Getting around in Ohio without a car.

February 13, 2007 6:20 PM

I need help for a friend traveling to Athens, OH this week.

Long story short- when he booked his flight from LA to OH, he chose Akron instead of Athens. d'oh! He just discovered this last night and he leaves in 2 days.

It is a three hour drive, so he can't count on his brother shuttling him around. Car rental is also out since he doesn't have a license. The Greyhound goes between them, but leave before his flight arrives on Day 1 of a four day trip, and he would need to ride back the day before, giving him only one solid day to visit. Amtrak was a similar circumstance. He looked up the cost of changing the flight or booking a hop from Akron to Columbus(a more manageable distance for a ride) and both were nearly $500, which he can't afford.

I don't know Ohio well enough to know if there is a Green Tortoise-type service or any other options that havn't occurred to us yet. Any mefiites have any ideas?

posted by ikareru to travel & transportation (5 comments total)

There's another bus service, Lakefront Lines, that goes from Cleveland to Athens. Buses leave Akron at 9 AM and arrive in Athens at 1:10 PM, and leave Athens at 1:20 PM and arrive in Akron at 6:30 PM.
posted by CrunchyFrog at 6:34 PM on February 13, 2007

The trouble is he gets in Friday morning at 10:00 am. If he stays in Akron until Saturday, and then has to leave Sunday morning for his 6:00 Monday flight... ugh. Poor guy just wants to see his brother play hockey for Ohio U... and he's gonna miss the game! Thanks tho, CrunchyFrog.
posted by ikareru at 6:50 PM on February 13, 2007

I would try posting a message for a rideshare on a messageboard at the college- OU is a big school, no doubt there are students traveling between Athens and Akron on the days he needs to get a ride.
posted by kelegraph at 8:47 PM on February 13, 2007

Check craigslist for Akron/Canton and look for Kent State/Akron U students who are offering rides. Also, we are getting tons of snow up here, so road travel may/may not be affected on Friday.
posted by vkxmai at 10:21 PM on February 13, 2007

My dad used to hitchhike from OU back to his parents' in Cleveland...

... just sayin'....

Seriously, check OU message boards and find a student going to Cleveland. It's over the holiday weekend, right? You're sure to find someone going back home. Ohio in general is not really a bastion of public transportation, so riding in someone's personal car will be your best bet.
posted by olinerd at 3:54 AM on February 14, 2007