What is the best way to get to Mackinac Island? We are coming from St. Louis and wanted to fly into Michigan. I guess we will have to rent a car no matter where we fly into?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Flying into Michigan is a great start. Then, I think if you rent a car with a gps and type in "north" you'll eventually find yourself on the bridge. You can't miss it. From either end of it, you can find a ferry to the island.

Hello from Detroit!

Flying into Mich. would be a great start, if you could fly into say Traverse City and rent a car and then drive up to Mac, that would save you about 4 hours driving wise.

If you fly right into DTW and rent a car it will take you approx. 6 hours. It is a straight shot up I-75, like JRP said you can't miss it. Traverse city is beautiful and so is the surrounding area, if you get the chance check it out. Torch lake is one of the prettiest I've seen in the U.P.

Bring a lot of money to Mack, it's pretty expensive but really nice and I think a wonderful family experience. Of course bring extra cash for Fudge, you can possibly get addicted and will need more and more as time goes on. And you'll want to take some home, that is if you can get it there

There are some good Hotel deals right now for Mack. You may want to consider staying in Mack City instead and take the ferry over each day. But staying on the Island is pretty unique and worth the extra. Lillac inn is very nice, and of course The Grand Hotel is very famous and if you are a "somewhere in time" fan, this is a must. The Grand has deals that include breakfast and dinner. Check it out at grandhotel.com/

I like the ride over the Mack. Bridge myself. Before or after the trip on the bridge pull over and take a picture holding hands with the one you love with the bridge in the background. Also do not drive a yugo car on the bridge if it's windy (that's for the people in Mich) it's kind of a sick joke.

Michigan is Beautiful especailly in the Fall. I really do hope you all come here for a vacatiion.

Theresa in Detroit.

It's worth staying at the Grand Hotel, just to experience it. My husband and I usually stay 2 nts at the Grand and any add'l either at one of the many B&B's on the island (at a much lesser rate than the grand) or stay in the city and take the ferry over.

If you stay at the Grand, when you arrive on the island a horse drawn carriage with drivers in red long-tails will be awaiting your arrival to take you and your luggage to the hotel.

The b'fast & dinners included in your room rate are incredible - as is the dining room itself.

Have fun!

If you'd like driving less you can fly through Detroit and then get a Northwest AirLink flight into CIU (Sault Ste Marie) where you can rent a car and drive the few(er) miles south to Mac.

If you want to avoid driving completely, the closest airport to Mackinac is Pellston (PLN). It's about 12 miles and has service from DTW via Northwest Arilink. The flight is about an hour.

There are two shuttle services that operate between the airport and the ferry docks. Wolverine Stages, www.wolverinestages.com and Mackinaw Shuttle www.mackinawshuttle.com

We went once in June for the Lilac Festival, and it was gorgeous. We drove from Kentucky (took most of a day), stayed in Mac City, and took the ferry over.

The Pellston airport is beautiful. The airline service is dreadful.

I can live with the limited flights and high cost. What I can't put up with are the many flight cancellations. After trying to use that airport several times (and different seasons of the year) I never had a trip where my arrival and departure were both on the days scheduled. My brother once was stranded there three straight days - he finally rented a car and drove to Detroit.

I had a flight into Pellston that ended up being a bus from the Detroit Airport to Pellston, and a flight that ended up being a 4AM bus ride to Traverse City from the airport on the following day.

Traverse City has more airlines and better service. But getting times that work is still difficult. Rental cars at TC are usually expensive. Ones at Pellston are even worse.

I find that Flint works out about best for flying in for trips to the sStraits. Saginaw, Lansing and Grand Rapids also work. Worst case, you can go to Detroit. Maybe not worst case if you have good reasonably priced air service to Detroit.

Keith

When you are on the island, I strongly suggest you make a reservation to dine at the "Woods". It's a wonderful lodge back in the woods on the island where you will be taken by a horse drawn taxi. The food is wonderful and there is a unique bowling alley in the bar where you use small balls about he size of a bocce ball and you have to have someone set the pins up each time you play. Very fun!

Fly into Traverse City ( TVC ) and then rent a car to go to Mackinaw City. It's only a two hour drive and pretty, as you will go through Charlevoix and Petoskey too.

Thank you all so much! You have been very helpful! Not sure if Mackinac is going to be our weekend getaway, but if we decide to, at least I'll know how to get there!!

I don't know that it makes a difference, but it NWA announced yesterday that they will not be adding flights into Pellston this summer like they normally do.

Now that is good news. Because of this move by NWA, Emmet county has authorized the airport to seek a second airline.

I would love to see Midwest Airlines go into Pellston!

Keith
(who is flying Midwest into Flint tomorrow on his way to Mackinaw)