Last weekend, I went to Chicago. Instead of taking a cab like normal, I ended up taking public transportation to and from Midway. Honestly, it was kind of an ordeal, especially for someone not used to public transit in general. Made me super grateful for my car! But it also made me curious—how do most business travelers get to the airport? I almost always drive my car and park at an offsite parking lot, although this time my husband dropped me off which was nice. What does everyone else do?
Loading ...
Offsite parking at ORD $7.50/24 hours
good price, compare to LAX offsite parking for $12/24hrs.
I actually use all of the above depending on the length of trip, amount of luggage if any, & whether the trip is for business or leisure.
I like to take public transportation whenever it is reasonably convenient. It’s environmentally beneficial and it can save a lot of money vs. taxis or airport parking
I’m shocked at the amount of people who drive and park. That is the one option that I’ve never done/has never occurred to me to do/don’t know anyone who has done. Maybe it’s because I live in the NY area and parking is expensive and public transit is fairly convenient. Most of the time I get a drop off but I’ve definitely taken the train many a time and occasionally spring for a cab.
I usually take public transport simply because I don’t like driving and try to use public transport when I can. The fact it is cheaper in many cities only reinforces my decision to take public transport. However I do occasionally have friends drop me off for personal trips and colleagues likewise for work trips. Even more occasionally, if I am traveling in a group, I’ll travel in a shuttle bus.
Shuttle bus! That’s one I didn’t even think about. Good one. I use those super rarely, like once a year. But they certainly can be very convenient.
Generally drive, or get dropped off. Like Nancy said, there is some variance based on length of trip, etc. Other can also include doing a park/fly at an airport hotel, or if I have a series of trips with only a few days between, I’ve been known to get dropped off then when I get home do a short car rental (at my home airport) between trips.
@David – Air Park is $5.95 with a AAA card for cheap parking near LAX.. free shuttle to the airport and pickup as well. Try it next time 😉 You dont even need to hand over your keys as its a parking structure.
When I travel with my wife we have a driver take us to and from the airport. When I travel by myself its 100% public transportation. I’m Long Island/NYC based and the train to the plane is quick and easy.
Transit service at LAX is absolutely terrible.
I’m a Chicagoan, so I don’t even own a car (and I don’t plan to!). Most people who travel at any frequency take cabs to and from the airport, depending on where their hotel or apartment is. Time does equal money and there’s been many a time where the hour and a half the train would take me to get to ORD isn’t worth the cheaper price.
How was taking the Orange Line to Midway and ordeal? It is fast – whizzes past the awful traffic on I-55 – it is comfortable and it has a great price. The views are interesting and you can catch up on email/reading while you ride along. The Loop stations are either walkable to many hotels, or if you want, a quick taxi ride to north of the river.
And to another poster above: unlikely you live in Chicago as the Blue Line from the Loop never takes more than 45 minutes. It always beats the Kennedy at or near rush hour.
My most frequent method is renting a car! Yes, I rent from a “local office” near my home, drive the 30 miles to the airport and drop it off. Do the same in reverse on the return. Compared to the costs of major airport parking, plus the wear and tear on my own car, it often works out best.
The local airport shuttle company is in second place, with driving my own car and parking used mostly for overnight/one day type trips.
I use a combo of personal car and taxi. If Im gone more than 6 days Ill take a cab because its cheaper than parking fees.
I’m actually surprised that more people aren’t taking cabs when doing business travel. When someone else is paying, I want the fastest, most convenient mode of transportation. When I’m paying, I’ll give a bit more thought to cost, but I still HATE shlepping a roll-on AND backpack on and off multi-modes of transportation.
@RyanVB I was coming from Rogers Park, so I actually had to take a bus, the Red line, AND the Orange line. So it was indeed a bit of an ordeal. The Orange line itself was very easy, it was all that other stuff…..
For trips out of my home airport, I almost always drive myself. If I’m going to be away for more than 5 or days, I’ll take a cab or beg someone to drive me. I should say that there is no good public transportation to my local airport. But when I travel to most major cities (Chicago, NY, San Francisco, Boston), I almost always take the train/subway to get from the airport to my hotel (I rarely travel with a lot of luggage.) I am so envious of cities with good airport transportation!
It depends on how long of a trip it is. If I can score someone into taking me, I always agree. However, if it’s 4 days or less, I’ll drive and park in economy. If it’s longer than 4 days, I’ll cab it. It’s $40 to cab to and from the airport (and I live 7 miles away!) and $10/day in economy.
I don’t understand. These are business trips. I’m not paying for them. Why on earth would I want to park my car at an airport and risk damage to it, when other family members can use it in my absence? Why would I want the hassle of remembering where it is, the extra time involved in parking, etc.? Cabs all the way. Without fail.