Cedar Point: Amtrak

I have not tried this method yet, but as it offers a savings over flights and driving, I plan to attempt it this summer. The Amtrak train travels from Denver right into Sandusky with a layover of a few hours in Chicago. Prices are roughly $100/person less than flying and since you arrive directly in Sandusky, you avoid the time and effort of driving yourself to and from the airport.

The one problem that I foresee in using this method is that the arrival and departure times are inconvenient and may require that you take a cab to a hotel, and pick up your car in the morning as well as finding a way to return your car and still get to the train station for departure. As Sandusky is relatively small, cab fare should not be exorbitant and some rental car agencies will come and pick you up during their office hours.

The benefit would be that it appears to be the perfect balance of saving money and not having to drive. Expect to spend about 24 hours in travel, not counting layover. This may seem like a lot but when compared to the time spent arriving early for flights, and driving to and from the airport, it’s really not that bad and is certainly better than driving yourself. I anticipate a savings of around $100-150/person for the additional time spent in travel.