Planning a Trip

Getting There

Eugene is located just off I-5 at the junction with I-105, which connects Eugene and Springfield, and Ore. 126, which leads east to Bend and west to Florence. Ore. 58 leads southeast from Eugene to connect with U.S. 97 between Klamath Falls and Bend. Ore. 99W is an alternative to I-5.

The Eugene Airport, 28855 Lockheed Dr. (tel. 541/682-5430; www.eugeneairport.com), is 9 miles northwest of downtown off Ore. 99W. Delta Air Lines, Horizon Air, United, and US Airways fly here. There's nonstop service to Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Redmond, Oregon.

Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL) passenger trains stop in Eugene. The station is at 433 Willamette Street.

Visitor Information

Contact the Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon, 754 Olive St., Eugene, OR 97401 (tel. 800/547-5445 or 541/484-5307; www.visitlanecounty.org).

Getting Around

Car rentals are available at the Eugene airport from Avis, Budget, Enterprise, and Hertz. If you need a taxi, contact Oregon Taxi (tel. 541/434-8294). Lane Transit District (LTD; tel. 541/687-5555; www.ltd.org) provides public transit throughout the metropolitan area and out to a number of nearby towns including McKenzie Bridge; some routes do not run on Sunday. You can pick up bus-route maps and other information at the LTD Customer Service Center at the corner of 11th Avenue and Willamette Street. LTD fares are $1.25 for adults, 60¢ for seniors and youths 6 to 18.

Festivals

Eugene's two biggest and most important music festivals are the Oregon Bach Festival (tel. 800/457-1486 or 541/682-5000; www.oregonbachfestival.com) and the Oregon Festival of American Music (tel. 541/687-6526 or 541/434-7000 for tickets; www.ofam.org). The former is just what its name implies and is held the last week in June and the first week in July. The latter is a celebration of everything from blues to gospel to jazz and is held in early August. The Eugene Celebration (tel. 541/681-4108; www.eugenecelebration.com), held in mid-September, is a 3-day celebration that includes a wacky parade and the crowning of the annual Slug Queen. In mid-July, all the region's hippies, both young and old, show up in nearby Veneta for the Oregon Country Fair (tel. 541/343-4298; www.oregoncountryfair.org), a showcase for alternative music and unusual crafts. Also of note is Junction City's Scandinavian Festival (tel. 541/998-9372; www.scandinavianfestival.com), which celebrates the region's Scandinavian heritage and is held each year on the second weekend in August. Junction City is 14 miles northwest of Eugene.