Kate101

My son will be a freshman at the University of Oregon. I'm trying to make arrangements to get him home for Thanksgiving. I've made flight reservations from Portland to SLC, but now I need to get him to the Portland airport from Eugene.

Amtrak has a service from Eugene to Portland, but it goes to the train station. I've looked up the TriMet schedule, and it looks impossible (three different trains with some walking in between, 71 minutes travel time).

Is anybody a bit more knowledgeable about this than I am? Any help is appreciated.

Fodorite018

His best bet is to find a friend there who is from the Portland area and hitch a ride that way. It shouldn't be hard to do at all. He might also look for a ride board on campus, which he can put his name on and the date/place he needs a ride to.

There is an airport in Eugene as well, so you might look and see how the service to SLC is.

traveler24

What day and time does he have to be at airoirt??Last time I checked flights to PDX about $ 150!!!
I am not a "Portland person" but went from Amtrak Sta. to convention Center by taxi $ 17. This was a while ago so probably more now..

Andrew

Your son can hop on the #77 bus from Portland's Union Station (take it toward Troutdale, not Montgomery Park, get off as soon as he crosses the river, at Rose Quarter, and hop on the MAX Red Line train to the airport. Shouldn't be a problem at all - an hour tops, probably less. If he doesn't have much stuff, he can even walk directly from Union Station to the Old Town/China Town MAX station (maybe 8 blocks) and get right on the Red MAX train to the airport.

FYI, it looks like MAX is under construction today and if you look up directions for today you're going to be told to get on and off the train and take a MAX shuttle, etc. By Thanksgiving surely everything will be cool and it should take less than an hour from Union Station to PDX.

Check this out:

http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr...9&ie=UTF8&z=12

Currently MAX is being extended up to Union Station so next Thanksgiving, he would be able to take a MAX train directly from Union Station (although not a Red train - one change still required).

Andrew

traveler24: What day and time does he have to be at airoirt??Last time I checked flights to PDX about $ 150!!!
I am not a "Portland person" but went from Amtrak Sta. to convention Center by taxi $ 17. This was a while ago so probably more now..

Next time, skip the taxi (unless it's at some weird hour) and take the fareless square (free) #77 bus directly from Union Station to the Convention Center. This may not have been an option when you were last here, and by next year, you'll be able to take a free MAX train directly from Union Station to the Convention Center.

sunbum1944

I believe Omni Shuttle in Eugene has a shuttle service to PDX - have never used it since I drive it myself but have heard they do provide that service.

Kate101

Thank you for all the helpful replies. I love fodors.com!