Connecticut is an easy drive-to destination from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Alternative inbound transportation options include commercial bus lines, Amtrak and Metro-North rail service, and ferries that connect the southern shore with New York's Long Island. Connecticut's centrally located airport, Bradley International, offers travelers a convenient schedule of daily arrivals.

Bradley International Airport (BDL)

Bradley International Airport (860-292-2000 or 888-624-1533, www.bradleyairport.com), located just fifteen minutes north of Hartford in Windsor Locks, is an easily accessible transportation hub that serves the Greater Hartford/Springfield area as well as western New England. It is the region's second-largest airport, serving nearly 7 million passengers annually. Bradley International Airport is located at exit 40 off I-91.

MAJOR AIRLINES SERVING BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Airport Connections

In addition to limousine and taxi services, a number of shuttle operators and bus companies offer airport transfers. Connecticut Transit (860-522-8101, www.cttransit.com) operates buses that connect the airport and the Old State House in downtown Hartford. Valley Transporter (413-253-1350 or 800-872-8752, www.valleytransporter.com) shuttles students and others between Bradley and the towns and colleges of the Pioneer Valley in Massachusetts. Connecticut Limo (203-878-2222 or 800-472-5466, www.ctlimo.com) connects Bradley with these Connecticut destinations: Bridgeport, Danbury, Farmington, Hartford, Meriden, Milford, New Haven, Norwalk, Southbury, Stamford, Wallingford, and Waterbury.

Ferry Services

Two ferry companies link Long Island and Connecticut year-round. Cross Sound Ferry (860-443-5281, www.longislandferry.com) offers high-speed auto and passenger ferry service between Orient Point, New York, and New London, Connecticut. The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry (203-335-2040, www.bpjferry.com) provides car and passenger transport between Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Port Jefferson, New York. In addition, from late May until early September, Viking Fleet (631-668-5700, www.vikingfleet.com) offers passenger-only ferry service between Montauk, New York, and New London, Connecticut.

Getting Around

Once you arrive in Connecticut, you'll find that public transportation options are rather limited. Connecticut Transit (860-525-9181, www.cttransit.com) operates regularly scheduled bus services in Greater Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford. Metro-North Railroad (212-340-3000 or 800-638-7646, www.mta.info/mnr) has stations in Fairfield and New Haven counties along its 72-mile New Haven Line, which has offshoot branches extending north to New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury. Amtrak also has a presence in the state, with its Acela Express trains making stops in Stamford, New Haven, and New London, and the Regional line connecting Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.

For maximum flexibility, and to reach many of Connecticut's finest family attractions, you will need a car. Most national car-rental chains have outlets in the state. Avis (800-331-1212, www.avis.com), Budget (800-527-0700, www.budget.com), Hertz (800-654-3131, www.hertz.com), and National (800-227-7368, www.nationalcar.com) all have cars available for pickup on-site at Bradley International Airport.