How to Travel to Michigan From Wisconsin

There are a number of reasons to visit Michigan, from employment to visiting family. Travelers can explore the natural beauty of state, including some of the highest freshwater sand dunes in the world, the only national marine sanctuary in the Great Lakes and the vast forests and wilderness of the Upper Peninsula. Visitors from Wisconsin can travel to Michigan by air, land and water. Daily, year-round passenger bus and rail services are available via Chicago to southern Michigan, and bus services link Wisconsin's north with the Upper Peninsula. Daily flights also connect communities in Wisconsin with Detroit, Flint, Manistee and Ironwood.

Tips For You
Travel by Ferry

1. Determine where in Michigan you plan to travel to. Ferry services link Wisconsin and Michigan via Lake Michigan. Lake Express offers daily services between Milwaukee and Muskegon, Michigan. In addition, the S.S. Badger Lake Michigan Carferry sails from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Ludington, Michigan. Muskegon is a gateway to destinations in central and southern Michigan, while Mantiowoc is best for destinations in northern Michigan.
2. Confirm that ferry services are available for your preferred departure date. Ferries between Wisconsin and Michigan generally operate from May to October. Services are also subject to weather conditions on Lake Michigan. Call or visit the websites for Lake Express and the S.S. Badger Lake Michigan Carferry to confirm ferry availability.
3. Determine which ticket you require. Passenger seating is available onboard the Lake Express and S.S. Badger ships. If traveling with a vehicle, tickets are also available for passengers with cars, bicycles, trucks or motorcycles. You can purchase tickets online from the ferry services' websites or at the ferry terminal.
4. Travel to the ferry departure point and sail to Michigan. Travel time between Wisconsin and Michigan by ferry is approximately two-and-a-half to three hours. It is recommended that you arrive one hour before your departure time for S.S. Badger Lake Michigan Carferry crossings, and 30 minutes if traveling without a vehicle and 45 minutes with a vehicle for Lake Express ferries.

Travel by Car

1. Determine where in Michigan you are traveling to. If the destination you wish to travel to is not served by ferry, air or rail, and you wish to bring your car with you, there are a number of ways to reach Michigan by road. Different routes connect Wisconsin with the Upper Peninsula and southern and central Michigan.
2. Travel on Interstate 94 to visit Southern Michigan and Detroit. Interstate 94 traverses southern Wisconsin and continues to Michigan via Chicago. Once in Michigan, Interstate 94 connects with other highways to reach destinations throughout the state.
3. Travel to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan via the U.S. highway system. Visitors to the Upper Peninsula can use several routes and main highways, including U.S. Route 51 to Ironwood, Michigan, U.S. Route 45 to Land O'Lakes, and U.S. Routes 2, 8 and 141 to Iron Mountain, Michigan.