Traveling Outside Bloomington
Current Students
Information for Living in the US- Current Students Main Page
Traveling Outside of Bloomington
Please Note: If you plan to travel outside the US, it is very important that you have your I-20 or DS-2019 signed for travel before you depart from the US. Please log in to iStart to request a travel signature. Please make sure to give the OIS at least 10 business days to process this request.
By Air/Flight
For domestic and international flights, our region of Indiana is served by Indianapolis International Airport. Flights from Indianapolis International Airport connect to a great number of other cities (Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta, New York City/Newark).
If you are interested in booking a flight from Indianapolis International Airport, you can visit a flight booking website or contact the airline directly.
Some flight-booking websites are:
Some specific airlines that serve the United States and which link to international flights are:
Additionally, you may wish to book your trip through a travel agency. Some local travel agencies can be found by going to Google and typing “Travel Agency Bloomington IN” in the search function. This returns several agencies in the area.
By Shuttle/Bus/Train/Car
There are shuttles that provide transportation to Indianapolis International Airport and other destinations.
Two companies service Indianapolis International Airport:
In addition to Indianapolis International Airport, Star of America offers shuttle service to Chicago’s airports for Spring Break travel, and you can charter their services for other needs. Please refer to their website above for more information about the availability of these services.
Catch A Ride, Inc. provides student only express bus service from IU to Northbrook, Oakbrook, and Schaumburg, Illinois and Merrillville, Indiana for key holidays,semester breaks, and select weekends.
If you would like to travel by bus to another North American location (US and Canada), Greyhound Bus services the state of Indiana.
There is limited train service in Indiana. Please refer to Amtrak’s website for information about availability of services.
If you would like to rent a vehicle, some local car rental agencies can be found by going to Google and typing “Rental Car Bloomington IN” in the search function. This returns several agencies in the area.
Sharing Rides:
If you would like to travel and would like to find someone who may be going to your destination, ride-boards are posted in online venues, including Craigslist and Onestart.
Zimride (www.zimride.com/iub) provides IU-Bloomington students, staff and faculty an easy way to find and share rides with one another. This alternative to riding alone is a fun, easy, and sustainable solution that now demonstrates how working together can create a new form of transportation. All IUB students, faculty, and staff are eligible to sign up for our private Zimride system. There is no cost for membership. Zimride helps you offer or request rides for commutes, road trips, and popular events. If you have a car, split costs by offering rides. If you don’t have a car, find rides where you need to go.
Weekend Trips with the International Center
The International Center organizes trips to nearby cities like Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. For more information, please see the International Center’s Special Events page.
