Pittsburgh Travel
Travel To and Around Pittsburgh
Getting to Pittsburgh
By Car
If you are planning to drive to the meeting, Google Earth, Google Maps or MapQuest will give you all the information you need.� Parking in downtown Pittsburgh is expensive.� The Hilton Hotel’s web page lists its parking options.� Other lots and garages are within walking distance.� Parking at the Quality Inn University Center in Oakland is free.� Parking at the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh at University Center in Oakland is not free; check its website for rates.
Be aware that Pittsburgh is an easy city to get lost in; a wrong turn could take you well out of the central business district–and maybe over a river–before you come to the next turnoff.� Some routes cannot be retraced by simply turning around, and even trying to go around the block again can be confusing in places.� If you’re using “turn-by-turn directions,” make sure you have a good general map of the city to fall back on.
By Train
Amtrak serves Pittsburgh but with highly limited schedules.� Pittsburgh is on two Amtrak routes. The “Pennsylvanian” connects Pittsburgh to New York City via Philadelphia, and the “Capitol Limited,” Pittsburgh with Washington DC and Chicago.� The Amtrak station in Pittsburgh is located at 1100 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 and is a short taxi ride to the Pittsburgh Hilton.� Taxis are not in abundance so you are strongly advised to reserve a cab in advance by calling either
Pittsburgh Transportation Group (Yellow Cab) at 412-321-8100, or
Checker Cab at 412-381-5600; 800-287-3996 (toll free); or fax them at 412-381-1662. See the Amtrak Web site for schedule information or call them at 800-872-7245.
By Air
Above all, remember that you want to go to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, not one of the other 10 Pittsburghs in the USA!� PIT is the city and airport code you want when you or your travel agent makes your reservation.� The Pittsburgh International Airport Web site will provide you with a wealth of information about the airport, traffic conditions, weather, ground transportation, etc.� You can even make your reservations through this site if you wish!� Pittsburgh International Airport pioneered the Airmall concept (shopping at the terminal at prices you’d find in the city).� Wireless internet service is free throughout the terminal.� Airport Information: www.flypittsburgh.com
From the Airport to Conference Hotels
28X Airport Flyer via West Busway: By far the easiest and cheapest way to travel between the airport and the Hilton Hotel and our two other conference hotels is the Port Authority of Pittsburgh’s (412-442-2000) 28X Airport Flyer which leaves the airport roughly every 20 minutes and costs $2.60 (exact change only!).� You’ll find the 28X on the ground floor of the Landside Terminal, outside the exit door closest to the F Baggage Claim Carousel.�The 28X stops at the Hilton after; the trip takes 45 minutes or less.� It stops near the other hotels in Oakland about 15 minutes later (you’ll have to do some walking at those stops).
Supershuttle: The nationally-branded Supershuttle service (local reservations: 800-258-3826) is available at Pittsburgh International Airport.� One-way fare to the Hilton Hotel is $19.� You will need to make a reservation!
Taxi or Limousine Service: Pittsburgh International Airport is served by at least two taxicab companies.� Fares to the Hilton should run about $35-40 and the journey will take about 25 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis can be found directly outside the Landside Terminal, or to request a cab please call 412-321-8100. www.FlyPittsburgh.com provides a long list of other transportation providers.
Rental Cars: Most of the major car rental companies are located at Pittsburgh International Airport.� Desks are located on the ground floor in the middle of the Landside Terminal.� See information above (By Car) for parking rates at conference hotels.
Getting Around Pittsburgh
Downtown Pittsburgh is essentially a walking city but there is public transit and taxi service within the Golden Triangle.� Port Authority of Pittsburgh (412-442-2000) runs a free loop shuttle within the Golden Triangle but it’s often faster to simply walk.� SHOT will provide bus transportation to and from the Opening Plenary address but even the Heinz History Center can be reached by foot if you like to walk.� Information for taxicabs appears above.
You may ride public transit between the conference hotels in Oakland and the Hilton.� The best buses for the Holiday Inn are 71D, 71C, or any of the 61s.� Attendees staying at the Quality Inn can, on Thursday or Friday only, ride the 67H bus which picks up on Blvd of the Allies just outside the hotel.� On the weekend, you will have to walk from the hotel to Fifth Avenue to pick up 71D, 71C, or any of the 61s.� One-way fare is $2.00 for one zone, $2.60 for two zones. You must have exact change.
A great tool for scheduling your public transportation journey in Pittsburgh is Google Transit which combines its information system with transit data from PAT.� You can get reasonably accurate departure and travel times as well as route maps and bus information using this tool.
Maps of Pittsburgh
The Web provides a dizzying array of maps of Pittsburgh and the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area.� Especially for those attendees who plan to go on one of the Thursday tours, we recommend that you spend a few minutes on Google Earth or your own favorite map site simply to look at Pittsburgh from various levels of elevation.� Simply type in the address of the Hilton Hotel (600 Commonwealth Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222), use the satellite view, and explore Pittsburgh from above.
Download a map of Pittsburgh (PDF) here.