craisin

Hi there,

My sister will be going to Janesville, WI in January and I am helping her find a good roundtrip deal from San Diego, CA. So far, the lowest I've found is on orbitz for ~$300 (SAN<-->MSN) but more commonly in other sites, for ~$400.

First question: Is MSN (Madison) the closest airport to Janesville? (I may be pushing it, but, here goes: how far?)

Secondly, does anyone have any other tips on finding good deals for this trip?

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

rjw_lgb_ca

MSN is about 33 miles from Janesville. Milwaukee is about 60 miles away, and Chicago/O'Hare would be around 90 miles.

I truly doubt you'll get a R/T fare below $300 without bidding for a seat-- and/or flying to Chicago. And/or flying from another airport (say, SNA or LAX).

Airlines are not offering great deals now, seemingly. A LGB-PHL roundtrip that I bought a little while back originally cost $522.40; I priced it today (same flights) at over $1200. Caveat emptor....

rkkwan

Southwest fly non-stop SAN-MDW (Chicago Midway). As low as about $177 R/T, including tax.

But MDW-Janesville is almost 120 miles.

Flyboy

It may be possible to catch a sale with a Saturday night stay and weekday travel dates that would go for under $300, but probably not by much. San Diego tends to be a little higher than San Francisco, which I can frequently pick up for well under $300 out of Madison. Both MSN and MKE often have very decent fares. Both are easy airports to use, so it's worth at least SOMETHING more to fly into a more convenient venue. I would especially look at Madison for what you have planned.

xxxx

Yes, Madison is the closest airport to Janesville and the information you have received from previous posters is correct.

I just wanted to add that there is bus service from both O'Hare and Midway to Janesville. The bus line is Van Galder. Their website gives both schedules and prices. We've used it when flying out of Chicago. The coaches are clean and comfortable. It certainly would not be as convenient as flying into Madison, but would be a viable option.

PONCHOTJ

Try to bid on Priceline.com if your sister does not care about time schedules. It does not cost anything to bid, you might get a great deal. Just make sure the dates are definite since priceline tickets can not be changed after they are purchased.

craisin

Thanks so much for the responses. My sister is going for a medical residency interview so she has to be there on specific dates.

Thanks for the Van Galder bus tip. That's really helpful as I am weighing the pros and cons of flying into MDW instead.

ANOTHER QUESTION: Are there regularly scheduled buses/shuttles headed into Janesville at MSN?

xxxx

I'm not sure about bus service from the airport to Janesville. Check the website to see where it stops in Madison. I'm pretty sure there is a stop at the Memorial Union on the UW Campus, but I'm not sure about other stops. Honestly, a rental car would be your best bet.

My only suggestion about the bus is to make sure the extra time spent and the price of the ticket is worth the trade off in convenience.

San Diego to Janesville in January??!! What a temperature shock that will be!