Bus from Ithaca to New York

The bus from Ithaca to New York is the reliable Cornell-to-Manhattan run, used by students heading home, by parents visiting campus, by alumni back for football weekends, and by travellers heading down from the Finger Lakes for a weekend in the city. Taking the Ithaca to New York bus is the easiest way south if you don't want to drive the long Route 79 and Route 17 stretch through the Catskills. You sit down with your bag at your feet, your seat is assigned, and the driver handles the rest. The bus also lets you arrive in Manhattan ready to use the subway immediately, without dealing with parking in midtown.

How to get to the Greyhound station in Ithaca

Greyhound buses to New York leave from one of three Ithaca stops. The main one is in central Ithaca at 131 East Green Street, where buses board curbside in front of Urban Outfitters in the heart of the downtown Commons. The Cornell stops are at 121 Jessup Road on the North Campus and 240 West Avenue on the West Campus — both useful if you're a student leaving from a campus dorm.

The downtown Green Street stop puts you in the heart of the Commons pedestrian district, with restaurants, shops and the central buses around you. TCAT, the local public bus network, serves the Commons heavily, so you can connect from anywhere on the network to your boarding point.

Plan to arrive in good time before your departure since curbside stops don't wait long once the bus pulls in. Have your ticket ready on your phone or printed. The Ithaca Commons is a short walk from most downtown hotels and the Holiday Inn Ithaca.

How to get around New York when your bus from Ithaca to New York arrives

Greyhound services into New York pull into one of several stops, with the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal at 625 8th Avenue as the main one. From there you're in Midtown immediately — Times Square is a couple of blocks east, Penn Station is a few south, and the rest of Manhattan is on the subway lines that run directly under your feet.

The MTA subway is the backbone of New York. From Port Authority, the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, N, Q, R, W, 7 and S lines are all within walking distance, putting almost every neighbourhood in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens within reach. OMNY tap-to-pay works on every turnstile, so you don't need a separate transit card if you have a contactless credit card or phone.

Buses fill in where the subway doesn't reach, and the Select Bus Service routes run quickly across town. Walking is genuinely viable in Midtown — distances often look bigger on the map than they feel on foot. For trips out to the airports, the AirTrain to JFK from Jamaica and the LGA Connector both work, with the subway connecting to the airport-area stations. Within Manhattan itself, the subway and walking cover almost everything most travellers need.

Top things to do in New York

• The Empire State Building or One World Observatory for the city's signature skyline view, especially at sunset.
• Central Park, the central green space, with the Bethesda Terrace, the Mall and the boating lake worth at least an unhurried afternoon.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side, with collections covering thousands of years of human history.
• The 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, with the twin reflecting pools occupying the original tower footprints.
• Times Square at night, briefly — the lit-up billboards are a real experience whether or not you stay long.
• The High Line, the elevated park built on a former rail line, running through Chelsea and the Meatpacking District.
• The Brooklyn Bridge walk from Manhattan to DUMBO, with the best free skyline view of the city from the Brooklyn side.
• Greenwich Village and the West Village, with the brownstone streetscapes that anchor most New York film locations.
• Coney Island in summer, for the boardwalk, the Wonder Wheel and the Nathan's hot dog stand.

If you can time it for autumn, the Ithaca to New York bus drops you in a Manhattan that's at its photogenic best — Central Park's foliage in October, the West Village's brownstones in their autumn colour, and the long Cornell-style ride down through the Catskills with their own colour show along the way. Use the search bar on this page to check schedules and book bus tickets when your dates are firm.

Planning Your Greyhound Bus Trip from Ithaca to New York?

The journey from Ithaca to New York can take as little as 4 hours 20 minutes and starts from as little as $37.98. The earliest bus leaves at 07:20 am and the last bus leaves at 07:15 pm. Greyhound schedules 5 buses per day from Ithaca to New York. Travel with Greyhound and enjoy complimentary Wifi, access to power sockets, and a comfortable seat throughout your trip. Don't miss any updates on your bus trip: stay informed with our real-time bus tracker and check the status of your ride to New York in seconds.

How to Book Your Bus Ticket to New York from Ithaca

With Greyhound, reserving a ticket for your bus trip is a breeze. You can easily complete your booking on this website or through the free Greyhound App, all within a few simple clicks. You will have a variety of rides to choose from, as on many of our routes you will be offered both Greyhound and FlixBus bus rides, so you can choose the option that best fits your schedule. When booking your ticket from Ithaca to New York, you have a range of secure online payment options at your disposal, including both debit and credit cards. If you prefer, cash payments are also accepted at various sales points. If you're on the hunt for a cheap ticket to New York, remember to book early. Traveling on weekdays or during non-peak hours can also lead you to some of the most budget-friendly fares available!