Visit the Great Lakes

Is it possible or easy to catch a cab to visit the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan) to the west of Grand Rapids city? Appreciate your feedback for planning my holiday. Thanks.

Visit the Great Lakes

Lake Michigan is about 30 mi/54 km from Grand Rapids. It would be much less easier to rent a car and drive yourself. But, the lake covers about 22,000 square miles/58,000 sq km, so it depends exactly what part of the lake you want to visit.

Saugatuck and Douglas would be nice places. There are nice shopping areas with many art galleries where you can walk and several restaurants that overlook the water. Other cities close by are South Haven or Grand Haven.

Visit the Great Lakes

I don%26#39;t drive, so I need to rely on taxi. Does taxi want to travel to say Grand Haven?

The best thing for you to do would be to find a couple of Grand Rapids taxi companies on the internet and ask them how much it would cost. Just search ';Grand Rapids Michigan cab service,'; or something like that. I%26#39;m guessing that they would do it, but it would be expensive. Also, you%26#39;d have to plan for taxi rides in both directions. You can probably catch a cab on the street in Grand Rapids, but I doubt if you can catch a cab on the street in any of the small lakeside towns. You would have to call to be picked up.

You might want to check out Amtrak. It runs train service from Grand Rapids to Holland (on Lake Michigan) and Bangor (near South Haven, which is also on Lake Michigan). In both cases, though, I%26#39;m sure that the train station will not be close to the beach, so you would have to take a taxi from the train station to the beach. It sounds a little complicated, but I%26#39;m sure it would be cheaper than taxi fare all the way from Grand Rapids.

There just isn%26#39;t much for mass transit in western Michigan. Everyone drives, so renting a car would be the easiest option. But Amtrak might be helpful since you don%26#39;t drive.

Enjoy your trip - I hope you get to see Lake Michigan. I think its beaches are beautiful.

Hello WoodlandsSingapore,

Welcome to the Michigan - Grand Rapids Forum.

How long will you be in Grand Rapids and what time of the year will you be there. How are you getting to Grand Rapids and how are you leaving? Are you going to be in Grand Rapids on Business or visiting Friends?

I am visiting friends with my family. Plan to be there in June, arriving from Orlando by flight after we have toured Watts Disney World and Kennedy Space Centre. After Grand Rapids, we are going on to Niagara Falls, Kingston and New York City. Do any tour company do a day trip to Lake Michigan? Is Chicago a good place to view the lake, I can arrange to transit there when flying from Orlando to GR. Will the airport in Chicago be near to the city or lake? Sorry, lots of queries.

Hello again,

If you are visiting friends in Grand Rapids could they take you to Lake Michigan or some friends of your friends take you there? Lake Michigan is about 40 minutes from Grand Rapids.

I called a Taxi Service in Grand Rapids and they said it would cost about $90 one way to go from Grand Rapids to Grand Haven. Grand Haven is a city by Lake Michigan. That is $180 round trip.

There is also a city called Holland, Michigan that is about 35 minutes from Grand Rapids. Holland, Michigan is about 5 miles (8 km) from Lake Michigan. To take a taxi to Holland, Michigan you are looking at about $140 round trip. Then you have to figure the cost of going from Holland, Michigan to Lake Michigan. A taxi from Holland, Michigan to Holland State Park or the town of Macatawa (which both are on Lake Michigan) is about $40 round trip. So again your looking at about $180 round trip.

An option to look at if you can’t get friends to take you to Lake Michigan is to take the Amtrak Train from Grand Rapids to Holland, Michigan. The cost is $5 per person, one way. Then take a taxi from the Amtrak Train Station to either the Holland State Park or the town of Macatawa for $40 round trip. The only problem with this is the schedule. To take the Amtrak train from Grand Rapids to Holland the train leaves at 7:35am from Grand Rapids and arrives in Holland, Michigan at 8:21am. The return trip leaves Holland, Michigan at 9:21pm and arrives at Grand Rapids at 10:20pm. You would have to spend about 13 hours in the Holland area.

I still believe you will be able to find a friend in Grand Rapids to take you. If I lived closer I would take you.

Try giving Greyhound a call (busline). I know there are stations in GR and Holland. 1-800-231-2222.

I wasn%26#39;t able to look it up on line.

Your flight from Chicago to GR will give you a fantastic view of the lake, that is if its daytime and clear.

Hello,

I went and called Greyhound bus lines. I am not sure is WoodlandsSingapore would be able to call from Singapore without costing a bit.

The Greyhound Bus line from Grand Rapids to Holland, Michigan would cost $8.80 one way per person.

The bus leaves Grand Rapids at 10:30am or 4:30pm and takes about 40 minutes to get to Holland, Michigan.

The return schedule from Holland to Grand Rapids leaves at 2:55pm or 10:00pm and cost $8.80 one way per person.

I met to have in my post - Good idea Rono!!

Thank you so much for going great lengths to check out for me. Appreciate very much. Is it any taxi company in Grand Rapids will go to Grand Haven, or only certain specific one? Can you pass me their website or contact number? Thanks again.