I think you are going to have to rely on cabs. Getting there, you could take the light rail to the Airport and then catch a cab from there. The Airport is very close to where the concert is.

At the end of the concert, you are probably going to be stuck taking a cab either to the airport to catch the light rail, or all the way to your destination.

MikeT, thank you!

I think MikeT gave you good advice.
Taking Metrolink to the airport and then cabbing to Riverport (sorry Verizon amphitheater - how many names has that venue had already?) seems like the easiest way to use public transport.

I admit I have never taken Metrolink to the airport, but there are plenty of cabs at both the East Terminal and the Main Terminal. For your return trip, I might be tempted to tell you to go for the main terminal Metrolink stop as it should be busier.

You should put the number for County Cab in your phone (314-993-8294) then you can call them as the show is winding down and hopefully not wait too long before someone shows up. I can't believe that Taxis will just be waiting outside the ampitheater--maybe someone else knows. Their website only talks about driving directions, no info at all about other ways to get there.

Good luck, and enjoy Radiohead.

When I said "their website", I meant Verizon Ampitheater, not County Cab. When I re-read it even I was confused---sorry.

I would also agree that a Metrolink/cab combination would be the best way to go. Take Metrolink from Union Station out to the Airport Main terminal. Then take a cab from the airport out to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

After the concert the cabs should be lined up by the VIP/Corporate Box entrance. As you walk out of the main gates take a right and go about 100 feet to the side of the ticket office. When I went to the Jimmy Buffet concert last week there were about 4 or 5 cabs waiting.

Worse case scenario: if there are no cabs and they refuse to send any out because of the traffic you can walk about a mile to the Harrahs Casino and catch one there.

Be forwarned: it can take over 2 hours to clear out of the parking lot. But at least they have the cabs use the VIP entrance/exit so it should make things much faster.

Also: where are you staying after the concert? Be aware of the fact that after midnight Metrolink only goes as far as the "Grand" station and not all the way to downtown.

LOL, Liz, all the major stadium venues have changed names several times in Cincinnati; I can't keep track anymore!

And you & I must think alike because when I read your original message I automatically assumed you meant the Verizon amphitheatre website (probably because I was frustrated by their lack of transportation info)!!

dweebe, thanks for the additional info on the cabs outside the venue. If worse comes to worst, I may just take a cab to Union Station as I'm catching transportation directly out that night; not staying in town!!

You guys have all been so helpful - thank you so much!

I LOVE Radiohead. I'll try to post back with a note on how the concert went.

ciao,
Mary

Beatchick:

htpp://www.metrostlouis.org

Click on Trip Finder (right hand corner) type in Union Station as origin and the address of 14141 Riverport Drive as your destination.

Trip Finder will come back with directions that tell you to get off the metrolink at North Hanley and transfer to MO Bus 34 - click on right side map for detailed directions. You can put in either your start time or time you want to arrive.

Agree this is not user friendly - looks time consuming to get to the amphitheatre using either train/bus or taxi combination.

Good luck and do report back.

Sandy

Things could have been a lot easier if the residents of St. Charles County would have approved about 10 years ago a tax referendum that would have paid to extend Metrolink out to there.

One of the stops would have been right at Riverport and allowed easy public transport access for everyone.

However a bunch of idiots ran fear ads that implied all the bad people would come out from the city on Metrolink to steal everything from St. Charles. So the extension got voted down and nothing was every built out that way.

BTW Beatchick: what time is your train/bus out of St. Louis? I've been stuck in the Riverport parking lot as late as 1:00am for a show that ended at 10:30pm.

When the Dave Matthews Band played a few years ago there was a serious accident right at the main exit that messed everything up. Hopefully nothing like this will happen, but I just don't want to see you cut it too close and miss your train/bus home.

The concert was "teh awesome", as they say in the gaming world (no, I don't play, but my son does)!!

I believe they started out with All I Need from the new CD IN/RAINBOWS and ended up with Paranoid Android (my FAVORITE song)!! They played the entire new album in about the first 1/3 of the set, did not play Creep (I didn't expect them to even though they have 3 versions of the song). They did play Fake Plastic Trees and also My Iron Lung, which is my son's favorite song. I called him while they were playing it but he couldn't hear it over the roar of the crowd.

I took the Metrolink out to Lambert Airport, walked downstairs and caught a cab from there. I'd met up with a guy on the Megabus who also was going to the concert (he's from St. Louis but's transplanted to Chicago, so I got lucky finding a native to guide me around). The cost for the 2 of us was $26 (including tax, gas charge, charge for extra person, and charge for catching it from the airport). Thanks, MikeT, for the advice; it worked out perfectly!!

I took Liz5959's advice and put the # of County Cab in my cell phone. Called them from the venue, they directed me to walk to a Mobil gas station/Burger King (take a left at the end of the parking lot and follow the road around). By the time I'd walked there the cab was waiting for me. It was $40 for the cab fare and I gave the guy a $10 tip for getting me back so quickly (and for the conversation, he's a great conversationalist); we were back in 30 minutes and I had plenty of time to catch the Megabus back to Chicago.

He echod me what dweebe said about the various small towns not wanting the Metrolink to come out to them for fear of the "undesirables" coming out to murder and rob the locals. Oy vey, such small-mindedness.

dweebe, the concert was out at 10:30 so I booked it out of there to the Mobil station; it worked much better than waiting around for a cab. Besides, all the cabs that were lined up out there were already waiting for other people.

I'd called County Cab ahead of time, and they, too, said it could be a long wait trying to get out due to the traffic and couldn't guarantee time so they suggested the Mobil place.

On another board, someone suggested I go to the Hyatt (which is attached to Union Station) for a drink in their historic surroundings - which I did. It's gorgeous with the barrel-vaulted ceilings and French accoutrements - reminded me of Le Train Bleu.

I'll be posting photos soon.

Thanks for all your help!!