Travel

Also view the Wikivoyage guide for Columbus.

WikiConference North America 2018 • Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

Schedule • Unconference • Travel Guide

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 fairs costing $2.75. Discounts are available for seniors and children.
  • View the COTA system map here

• 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 carpooling.

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.

Search for Airbnbs

Hostels

Unfortunately Columbus doesn't have a large hostel scene. The Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel is the one nearby hostel, with rates starting at $100/night.

Visit Wayfaring Buckeye

Hotels

We are working to produce a list of preferred hotels and/or discount partners. Stay tuned. In the near future, we will also be creating a Facebook and Telegram group for conference-goers to coordinate lodging and transportation.

Most lodging is located roughly 8-15 minutes away from Thompson Library via car, with much of it also accessible via COTA. Some hotels can provide shuttles between the hotel and the university.

On campus: 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).

Off campus: 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.

North of Campus There are several options here, ranging from $60 - $200. The nearest bus stop is located right outside Staybridge Suites. View on Google Maps South of Campus These are another good option and are relatively close to campus. View on Google Maps Downtown These are a roughly ~15 drive to campus, or a ~20-30 minute bus drive, depending on how far you are from a bus stop. These hotels are nice if you want to be near the heart of the city with access to good, local food and drink. These hotels will also be close to our Culture Crawl on Friday, which takes place downtown. View on Google Maps

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
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Columbus Univ Area - Osu	[2]	$182	4.2
Residence Inn by Marriott Columbus University Area	[3]	$219	4.7	Yes	Yes	Yes
Marriott Columbus University Area	[4]	$186	4.6
Hampton Inn & Suites Columbus/University Area	[5]	$209	4.5
Hilton Garden Inn Columbus-University Area	[6]	$216	4.4
Motel 6 Columbus OSU	[7]	$70	3.6
Staybridge Suites Columbus Univ Area - OSU	[8]	N/A	4.3
Red Roof PLUS+ Columbus - The Ohio State University	[9]	$127	3.9

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
Varsity Inn OSU South	[11]	$96	3.5

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
Hilton Columbus Downtown	[13]	$227	4.5
Crowne Plaza Columbus-Downtown	[14]	$211	4.2
The Lofts Hotel	[15]	$242	4
Courtyard by Marriott Columbus Downtown	[16]	$236	4.2
Residence Inn by Marriott Columbus Downtown	[17]	$217	4.3
Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel	[18]	$248	4.4
The Leveque Tower Residences	[19]	$278	4.5
Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection	[20]	$278	4.6
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Columbus Downtown	[21]	$212	4
Sheraton Columbus Capitol Square	[22]	$169	4.2
Red Roof PLUS+ Columbus Downtown - Convention Center	[23]	$197	3.9
Holiday Inn Columbus Dwtn-Capitol Square	[24]	$179	4.1
The Westin Great Southern Columbus	[25]	$226	4.2