Mackinac Island Help
 

Planning a trip to Mackinac Island in July. Can someone answer these questions for me:

1. Where is the closest airport?
2. Should we rent a car or is there transportation from the airport to the ferries?
3. If we rent a car, is there a place to park it while we stay on the island and how expensive is it?
4. Do we have to carry our own luggage onto the ferry or does someone do this for us?
5. Same question once we reach the island. Is there someone to take it to the hotel or are we on our own?

Nearest airports are Pellson (PLN) if going from the Lower Peninsula and Sault Ste. Marie if going from the UP. Know Delta Connection (Mesaba) serves both airports, others may also.

Don't know of any transportation from the aiport to ferry dock, but there maybe a bus.

Usually you carry your own luggage onboard. Some of the hotels offer pick up service at the landing on the island and will take care of your luggage.
There is ample parking near the ferry landings.

Hi, Pellston Airport is the best and easiest airport. It's a beautiful newer airport. Its only 12 miles south of Mackinaw City which is one of the towns with ferry service to the Island. St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula is the other one.

Limousine and Shuttle Services are provided 24 hours a day by two companies, Mackinaw Shuttle (888-349-8294) and Wolverine Stages (800-825-1450). Although you can make arrangements with them upon your arrival into Pellston, it is highly recommended that you contact them in advance for a reservation. After Oct. 23rd ferry service to the Island is limited. I don't know when you are traveling.

Yes, all three ferry services will help you with your luggage and will porter your luggage for you (either by bike or horse drawn taxi) to your hotel.

Have a great time! It's a magical setting...especially when ALL the other tourists head back to the Mainland each day and it becomes a more quiet and "a place where time has stood still"!
KathyAnn

Bookmarking.

The Pellston airport has 3 flights per day to/from Detroit. Less expensive options would be to fly to Detroit and drive (it's about 300 miles) or Flint (FNT) which is a regional airport that has scheduled service from Milwaukee, Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando and Minneapolis. It's about 230 miles from Flint to Mackinac.

The Pelllton Airport is lovely, but the price of flying there is many hundreds of dollars higher and the service is poor. I have never had a trip to the Pellston Ariport where the flights in and out of Pellston were both on the days scheduled. One time the airline ended up taking us to Pellston by bus from Detroit the next day. Another time they took us by taxi from Pellston to Traverse City the next day.

If the flight times and air fares work, my first choices would be Traverse City or Saginaw. The best combination of fares and flights usually has me flying into Flint, which is about 3 hours away on I-75 if traffic isn't bad.

Over the years, I have flown into Traverse City, Green Bay, Escanaba, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Detroit and (just once) Chicago to go to Mackinaw.

Keith

Thanks for all of the great info! We have decided to tour the area and rent a car but it appears that only Hertz and Avis are located at the Pellston airport and their prices are very high. Is this correct? Are there any other nearby car rental agencies?

You will not find any bargains on car rentals in or near Pellston. Checking every source of discounts (including Costco, AAA and AARP if applicable) may help a little.