The Cheapest Ways to Get to College This Fall: 14 Routes We Actually Checked
by Kaitlin Cabaniss
Move-in season is coming, and so is the annual question of how to haul yourself (and a semester's worth of stuff) back to campus without spending your textbook budget on the trip.
Good news for travelers on a student budget: we dug into every fall back-to-school booking on Wanderu from last year and pulled the numbers on the 14 most popular routes to college towns, grouped by region and sorted from cheapest to priciest. The fares below are what travelers actually paid, fees included.
- 14routes checked
- $8cheapest verified fare
- 2months of real bookings
How we got these numbers
Every fare in this post comes from real Wanderu bookings made during last year's back-to-school season (August through September). “From” prices are what the cheapest 10% of travelers paid, and the “typically” range is what the middle of the pack paid. Prices move with demand, so book early and you'll land at the low end.
Northeast routes 10 routes
Boston to Providence, RI
from $8- 🚆 Train + 🚌 bus
- ⏱ ~40 minutes
- Typically $13–$22
- Amtrak Northeast Regional
- 📶 Wi-Fi + outlets
Eight dollars. Not a typo. Amtrak's Northeast Regional covers this hop in about 40 minutes, and most travelers pay under $22 even without booking early. If you're a Brown or RISD student connecting through Boston, this is the cheapest leg of your whole trip. Providence Station sits at the base of College Hill — under ten minutes on foot to RISD, a steeper fifteen up to Brown.
New York City to Boston, MA
from $25- 🚌 Bus + 🚆 train
- ⏱ ~4.5 hours
- Typically $32–$41
- OurBus · CoachRun
The undisputed heavyweight of student travel. Whether you're headed to BU, Northeastern, Emerson, Berklee, or crossing the river to Harvard or MIT, buses run practically hourly and the competition keeps fares cheap. It's about 4.5 hours door to door, which is enough time to finish your summer reading. You are going to finish that, right? Both carriers drop curbside in Back Bay — an easy walk to Northeastern, Berklee, and Emerson, with the T covering the rest.
Boston to Amherst, MA
from $31- 🚌 Bus
- ⏱ ~2.5 hours
- Typically $36
- Peter Pan
- 📶 Wi-Fi + outlets
UMass Amherst, Amherst College, and Hampshire travelers have exactly one answer, and it's Peter Pan. They run 100% of the bookings on this route, and most fares land right at $36, so there's no comparison shopping to do. The bus pulls right onto the UMass campus at Haigis Mall before continuing to Amherst Center downtown.
New York City to Providence, RI
from $33- 🚌 Bus + 🚆 train
- ⏱ ~4 hours
- Typically $33–$38
- Peter Pan
- 📶 Wi-Fi + outlets
Brown, RISD, Providence College, and Johnson & Wales travelers, this one's yours. Peter Pan runs most of the trips on this route in about 4 hours. Pro tip for the artsy crowd hauling portfolios: the bus beats the train on price by a wide margin here. One thing to check at booking: the downtown Convention Center stop puts you a walkable hill from campus, while the main terminal off I-95 means calling a rideshare.
New York City to Binghamton, NY
from $37- 🚌 Bus
- ⏱ ~3.5 hours
- Typically $41–$47
- OurBus · Adirondack Trailways
- 📶 Wi-Fi + outlets
Binghamton University travelers know this ride well. OurBus and Adirondack Trailways split the route about evenly. It's roughly 3.5 hours up Route 17, and buses fill up fast on move-in weekends, so don't sleep on this one. Some OurBus trips drop right on campus; Trailways lands downtown, with a local bus up to the university.
New York City to Ithaca, NY
from $43- 🚌 Bus
- ⏱ ~5 hours
- Typically $47–$52
- OurBus · Megabus
Cornell and Ithaca College sit at the top of a hill in the middle of gorges country, and the bus is genuinely the easiest way to get there without a car. OurBus and Megabus run direct trips in about 5 hours. Ithaca is gorges. Sorry. It had to be said. Both carriers stop on Cornell's campus as well as downtown on the Commons.
New York City to Syracuse, NY
from $44- 🚌 Bus + 🚆 train
- ⏱ ~5 hours
- Typically $50–$58
- Adirondack Trailways
- 📶 Wi-Fi + outlets
Syracuse University and SUNY ESF are a 5ish-hour trip from the city. Adirondack Trailways carries the most travelers on this route. Trains run it too, if you'd rather trade a few bucks for the option to walk around and grab a snack. Trailways lands at the downtown transportation hub, a quick Centro bus up to the hill.
Philadelphia to Boston, MA
from $46- 🚌 Bus + 🚆 train
- ⏱ 6–7 hours
- Typically $52–$60
- Greyhound · FlixBus
- 📶 Wi-Fi + outlets
Philly students heading to Boston schools can skip the I-95 slog. Greyhound and FlixBus run this route all day, and overnight options exist if you want to wake up in Boston with your whole day ahead of you. Plus it's like a free hotel built into your travel plans! You'll roll into South Station, right on the Red Line.
New York City to State College, PA
from $57- 🚌 Bus
- ⏱ ~5 hours
- Typically $62–$69
- Fullington Trailways
Happy Valley is a haul from pretty much everywhere, and that's half its charm. Fullington Trailways owns this route, and it drops you right in town, with the Blue Loop campus shuttle across the street. Penn State travelers, book this one early! Football weekends snatch up empty seats like you wouldn't believe.
Washington, DC to Boston, MA
from $62- 🚌 Bus + 🚆 train
- ⏱ 8–10 hours
- Typically $70–$83
- FlixBus · Greyhound
- 📶 Wi-Fi + outlets
The longest trip on this list, and still way cheaper than flying. Flights on this corridor look cheap until you add a checked bag and the ride to the airport. This is where the overnight bus earns its keep.
Midwest & West routes 4 routes
Chicago to Champaign, IL
from $20- 🚆 Train + 🚌 bus
- ⏱ ~2.5 hours
- Typically $30–$35
- Amtrak Illini · FlixBus
The Illini pipeline. Amtrak's Illini Service and FlixBus split this route evenly, and it's about 2.5 hours through the corn. The train is a campus tradition at this point. Board at Union Station, nap, wake up at U of I. Two heads-ups: the Illini train has outlets at every seat but no Wi-Fi, so download your shows before Union Station — and Illinois Terminal sits downtown, a short MTD bus hop from the quad.
Portland to Eugene, OR
from $20- 🚆 Train + 🚌 bus
- ⏱ 2.5–3 hours
- Typically $20
- Amtrak
- 📶 Wi-Fi + outlets
Ducks, this one's for you. Amtrak covers the Willamette Valley run for around $20, with connecting buses filling the gaps between trains. Cheaper than a tank of gas, and you can bring a bike! The Thruway bus even stops on campus at the Jaqua Center; the train itself lands downtown, a couple of miles out.
Milwaukee to Madison, WI
from $27.50- 🚌 Bus
- ⏱ ~90 minutes
- Typically $27.50
- Badger Bus
- 📶 Wi-Fi
Badger Bus has been running this route since before your parents were students, and it carries most of the travelers on it. The typical fare sits at $27.50 and barely moves with demand, which is a rare thing worth appreciating. About 90 minutes between the two biggest college cities in Wisconsin. The stop is on campus, too — North Lake Street, by the Gordon dining hall.
Chicago to Madison, WI
from $33- 🚆 Train + 🚌 bus
- ⏱ ~3 hours
- Typically $41–$46
- Amtrak Thruway · Coach USA
UW–Madison travelers get options here, between Amtrak Thruway connections and Coach USA buses. Fridays and Sundays are the busy days in both directions, because Madison students treat Chicago as their second home. Van Galder drops you right outside Memorial Union, dead center of campus.
The move-in weekend warning
Everyone books the same three days in late August, and we checked what that does to prices. Travelers who booked three or more weeks ahead typically paid about 7% under their route's going rate. Day-of bookers paid over it, and the priciest last-minute fares ran more than double the cheapest early ones. If you already know your move-in date, book now. If your school posts move-in windows in July, that email is your starting gun.
Labor Day was the priciest travel day of last fall's back-to-school window. If you can travel midweek, even one day off the peak, you'll usually land a cheaper fare and a quieter bus.
And bookmark this page: the same routes do all of this again at Thanksgiving, the busiest travel week of the year, so book that trip even earlier.
More ways to keep the trip cheap
- Book three weeks out.It’s the sweet spot in the booking data, and the cheapest seats around move-in weekend are the first ones gone.
- Travel Tuesday through Thursday.Fridays and Sundays are peak student migration. Midweek trips are cheaper and emptier.
- Check student discounts.Amtrak takes 15% off for travelers 17–24 if you book at least a day ahead, Trailways gives students 15% on many routes, and OurBus cuts 10% off your first ride with a .edu email. All of it stacks with booking early.
- Know the luggage rules.Most buses include a carry-on plus one checked bag free, which covers a lot of dorm room if you pack smart. Check your trip’s luggage policy on Wanderu before you show up with a futon.
- Compare bus and train on the same search.On a lot of these routes the cheapest option flips between bus and train depending on the day. Wanderu shows both, so you don't have to guess.
FAQ
What’s the cheapest way to get to college without a car?
Bus or train, almost every time. On the 14 routes above, verified fares start between $8 and $62 depending on distance, and booking a few weeks early gets you the low end. Flying only wins on cross-country moves, and even then bags change the math.
When should I book my back-to-school trip?
As soon as you know your move-in date. Early bookers got the best fares in last fall’s data and last-minute bookers paid the most. Three weeks ahead is the sweet spot; earlier is better for move-in weekend itself.
Can I bring all my stuff on the bus?
Most bus companies include one checked bag and a carry-on free, with extra bags for a small fee. It won’t cover a full dorm setup, but clothes, electronics, and bedding are very doable. Ship the rest, or hit the Target run after you arrive like everyone else.
What if my plans change?
Depends on the carrier, but many offer changeable or refundable fare options for a few dollars more. Every trip’s change and refund policy is listed on Wanderu before you pay, so if your move-in date isn’t locked yet, give it a glance at checkout.
Is the bus or the train cheaper for students?
It depends on the route and the day. Buses usually win on shorter hops and competitive corridors like New York to Boston. Trains sometimes win on routes like Boston to Providence, where Amtrak fares start at $8. Search the route on Wanderu and you’ll see both side by side.
Fares based on actual Wanderu bookings, August–September 2025, including fees. Prices vary by date and demand and aren't guaranteed. Book early for the best deals.