Local
Walking
MSU is a huge, beautiful campus with miles of walking/bike trails. (The main campus is approximately 3.2 km by 6.4 km, and there are about 46,000 students, and 18,000 faculty, admin and staff.) Take advantage of any nice weather to get outside and enjoy some nature. Walk through Sandford Natural Area or Baker Woodlot for a taste of Michigan forests. Always watch for traffic, including bikes which sometimes don’t pay attention to pedestrians. Walking loop maps
Although campus is relatively safe, we recommend that you do NOT walk alone at night if at all possible.
Bikes
MSU has numerous bike trails that also extend into Lansing and East Lansing. Make sure you follow bike safety rules and watch for cars who might not see you. The MSU Bike Store is a good resource for you. During the orientation, there is often an MSU bike sale where you can get a bike REALLY cheap and then donate it back at the end of the year. Alternatively, you could rent a bike for different periods of time.
CATA Bus
The local bus system is called CATA and it operates both on MSU and in the Lansing and East Lansing areas. The following website will be able to help direct you to schedules, times and route maps: http://www.cata.org/ The bus routes 30-39 on MSU’s campus are free. Other busses will need a ticket, pass, or cash. The routes you will use to go off campus most are likely number 1 and 24.
You can buy a semester ticket for $50 at the MSU ID Office.
CATA has videos to show you how to plan a trip and how to ride the bus.
Uber/Lyft
Ridesharing services are used for on-demand transportation, particularly in urban areas, for trips to work, social events, or appointments. The most popular companies in the USA are Uber or Lyft, although their availability can be somewhat limited at certain hours. Here is a helpful guide for using rideshare services in the USA.
Regional/Long Distance
Train
Amtrak is the best (and in many cases the only) passenger train service in the US. Catching a train to Chicago is very easy, relatively inexpensive, and enjoyable. Our train service does not extend everywhere you might go, but it is good to check first.
Bus
Greyhound is one of the most known and respected in the US. Megabus is a new service that has really inexpensive fares.
The Michigan Flyer is a bus service that goes from the Marriott Hotel in East Lansing to Ann Arbor and then to the Detroit Airport. It is cheap and easy, even for just a trip to Ann Arbor.
Air
Lansing Capital Region International Airport (LAN) is the closest airport. However for vacation travel, sometimes you’ll get better deals going through Detroit Metro airport (DTW). Before booking flights in and out of DTW, you will need to weigh the cost and time of getting to DTW by bus (see above) and make sure that the bus schedule works for your trip.
Car
Although we discourage it, if you obtain the appropriate driver’s license here, and follow all traffic laws, it is legal to rent a car for local/regional trips. However, read the following carefully:
Driving on snow and ice
Driving in the snow and/or ice is always a bit dangerous. It becomes VERY dangerous if you have never driven on it before. The car acts completely differently on snow and ice. We strongly recommend that if you haven’t done it, please don’t do it. Take a train, bus or plane instead. If you decide to drive, and it begins to snow the biggest key is to SLOW DOWN much more than you think you need to and leave much more space between you the next car! You cannot stop quickly in the snow. In fact all reactions (changing lanes, turning, etc.) need more time. If it starts with freezing rain or ice, pull off the road at the nearest shelter and wait. There’s almost no control on ice. Some people push through and try to keep driving in dangerous conditions, but it’s better to be late to where you going than injured or worse in a car crash. MI is used to a lot of snow, and they will plow the roads and salt them to try to keep them ice free, but it depends on how bad the storm is. We also have regular road condition updates on the radio, TV and online.
Popular Destinations
Learn about Michigan’s key role in the auto industry and travel through early US history at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.
Detroit is only about an hour away. Chicago is about 4-5 hours and easily reached by train.
Washington, D.C. is also a great idea for a trip! The Smithsonian museums, the monuments, the national zoo, and the government buildings offer days of fun.
