadville directly or to the Erie airport. Allegheny shuttles are available to the Erie airport and Meadville bus stations, but you MUST make arrangements ahead of time. You will receive information from the Office of Student Activities and the International Programs and Services explaining how to make shuttle arrangements.
Luggage
You can reduce the amount of luggage you have to carry by mailing some of your belongings to Allegheny ahead of time. Please call the Allegheny College Post Office to determine your mailbox number and make arrangements.
As you travel through the United States, there are a few things to consider. Many of the different stations will have baggage handlers and other helpers available. It is customary to ÒtipÓ these people around $1 per bag handled. You should make sure you have small U.S. bills to meet these needs. You will also need to pay cash for any taxi service and some shuttle services. At most transportation stations (i.e., bus, airport, and train), tickets can be paid for by credit cards. Some bus and train stations are not staffed at all; you will find adequate information posted at these sites, but no one to answer questions.
Traveling by Air
Allegheny provides shuttles from the Erie, Cleveland and Pittsburgh airports to the campus, but arrangements MUST be made ahead of time. The International Office staff and students will do our best to pick you up, given advance notice! Please make sure you have contacted the director with your arrival information at least two weeks before you arrive, at danuta.majchrowicz@allegheny.edu.
ERIE: Although it is a little more costly, it is highly recommended that you fly into Erie International Airport, as pick up is easiest to schedule there.
PITTSBURGH: If you fly into Pittsburgh International Airport, you can ride a shuttle from the airport to the Greyhound terminal in Pittsburgh, and then take a bus to Meadville. Once at the Pittsburgh airport, ask the Information Desk to direct you to the airport-downtown shuttle. The shuttle fee is approximately $2.00 (you should make sure you have $1 bills for this) and shuttles run about every 20 minutes. The shuttle will drop you off on the corner of Liberty and Smithfield Streets, near the Double Tree Hotel. Ask the driver to direct you to the Greyhound Bus station, which is directly across from the hotel. You will need to walk approximately half a block. Buses depart for Meadville at 6:45 am and 6:30 pm (call Greyhound to confirm times prior to your arrival) and cost around $18. Allegheny's shuttle can pick you up at the Meadville bus station, but arrangements MUST be made ahead of time. Most students fly into Pittsburgh International Airport.
CLEVELAND: If you fly into Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, you will need to take a taxi to the bus station and a bus into Meadville. A taxi will cost approximately $20. Buses depart from Cleveland for Meadville at 11 am (call Greyhound to confirm times prior to your arrival) and cost around $37. Allegheny's shuttle can pick you up at the Meadville bus station, but arrangements MUST be made ahead of time.
Traveling by Bus
There are Greyhound Bus stations in all major cities, and arrangements can be made to travel to Meadville by bus, although some transfers may be required. Remember that the travel time on a bus is a lot longer than a car; a bus trip from New York City will take about 12-14 hours. Cost varies with the distance traveled, but can be expected to cost around $60 to $70 one-way. While bus tickets can usually be purchased upon your arrival at the bus station, it is highly recommended that you purchase your ticket in advance. In making your reservations, your destination should be Meadville. Allegheny's shuttle can pick you up at the Meadville bus station, but arrangements MUST be made ahead of time.
You can also take a taxicab from the Greyhound Bus Station in Meadville to Allegheny College for about $5 if you are not able to make Allegheny's shuttle. The website for the Grey Hound bus is: www.greyhound.com
"The best part of Allegheny is all of the activities you can get involved in.... from debate, musical/acting groups, student government, political activist groups, or plain fun outing groups -- there are SO many opportunities. That is where you make the best friends and have the best experiences."
- Tamara Pavasovic, Yugoslavia
Traveling by Train
There are Amtrak train stations in most major cities, although there are none in Meadville. If traveling by train, you should make Erie, Pittsburgh, or Cleveland your final destination. There are no baggage or ticket checkouts in Erie, however, and you will be limited to two carry-on bags. Cleveland and Pittsburgh do have ticket and baggage checkouts available. From the Erie train station, you can either take a taxi to the bus station and take a bus to Meadville (taxi cost is about $10, and bus cost is about $12), or take a taxi to the airport (cost is about $13) and take the Allegheny shuttle to campus. Allegheny's shuttle can pick you up at the Erie airport, but arrangements MUST be made ahead of time. The website for the Amtrak trains is: www.amtrak.com
If taking a train into Pittsburgh, you will need to take a taxicab from the Amtrak station to the Greyhound bus station (this is a very short trip and could be walked) and then take a bus to Meadville. If taking a train into Cleveland, you will need to take a taxicab from the Amtrak station to the Greyhound station (a short distance, will cost under $5) and then take a bus to Meadville. See the bus section for information on buses into Meadville.
"Allegheny College is only about two and a half-hours from the Canadian border. Use this opportunity to visit the Niagara Falls at least once in your college career -- it's worth it. "
- Kofi Osei, Ghana
Important Travel Related Numbers:
Aiports
Pittsburgh International Airport Information......(412) 472-3525
Or log onto their website: http://www.pitairport.com/redirect.jsp
Erie International Airport Information......(814) 8333-4258
or log onto their website: http://www.erieairport.org
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Information......(216)265-6030
Or log onto their website http://clevelandairport.com
Travel by Bus or Train:
Greyhound Bus......(800) 231-2222
Or log onto their website: www.greyhound.com
Amtrak Train Service......(800) 872-7245
Or log onto their website: www.amtrak.com
Shuttles and Taxi (Cab) Service:
Shuttle from Pittsburgh airport to the bus station......(412) 442-2000
Erie: Erie Yellow Cab - (814) 455-4441
Lake Erie Taxi - (814) 454-5678
Pittsburgh: Express Shuttle USA - (412) 472-3180
Check Cab - (412) 381-5600
Cleveland: Americab Inc. - (216) 881-1111
People Express - (440) 248-3007
Meadville Corey Transportation - (814) 336-5000
Allegheny Shuttle Information......(814) 332-2754
This is the REGULAR Allegheny Shuttle, not that one operated by the international office for international students.
Or log onto their website at: http://studentactivities.allegheny.edu/services.php
Or e-mail: Tricha Gregor at tgregor@allegheny.edu
Local Travel Agencies (to help you plan your itinerary)
American Automobile Association......(814) 724-3157
Travel Experience......(814) 724-1053
Updated on 6-06-07*
*The information on this page changes frequently. To ensure that the information you receive on this page is current, please note when the information was last updated. Thank You.
