Connecticut Guide

Arrival

Getting to Connecticut

Connecticut sits between New York and Boston, so most visitors arrive by car or train rather than by flying. Bradley International Airport near Hartford is the in-state option, the Northeast Corridor and Metro-North carry the coast, and three main highways feed the shoreline and the Hartford valley.

Last checked June 16, 2026

Airports

Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, just north of Hartford, is Connecticut's main airport and the easiest fly-in option for the center and north of the state. It is run by the Connecticut Airport Authority and has the usual rental-car desks and ground transport.

Many travelers also arrive through the larger hubs on either side of the state and drive in: the New York City airports and Westchester County Airport to the southwest, and Boston Logan or T.F. Green in Providence to the northeast. Which one is closest depends entirely on whether you are headed for Fairfield County, the shoreline, the Litchfield Hills, or the casinos in the southeast.

Arriving by train

The shoreline is well served by rail. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor runs along the coast with Connecticut stops including Stamford, New Haven, Old Saybrook, New London, and Mystic, linking the state to New York and Boston. The Hartford Line adds inland service up the I-91 corridor between New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield.

From New York City, Metro-North's New Haven Line is the workhorse commuter route into Fairfield County and New Haven, with branches to New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury. Check current schedules and fares on the official Amtrak and Metro-North sites before you travel.

Driving in

Most trips arrive by road. I-95 hugs the shoreline from the New York line through Stamford, New Haven, and New London toward Rhode Island, and is the spine for coastal towns and the southeast casinos. I-91 runs north from New Haven up through Hartford for the Connecticut River valley.

The Merritt Parkway (Route 15) is the scenic, car-only alternative to I-95 through Fairfield County, with low historic bridges that bar trucks and buses. The Connecticut Department of Transportation publishes current road and traffic conditions if you are timing a drive around rush hour or weekend shoreline traffic.

Sources

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