Travel
Welcome to an overview of staying in and getting around Columbus, Ohio. This overview will be expanded and improved as the conference nears.
On Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday of our conference, we will be in and around Thompson Library, located at the heart of the Ohio State University campus. On Friday, we will be doing our Culture Crawl activities (tours, museums, etc.) mostly in downtown Columbus.
Transportation
Columbus is a car-centric city, with Uber and Lyft (ridesharing services) widely available. Columbus is also served by the COTA public bus service, which will be able to take you between most important places in the city (including Ohio State, downtown, and the airport).
Airport
John Glenn International Airport: Columbus is served by the John Glenn International Airport (CMH), located 6 miles east of downtown Columbus. Southwest Airlines provides the most flights through Columbus, following by American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines (in that order). Budget flights from Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, and Orlando are available via Spirit Airlines.
It is roughly 20 minutes from the airport to Thompson Library via car (we recommend a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to your destination - starting at between $20-$30). Busing is also available, though will take up to an hour to get to campus.
Carpooling is recommended; as the conference nears, we will provide mediums for participants to coordinate arrival times and carpooling.
Rickenbacker International Airport: For those flying Allegiant Air, it is a roughly a 30-minute drive from the campus to the airport (Taxi, Uber, or Lyft strongly recommended, will cost around $40). Busing is also available (COTA Line 22 from airport to downtown), though it will take more than an hour to get to campus.
Bus
- If you are arriving via Greyhound, the Columbus Greyhound Station is located at 111 E. Town Street Columbus, Ohio 43215.
- Columbus' public transportation consists of the COTA bus service. Fare information can be found here; passes may be purchased upon arrival at John Glenn International Airport, at the AirConnect bus stop located outside of Arrivals (credit card only). COTA day passes cost $4.50, while 7-day passes cost $25. Single one-way trip fares are $2, with rush hour fares costing $2.75. Discounts are available for seniors and children.
- Ohio State University has its own bus service called CABS, which is free to ride around campus.
Car
Columbus is served by both Lyft and Uber. These rideshare services are easy to use via a smartphone, and we highly recommend participants share rides to share costs. Lyft and Uber rides can support 4 or more passengers at a time.
As the conference nears, we will provide mediums for participants to coordinate rideshare or carpooling. Also, Columbus is a car-oriented city, so if rideshare or carpooling isn't an option, car rental is strongly recommended.
Shuttle
Some hotels provide shuttles to and from the airport, as well as the Ohio State University. Stay tuned for a list.
Lodging
Airbnb
Airbnb is an online marketplace where individuals can rent out their own apartments, houses, etc. There are many quality and affordable Airbnbs available in the area, starting for as low as around $50 per night. Many Airbnbs have multiple bedrooms, making it an extra-affordable lodging option for groups.
Hostels
Unfortunately Columbus doesn't have a hostel scene. The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel is the only hostel in the vicinity, with rates starting at $100/night.
Hotels
Most lodging is located roughly 8-15 minutes away from central campus (conference location) via car, with much of it also accessible via COTA. Some hotels can provide shuttles between the hotel and the university. There are many hotels located north of campus as well as downtown, with some other options located throughout the rest of the area. These hotels start at around $60/night, and average at between $100-$200/night. We are currently working to acquire preferred and discount hotel partners. The most budget options include Red Roof Inns.
We recommend checking out third-party travel sites to find deals; many also offer generous cancellation policies if you need some flexibility.
Ohio State has one hotel on-campus, the Blackwell Inn. Due to other events happening on the same weekend, availability is highly limited. It is an approximately 10 minute walk to the Thompson Library, and can easily access the campus bus system (CABS).
 Modified screenshot of OpenStreetMap®. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Data Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL), cartography CC BY-SA 2.0. |
North of Campus South of Campus Downtown |
| North of Campus | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Name | Google Maps Link | Prices (Oct 18-21) | Google Rating | Breakfast? | Internet? | Shuttle to Campus? |
| Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Columbus OSU | [1] | $216 | 4.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Columbus Univ Area - Osu | [2] | $182 | 4.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Residence Inn by Marriott Columbus University Area | [3] | $219 | 4.7 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Marriott Columbus University Area | [4] | $186 | 4.6 | No | No | No |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Columbus/University Area | [5] | $209 | 4.5 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hilton Garden Inn Columbus-University Area | [6] | $216 | 4.4 | No | Yes | No |
| Motel 6 Columbus OSU | [7] | $70 | 3.6 | No | Yes | No |
| Staybridge Suites Columbus Univ Area - OSU | [8] | N/A | 4.3 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Red Roof PLUS+ Columbus - The Ohio State University | [9] | $127 | 3.9 | No | Yes | No |
| East of Campus (Fairgrounds) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Name | Google Maps Link | Prices (Oct 18-21) | Google Rating | Breakfast? | Internet? | Shuttle to Campus? |
| SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbus OSU | [10] | $221 | 4.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Varsity Inn OSU South | [11] | $96 | 3.5 | No | Yes | No |
| Downtown | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Name | Google Maps Link | Prices (Oct 18-21) | Google Rating | Breakfast? | Internet? | Shuttle to Campus? |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Columbus-Downtown | [12] | $234 | 4.5 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Hilton Columbus Downtown | [13] | $227 | 4.5 | No | No | No |
| Crowne Plaza Columbus-Downtown | [14] | $211 | 4.2 | No | Yes | No |
| The Lofts Hotel | [15] | $242 | 4 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Courtyard by Marriott Columbus Downtown | [16] | $236 | 4.2 | No | Yes | No |
| Residence Inn by Marriott Columbus Downtown | [17] | $217 | 4.3 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel | [18] | $248 | 4.4 | No | No | No |
| Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection | [19] | $278 | 4.6 | No | Yes | No |
| DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Columbus Downtown | [20] | $212 | 4 | No | Yes | No |
| Sheraton Columbus Capitol Square | [21] | $169 | 4.2 | No | No | No |
| Red Roof PLUS+ Columbus Downtown - Convention Center | [22] | $197 | 3.9 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Holiday Inn Columbus Dwtn-Capitol Square | [23] | $179 | 4.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The Westin Great Southern Columbus | [24] | $226 | 4.2 | Yes | No | No |
About Columbus
The city's climate is humid continental transitional with the humid subtropical climate to the south characterized by hot, muggy summers and cold, dry winters. It is home to OSU, one of the largest universities in the United States. Columbus is the state capital of Ohio, and the third most populous capital city in the US. The city has a diverse economy based on education, government, insurance, banking, defense, aviation, food, clothes, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail, and technology.
Practical matters
- Language: English
- Currency: U.S. Dollar
- Time zone: Greenwich Mean Time (-04:00)
- Country dialing code: +1
- Voltage: 110-120 (single phase)
- Electrical Socket: NEMA 5-15, grounded, type B plug
Tipping
Tipping is customary in the United States. Tips are calculated pre-tax. Meals with waiter service average between 10-20% on the pre-tax total. Tip US$1 per drink at bars. Taxis, hairdressers, tour guides, masseuses, etc. are 10-20%. Bellperson or Skycap: $2 for 1st bag, then $1 for each bag thereafter. Restroom staff: $1. Housekeepers: $2-5 per day. Shuttle drivers $2-5 depending on distance. Anybody doing a service for you should be tipped-out including concierge, maitre d', and so on. Fast food: 10-30%. Uber driver: $0 (per driver agreement). Lyft driver: 0-20%.