Portland Maine transport from airport-do we need a car?
Jul 17th, 2011, 04:25 PM
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Portland Maine transport from airport-do we need a car?
We will be flying into Portland in mid-September--and will be spending a week in the Bar Harbor/ Portland/ Camden areas. We would like to avoid picking up a car until we are ready to leave Portland and head to Bar Harbor. 1. Is there ready shuttle service to downtown Portland from the airport? (we r staying at the Hilton Garden Inn which has a $15 parking charge). Can we see the main sites of Portland without a car? or do we need to go ahead and get one at the airport. Thanks so much for your help
Jul 17th, 2011, 04:38 PM
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Don't know if there is a shuttle, but you can definitely see the sights downtown without a car.
The downtown is small and very walkable, although we only spent about 24 hours there so didn't have a list of things to do - we just wandered through the streets to get a feel for the city. (We also spent a couple of hours on a Casco Bay cruise - neat to see that people live on these islands and rely on the boat to ferry them to Portland for groceries, etc.) I am not sure how long you will be there or what is on your agenda, but if it is just seeing Portland, you can skip the car.
The downtown is small and very walkable, although we only spent about 24 hours there so didn't have a list of things to do - we just wandered through the streets to get a feel for the city. (We also spent a couple of hours on a Casco Bay cruise - neat to see that people live on these islands and rely on the boat to ferry them to Portland for groceries, etc.) I am not sure how long you will be there or what is on your agenda, but if it is just seeing Portland, you can skip the car.
Jul 17th, 2011, 05:23 PM
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Are you staying at the Hilton Garden Airport or Downtown? Web sites for each mention a shuttle service, so you should probably check directly with the hotel to get the details. You don't need a car in Portland; there is enough to explore on foot for a couple of days.
Jul 17th, 2011, 09:40 PM
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Weekly rate is usually just about the same as a 4 or 5 day rate, so really it's only costing you $15 a day more to have a car and be able to see Two Lights State Park (just 20 minutes away), Higgins Beach, the Sebago Lakes area (so pleasant in September). And the taxi to and from the airport will probably be $15 anyway.
Jul 18th, 2011, 04:45 AM
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If the reason you are asking this is the $15, then just get the car at the airport. While you can see downtown Portland with a car, it's nice to have one for seeing nearby areas and much simpler to just get it at the airport. Also, Portland is a VERY small city and quite easy to drive into.
