Binghamton and Le Moyne in 2 Days: A Vestal and Syracuse College Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing Binghamton University and Le Moyne College in two days: how each tour works, where to park, hotels from budget to upscale in Vestal and Syracuse, the drive up I-81, places to eat in Syracuse and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 29, 2026.
Grewen Hall, home of the Office of Admission, Le Moyne College, Syracuse (July 2008). Photo: Crazyale · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
Binghamton University (Vestal, NY) · Le Moyne College (Syracuse, NY)
Days
2 days: Binghamton on day 1, the drive north to Syracuse (Le Moyne puts it at 77 miles, about 1 hour 20 minutes), then Le Moyne on day 2.
Fly into
Greater Binghamton Airport (BGM), about 25 minutes from campus with no traffic, or Syracuse Hancock (SYR) if you'd rather fly in and out of one airport. Fly home from SYR, which Le Moyne says is 15 minutes from campus.
Best base
Residence Inn Binghamton University on Vestal Parkway for night 1, about 6 minutes by car (or an 18-minute walk) from the Admissions Center, then the Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse Dewitt for night 2, about 4 minutes from Le Moyne.
Car or transit
Rent a car: the campuses are in different cities, and Binghamton's free visitor parking is tied to your Admissions Center check-in.
Registration
Book a Binghamton campus visit and a Le Moyne campus tour, each from the school's own sign-up page.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to pair a large public university with a smaller private college in upstate New York: Binghamton University, just one mile west of the city of Binghamton, and Le Moyne College, a 160-acre suburban campus on Syracuse's east side known as the Heights.
Binghamton visitors park free in the Parking Garage or Lot W and get their parking validated at check-in. Le Moyne's admissions parking is Lot EE, near the Office of Admission in Grewen Hall.
Why this order
Day 1: Binghamton's student tour guides lead a guided campus tour. Pick a Welcome Session and Tour to start with a 30-minute information session by an admissions counselor, or a Tour Only visit without the presentation.
Day 2: Le Moyne's campus tours are led by student ambassadors and last about one hour. Visitors are welcome to eat in the dining hall, and students in grades 9 to 12 can add an optional information session.
Plan ahead: registration and timing
Binghamton's registration page shows how many spots remain for each visit, and new dates are added periodically, so book early.
Binghamton can't guarantee a guided visit if you arrive late or early, but its self-guided tour is always an option: stop by the Admissions Center to scan a QR code and pick up a map.
Binghamton visits go ahead rain or snow, and Le Moyne advises allowing extra travel time in winter.
Tour availability varies by season.
Binghamton also runs Fall Open House days, live virtual sessions, a virtual tour and group tours for 15 to 50 students; each needs its own registration.
Le Moyne also holds Fall Open House events, admission counselor appointments (on campus or virtual) and live virtual presentations, and has a 360-degree virtual tour.
2. The suggested 2-day drive
Drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing unless a school's own figure is given, and walking times use OpenStreetMap foot routing, with addresses geocoded by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Drive times to Binghamton are to the Admissions Center, and to Le Moyne are to the campus at 1419 Salt Springs Road.
Arrival: fly in and check in near Binghamton
Greater Binghamton Airport (BGM) → Residence Inn Binghamton University
Driving (no traffic)
~24 min, 10.9 mi
Driving and walking
Rental car
Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) → Residence Inn Binghamton University
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 45 min, 84 mi
Driving and walking
Rental car, if you fly in and out of Syracuse
Binghamton lists BGM, Syracuse Hancock and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International as nearby airports. Use 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal, NY 13850 in your GPS for the campus.
Day 1: Binghamton University, then drive to Syracuse
Residence Inn Binghamton University → Binghamton Admissions Center
Driving (no traffic)
~6 min, 1.6 mi
Driving and walking
~18 min walk, 0.8 mi
Binghamton University → Le Moyne College
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 20 min, 77 mi
Driving and walking
Drive (I-81 north)
Le Moyne College → Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse Dewitt
Driving (no traffic)
~4 min, 0.9 mi
Driving and walking
~20 min walk, 0.9 mi
Park free in the Parking Garage or Lot W (Visitors Lot): take the white ticket at the arm, get a validation pass when you check in, and keep both to exit. Parking anywhere else without a campus permit gets ticketed.
Binghamton is changing food service providers and some dining locations are temporarily closed, so check the Campus Dining page before planning lunch on campus.
With time before or after the tour, the university's 190-acre Nature Preserve has maintained hiking trails and a wooden footbridge; it's closed from dusk to dawn.
Day 2: Le Moyne College, then fly home
Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse Dewitt → Le Moyne College (1419 Salt Springs Rd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~4 min, 0.9 mi
Driving and walking
~20 min walk, 0.9 mi
Le Moyne College → Salt City Market (484 S. Salina St.)
Driving (no traffic)
~10 min, 3.5 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
Le Moyne College → Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR)
Driving (no traffic)
~15 min
Driving and walking
Drive
Enter at the College's South Entrance on Salt Springs Road and park in Lot EE, in front of St. Mary's/Harrison Hall. The Office of Admission is in Grewen Hall; Lot C near the Dining Center is the other visitor lot.
Visitors are welcome to eat in Le Moyne's dining hall.
3. Campus by campus
The University Union clock tower seen from the quad, Binghamton University, Vestal (March 2023). Photo: J. Passepartout · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Visits start at the Admissions Center. A Welcome Session and Tour begins with a 30-minute information session by an admissions counselor, then a campus tour led by a current student; a Tour Only visit skips the presentation.
Need an accommodated tour? It follows the same route using flat paths and elevators at a slower pace; request it on the registration form. Pets aren't allowed inside buildings.
Visitor parking
All Admissions Center guests park free in the Parking Garage or Lot W (Visitors Lot). Take a white ticket on entry, get a validation pass at check-in, and you'll need both to exit.
If you need disability parking, fill out that section of the registration form and Admissions will send guidance.
Getting there
The Admissions Center is about 6 minutes by car (an 18-minute walk) from the Residence Inn, about 6 minutes from the Holiday Inn Express Vestal and about 25 minutes from BGM with no traffic.
What to know
Can't visit in person? Binghamton has a guided online virtual tour and live virtual sessions.
The university's Nature Preserve covers 190 acres, including a 20-acre wetland, with maintained hiking trails.
Contact
Binghamton Undergraduate Admissions: admit@binghamton.edu or 607-777-2171.
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Grewen Hall, home of the Office of Admission, Le Moyne College, Syracuse (July 2008). Photo: Crazyale · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Campus tours are led by student ambassadors and last about one hour. Students in grades 9 to 12 can also book an optional information session.
The Office of Admission is in Grewen Hall on the 160-acre campus.
Visitor parking
Admissions parking is Lot EE, in front of St. Mary's/Harrison Hall, reached from the South Entrance on Salt Springs Road. Lot C, near the Dining Center, is also for visitors.
Getting there
Le Moyne is about 4 minutes by car (a 20-minute walk) from the Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse Dewitt and about 10 minutes from Marriott Syracuse Downtown with no traffic. Le Moyne says SYR is 15 minutes away.
From I-690, take Exit 16S to Thompson Road South, then Springfield Road to Salt Springs Road.
What to know
Le Moyne's Syracuse page points visitors to Destiny USA, about five miles from campus, with more than 300 stores, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Can't visit in person? Le Moyne has a 360-degree virtual tour and live virtual presentations.
Contact
Le Moyne Office of Admission, Grewen Hall 323: admission@lemoyne.edu or (315) 445-4300. Main line: (315) 445-4100.
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
4. Where to stay: a night in Vestal, then a night in Syracuse
Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Hotel · Our pickMid-range
Residence Inn By Marriott Binghamton University
4610 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal, NY 13850
Why here
About 6 minutes by car or an 18-minute walk from Binghamton's Admissions Center, and about 24 minutes from BGM with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists free breakfast, in-room kitchens, an outdoor pool (seasonal) and on-site self-parking for a daily fee, and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
The Syracuse base for night 2: Le Moyne's Where to Stay page lists it about a mile from campus, about 4 minutes by car with no traffic, and about 17 minutes from SYR.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists a free breakfast buffet and free self-parking, and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
The restored 1924 Hotel Syracuse downtown, about 10 minutes from Le Moyne, about 12 minutes from SYR and a 5-minute walk from Salt City Market with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists Shaughnessy's Irish Pub on site, a 24-hour gym, buffet breakfast and valet parking (surcharge). Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
Sleep near Binghamton the night you land and in Syracuse after the Binghamton visit, so the drive up I-81 happens on day 1 and you're minutes from Le Moyne and SYR on day 2.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
At the hotels
The Residence Inn, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express include breakfast, and the Marriott Syracuse Downtown has Shaughnessy's Irish Pub, per their Expedia listings.
On campus
Le Moyne welcomes visitors to eat in its dining hall. Binghamton is changing food providers, so check its Campus Dining page for what's open.
Downtown Syracuse (Le Moyne students' picks)
Le Moyne's Syracuse page lists both of these among students' best eats.
Eat
Salt City Market
484 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202
A food hall with regional and international cuisine from local entrepreneurs, about 10 minutes from Le Moyne. Open Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 9 pm; check holiday closures before you go.
190 acres with a 20-acre wetland, maintained hiking trails and a wooden footbridge, home to deer, beaver and over 200 bird species. It's closed from dusk to dawn.
A huge mall about five miles from Le Moyne (about 13 minutes by car) with more than 300 stores, restaurants and entertainment venues, plus an antique carousel. Check its hours before you go.
At Binghamton, park only in the Parking Garage or Lot W and keep both your entry ticket and the free validation pass from check-in to exit.
At Le Moyne, use Lot EE in front of St. Mary's/Harrison Hall, or Lot C near the Dining Center.
Flying in and out
BGM is about 24 minutes from our Vestal pick. Le Moyne says SYR is 15 minutes from campus, with taxis, ride-share and rental cars at the airport.
Flying in and out of SYR also works: it's about 1 hour 45 minutes to Vestal by our routing, and Binghamton puts Syracuse at about 1.25 hours away.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Binghamton and Syracuse airports)
Spring: April averages about 54°F highs and 35°F lows in Binghamton, and about 56°F/36°F in Syracuse.
Summer: July averages about 78°F/59°F in Binghamton and about 82°F/62°F in Syracuse.
Fall: October averages about 57°F/41°F in Binghamton and about 60°F/42°F in Syracuse, so pack layers and rain gear.
Winter: January averages about 30°F/16°F in Binghamton with about 21 inches of snow, and about 32°F/17°F in Syracuse with about 34 inches. Binghamton visits run rain or snow, so dress for the walking tour.
Parent checklist
Register for a Binghamton campus visit (Welcome Session and Tour, or Tour Only).
Register for a Le Moyne campus tour, and an information session if your student is in grades 9 to 12.
Plan to park in Binghamton's Parking Garage or Lot W, and in Le Moyne's Lot EE.
Book flights into BGM or SYR and home from SYR, plus a rental car.
Book a night in Vestal and a night in Syracuse.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
2 Division I
Athletics
Binghamton University
NCAA Division I America East Conference
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (Binghamton University and Le Moyne College): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
Expedia listing: Residence Inn By Marriott Binghamton University (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Binghamton-Hotels-Residence-Inn-By-Marriott-Binghamton-University.h14.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Vestal (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Binghamton-Hotels-Holiday-Inn-Express-Hotel-Suites-Vestal.h1889075.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse Dewitt (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Syracuse-Hotels-Hampton-Inn-Suites-Syracuse-Dewitt.h3025090.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Marriott Syracuse Downtown (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Syracuse-Hotels-Marriott-Syracuse-Downtown.h22422.Hotel-Information)
