Finger Lakes Directions

The Finger Lakes is a vast region covering about 9,000 square miles, stretching across the State of New York from Syracuse to Rochester in the north and nearly as far south as the Pennsylvania border.

By Car

Since you're going to need a car when you're visiting the Finger Lakes anyway, most people make the journey by car. The center of the Finger Lakes region is less than a day's drive from many cities, though it is important to note that it's a big region and distances vary according to which lake, and which town, you're visiting. The center of the Finger Lakes may be 295 miles from New York City, but if you're going to the town of Canadaigua, it's a good bit further. See the chart below for a list of approximate distances and driving times:

Estimated Distance and Travel Time to Ithaca, on the south end of Cayuga Lake.

By Train

As an alternative to driving all the way to the Finger Lakes, you can take Amtrak to Rochester or Syracuse, where you can pick up a rental car so you can get the most from your visit to the scenic, natural splendor of the region.

By Air

You can also fly to one of the four airports in the area: Rochester International Airport, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Elmira Corning Regional Airport and Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport.

Rochester International Airport is serviced by Air Canada, Air Tran, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, United and US Airways.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport is serviced by American Eagle, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, United Express and US Airways.

Elmira Corning Regional Airport is serviced by Northwest, US Airways and Allegiant Air.

Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport is serviced by Northwest, Continental Connection, US Airways and United (via codeshare with US Airways)

No matter how you get to the Finger Lakes, you're going to need a car once you get there. Keep in mind, these lakes are narrow but many are quite long: a sight-seeing trip that runs around an entire lake will add miles and time to your travels. It's generally more efficient to plan your trips so that you visit locations at roughly the same latitude. For example, an east-west trip from Seneca Falls (on Cayuga Lake) to (Geneva on Seneca Lake) is a short drive and a great way to explore both lakes while minimizing travel time between the lakes.