Getting There

By Plane

Portland International Airport (PDX; tel. 877/739-4636 or 503/460-4234; www.flypdx.com) is located 10 miles northeast of downtown Portland, adjacent to the Columbia River. There's an information booth by the baggage-claim area where you can pick up maps and brochures and find out about transportation into the city. Many hotels near the airport provide courtesy shuttle service to and from the airport; be sure to ask when you make a reservation.

Getting into the City by Car -- If you've rented a car at the airport and want to reach central Portland, follow signs for downtown. These signs will point you first to I-205 and then I-84 west, which brings you to the Willamette River. Take the Morrison Bridge exit to cross the river. The trip takes about 20 minutes and is entirely on interstates.

Getting into the City by Shuttle, Taxi, Bus or Light Rail -- If you haven't rented a car at the airport, the best way to get into town is to take the Airport MAX (Red Line) light-rail line. The MAX operates daily roughly every 15 minutes between 5am and midnight and the trip from the airport to Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland takes approximately 35 minutes. (All but one or two of the downtown hotels lie within 4 or 5 blocks of the square; plan on walking since taxis in Portland don't generally cruise for fares. Folks arriving with a lot of luggage will be better off taking a cab or shuttle van from the airport.) The adult fare is $2.05. For information on this service, contact TriMet (tel. 503/238-7433; www.trimet.org).

A taxi to downtown generally costs between $30 and $35.

By Train or Bus

Amtrak trains stop at the historic Union Station, 800 NW Sixth Ave. (tel. 800/872-7245 or 503/273-4860; www.amtrak.com), about 10 blocks from the heart of downtown Portland. Taxis are usually waiting to meet trains and can take you to your hotel. Alternatively, you might be able to get your hotel to send a van to pick you up, or, if you are renting a car from a downtown car-rental office, the agency will usually pick you up at the station. Until the new MAX line begins running past Union Station some time in 2009, you can catch a public bus a block south of the station (toward downtown). Buses are free within the downtown area.

The Greyhound Bus Lines station is at 550 NW Sixth Ave. (tel. 800/231-2222 or 503/243-2310; www.greyhound.com), on the north side of downtown near Union Station. As with getting into downtown from the train station, there is no charge to ride any public city bus if you catch it outside the Greyhound terminal, which is within Portland's Fareless Square area . Sometime in 2009, you'll be able to hop on the MAX light rail outside the bus station.

Although you could easily walk from the station into the heart of downtown, you have to pass through a somewhat rough neighborhood for a few blocks. Although this area is currently undergoing a renaissance and is not nearly as bad as it once was, I don't recommend walking, especially after dark.