Travel

The Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) is the closest major airline hub to Ann Arbor.

For SIGIR 2018, we will have a welcome desk set up at the airport to provide assistance for information about the area as well as helping you to make your way to Ann Arbor.  The welcome desk will be open from 10am-6pm on Saturday July 7 and Sunday July 8. It will be located in the baggage claim area of the MacNamara terminal, which is the terminal serving Delta Airlines and its partners (Air France, Aeromexico).

 

Getting to Ann Arbor from Detroit Metro Airport

You have a number of options at different cost levels, either pre-booked or on-demand at the airport itself. Ann Arbor is 25 minutes by vehicle from the Detroit airport (DTW).

  • Pre-book your ride: The conference has negotiated special rates with Golden Limo for an airport shuttle between Ann Arbor and Detroit airport (DTW).  USD 40 one-way, or USD 65 round-trip, which is considerably cheaper than a taxi. The shuttle will pick up/drop off at any of the official conference hotels (see drop-down list on their form). You can reserve your place using the following link:  https://goldenlimo.com/sigir-2018/ 
  • Bus service is $12 each way. http://myairride.com/AirRide/Schedule
    Detailed schedule:  http://www.theride.org/services/airport-service/schedules  You should go to the “Blake Transit Center” stop, which is in downtown Ann Arbor.
  • Taxi service is $55-70 each way.  Follow the Taxi / Ground Transportation signs in the airport.
  • The ride services Lyft and Uber are available, and typically $45-$70 each way (though prices could be higher depending on demand pricing). See this guide for Uber from Detroit airport (DTW).
  • An additional, cheaper option to taxi service is Lisa’s Sedan Service – about $40 flat rate to/from DTW.
  • Car rentals from all major rental companies are available at the airport, but not recommended if you stay at one of the housing options within 1km of the conference venue.

Getting to Ann Arbor by rail or road

  • The station in Ann Arbor that serves both Amtrak and Greyhound is within 1 mile of the venue. This may be an option for students and attendees in the midwest, or those wishing to take a day trip to Chicago.
  • Parking is available in public lots a few blocks from the conference site, at a cost of $1.20/hour. The closest parking structure with public spaces is located on Maynard Street between Liberty and William (Parking Map).

 

Professional travel assistance

If you’d like professional assistance with your travel plans (for a small service fee), you can contact Conlin Travel at +1-855-200-8785 or by email at corporatetravel@conlintravel.com to assist with your air and/or hotel reservations.  When calling please have the following information readily available:  legal name as it appears on your government issued photo id, passport information if traveling internationally, date of birth, gender, credit card and any personal preferences (i.e. seat selection, frequent flyer numbers, etc.).  This will allow the agent to most efficiently assist you with your reservations.  The service fee to book with Conlin is $18 domestic for air/hotel, $28 international for air/hotel and $10 for hotel only.

 

Local transportation within Ann Arbor

 

Take the free SIGIR Shuttle!

In addition to the locally-available options for getting around, SIGIR 2018 will have a free shuttle bus running for attendees staying in the Briarwood Circle area (Kensington, Holiday Inn Express & Hilton Garden Inn) and the Boardwalk Drive area (Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn and Suites, and the Sheraton).

You can track the bus live on your iOS or Android device with the DoubleMap app, available from the App Store or Google Play Store—search for “University of Michigan Magic Bus” and check the SIGIR bus routes.

The shuttle will run approximately every 20–30 minutes from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM, and approximately every 30–40 minutes until 10:30 PM. After 5 PM, the shuttle will stop at the corner of William and Main Streets in downtown Ann Arbor. The buses will continue to loop from the MI League, to Main St., to the hotel areas until the last pick up on Main St. at 1030 pm going back to the hotel areas.

The full bus schedule is:

Sunday, July 8th 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Monday, July 9th 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Tuesday, July 10th 6:30 AM – 8:30 PM*
* From 12:30 PM to 8:30 PM there will be only 1 U-M bus due to our evening event. Ford Conference Center and Henry Ford Museum Buses will load in front of the Michigan League at 5:15 PM.
Wednesday, July 11th 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Thursday, July 12th 6:30 AM – 6:30 PM*
* There will be not Main St. stop on this day.

 

The last pickup will be at the downtown location at 10:30 PM returning to the hotels.

The stops are as follows:

Briarwood Circle Area

  • Hilton Garden Inn
  • Holiday Inn Express  (if you’re staying at the Kensington, just walk next door and use this stop)

Boardwalk Dr. Area

  • Hampton Inn
  • Courtyard by Marriott
  • Holiday Inn and Suites

Downtown Ann Arbor (after 5pm)

  • William and Main St. (5:00 PM – 10:30 PM except Thursday July 12th)

Conference venue

  • Michigan League 

 

 

Click here for more information about area transportation.