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Transportation Options

Getting Around This Town Is Easy

Getting Here

Airport, Amtrack Greyhound

PDX - designation for the Portland International Airport. Designation also used by Amtrack and Greyhound.
$2 Each Way gets you from airport to downtown or convention center on light rail system called MAX.

Amtrak & Greyhound are Downtown, across the street at from each other, on the Transit Mall. Very close to MAX stops.

Local

Bus, Rail, Taxis, Towncars, Rentals, Tour Buses

Tri-Met: is the local Light Rail, Heavy Rail, Streetcar and Bus Agency. A ticket on one mode is good for a transfer to another mode during it's effective time. Absent snow or other natural disaster, the trains run on time. So do the busses.
MAX, Free Rail Zone Streetcar, Bus, WES

A 7-Day pass on TriMet is only $23 ($13 for age 65+). That's less than most one way airport shuttles. You can buy passes of all types from a machine at the Airport, or any MAX stop. An all-day or multi-day pass lets you ride bus and rail all over the City of Portland and 'burbs. You don't have to show a pass to board, but you do need to show one if asked while onboard. Current Fares .
$2 Each Way will get you from the Airport to Downtown and the Convention Center, on Portland's Light Rail, system.

Downtown Portland is a Free Rail Zone were you may ride all light rail and streetcars for free. The Free Rail Zone extends from Portland State University Through Downtown Portland, across the river to The Rose Quarter, The Oregon Convention Center , The DoubleTree Inn at Lloyd Center, and Lloyd Center Mall. Transit System Quirks
    Urban transit systems have quirks that are known to locals, but bedevil travelers. Tri-Met has two. Not so bad, but worth knowing, nevertheless.

    Zones - when buying a pass for a few hours you can select 2 or 3 zones. Buy all 3 zones unless you want to spend a lot of time figuring out if you could have saved $0.30. Current Fares .

    Most bus lines have two "legs." That is, they have a Northern run and a Southern run. Most lines come downtown where you can transfer from one bus to another. A bus going downtown from the Northern "leg" will drop off passengers downtown then pick up passengers for the Southern "leg." However: The bus will not change numbers when it crosses through downtown. You can think you're boarding a #42 going North, but end up boarding #42 going South if you're not careful.

    Fortunately, the downtown Transit Mall is on one-way streets, one running North, the other South, which will give you a clue to the whole system. You're expected to know all this, but it's rarely stated.

    Example: The #12 Bus, mentioned twice on this website, shows where this can confuse: Heading North from downtown, it will take you to The Groto botanical garden in Northeast Portland. Heading South, it will take you to the big Burger King Playland in Southwest.

    Ask any bus driver or bus rider if you feel uncertain.
Taxis:
    In Portland, as with most cities its size, there are taxi stands outside the airport, train station and many hotels. Otherwise you generally call and wait. It's possible to flag an empty passing taxi, but they are rare, even downtown.

    Broadway Cab (#1 Cab Co.)(No website) 503/227-1234
    Radio Cab (#2 Cab Co.)(No website) 503/227-1212
    Portland Taxi, 503/256-5400
    Green Cab ---- 503/234-1414
Town Cars: Airport Shuttles
    Royal Shuttle Airport Service 503/5545-0005
    Raja Tours Airport Shuttle Services ---- 503/524-4386
    White Van Airport Shuttle ---- 503/774-9755
Rent A Car Locations via Google Maps .
    Typically it is much cheaper to rent a car away from the airport. If your hotel is served by MAX this can work out quite well for your pocketbook. The off-airport rental source may even pick you up at your hotel and deliver you MAX or the airport when you're all done. New car dealerships sometimes have car rental desks where prices are very good. Broadway Toyota is one such, and quite near Downtown and the Convention Center.
Bus and Tour Operators Wine Country Tours and Adventures
    = Link to Another Website.
= Link to a Related Document on Wikipedia.
= Link to a Google Map.

Everything on the Top-10-Plus List can be visited via public transportation.
Airport to downtown is $2 each way - or included with a 7-day pass.

A 7-day TriMet pass is $23 ($13 for age 65+).
It lets you ride every Bus, Streetcar, MAX and WES train in the system.

Union Station is on the Transit Mall, inside the Free Rail Zone.





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