To me, having good airport transit is very important. Not only do I think it makes the journey more efficient, but I also enjoy trains. Plus, it helps me save money. One thing I've learned, when it comes to booking a plane ticket, it's not just about the ticket price. You need to factor in the cost in getting to and from the airport too (that will be in another blog post). So, taking transit can be a significant money saver if you bought a more expensive ticket or splurged to upgrade to a higher class. I have never had a phobia of taking public transit. There's positives and negatives to both taking transit and driving, but I tend to lean towards public transit.
So let's look at the best airport transit on the west coast in North America.
Whether you are arriving or departing YVR, you can take the SkyTrain directly to the airport on the Canada Line. Just make sure if you are departing to the airport, the headway says YVR Airport and not Richmond-Brighouse. If you arrived at YVR, make sure you take the train heading to the Waterfront if you are heading into downtown Vancouver. Vancouver's SkyTrain is autonomous. For me, it's actually fun to take the front seat of the train because it sort of feels like a ride at Disneyland (when you're not underground).
From my experience, the trains are clean and efficient. As of 2022, according to Translink's website, the first train to depart from YVR to the Waterfront is 5:07am. The last train is 12:56am. If you are departing Vancouver, the first train to leave Waterfront to YVR is 4:48am and the last train is 1:05am. I can't remember the last time I flew outside of these hours, so the schedule works well for me.
The Skytrain has 3 zones. YVR is in zone 2 because the airport is in Richmond and Vancouver is in zone 1. So, if you fly in on a weekday before 6:30pm, you will need to pay for 2 zones. On weekends, holidays and weekdays after 6:30pm, it's all zone 1 pricing.
The only negative is when you arrive at YVR and head towards the city, you are charged an additional $5 on top of your ticket price. This additional fee is added regardless if you are traveling on weekends, holidays or after 6:30pm. Just another way for the airport to make more money, but still less expensive than renting a car. However, that paper ticket you bought at the airport also gives you up to 90min of travel from when you first tap your ticket at the fare gate. So, as long as you are within the 90min window, you can transfer to another Skytrain line or a bus if you need. So, there's that too.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Moving south into the United States, is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport or Sea-Tac. I remember flying into Sea-Tac before the SoundTransit from the airport was available. Back then I would pay around $40-$45 for a taxi ride into downtown Seattle. Once the Link 1 line opened up, it was a $3 ride to where I needed to go. The fares range from $2.25-$3.50 depending how far you need to travel.
The trains seem to depart approximately every 10min and depending on where you go into the city, it's about a 35min ride without transfer. So, really it could take about 45min or so from the airport to say International District. However, if you rented a car and factored the time in getting to the car rental location, waiting in line, reviewing the rental agreement and inspecting the car, that can easily take up more than the 15-20min. Then depending on the time of day you arrive, there may or may not be traffic which could easily exceed 1hr.
Personally, I would rather spend the time relaxing on the train and staring out the window than worrying about renting a car. I hate all the paperwork. I can't stand having to walk around the car to make sure I'm not charged for any damages I didn't cause, only to have them try and upsell me on more insurance. Plus all the potential headaches that can come with traffic, parking and hopefully not being nickel and dimed by the rental agency when I return the vehicle. I understand if you're traveling with family or a group, a car may be worth it. But if you are solo or with one or two other people, I would opt for the train.
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Just like Vancouver and Seattle, Portland also has a light rail at the airport. The Trimet Red Line travels from PDX and along I-205 and I-84 before reaching downtown. The fare is $2.50 and you have 2 1/2 hours you can travel with that price. A day pass is only $5 which makes Portland the least expensive way to travel by transit. A trip from PDX to Lloyd Center, just outside downtown is approximately 35min.
The earliest departure from PDX on a weekday is at 5:00am. Saturday and Sunday it is 4:56am, which is
strange, because I don't understand what 4min can do. After 8am on weekdays, the train leaves every 15min until 10pm. Then it is every 30min until 1:45am. However, after 12:30am, the Red Line no longer goes into downtown and only travels to Gateway/ NE 99th Transit station, so may not be very useful if you need to go past that. However, as I mentioned earlier, I cannot remember the last time I flew before 5am or after 1am, so the train schedule is fine for me. Portland has several light rail lines plus street car lines for a relatively smaller city compared to other cities on the west coast, however, many of its lines all share the same track. This can get frustrating since some of Portland's hip areas are outside of the light rail lines. Thank goodness Portland has a fairly robust bus system. Portland and San Francisco are the only cities on this list where I have taken the bus and been able to get around with relative ease.
California has several large airports but unfortunately, when it comes to easy transit access to these airports, it ends in the Bay Area. SFO has the AirTrain. The AirTrain has two lines, the Red and Blue lines. They stop at various terminals and take you to the the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), car rental service, parking garages and even the Grand Hyatt SFO. The Red line runs clockwise and the Blue line counter clockwise. Only the Blue Line will take you to the car rental centers and long-term parking.
The AirTrain runs 24hrs with an approximate 4min headway. From the AirTrain, you can reach the BART station. As of December 2020, BART has transitioned to using the Clipper card, which you will need to purchase for $3. However, as of this article, you can save that $3 by using your Apple Pay or Google Pay to download Clipper onto your phone. Add money onto your phone and it's available to use immediately.
BART probably has the most expensive fares depending on your destination. The further you ride, the more you pay. Say for instance, you want to go from SFO to Civic Center in SF. It'll cost you $10, and if you need to buy a plastic Clipper card, it's an additional $3.
The trains run approximately every 15min, and from SFO to Civic Center will take approximately 26min.
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
OAK is the other Bay Area airport in California that has rail service to and from its terminals. OAK has a short BART line which takes you to the Coliseum Station. From the Coliseum Station you can transfer to SF or head south to Milpitas or North San Jose, where the line terminates. The ride is about 8min from Oakland Airport Station to the Coliseum Station. The train runs approximately every 6min from 5am-11pm Monday-Saturday and every 6min from 8am-11pm on Sundays. Just like riding the BART from SFO, you'll need a Clipper card or download the Clipper onto your Apple or Andriod phone.
From OAK to Civic Center in SF the BART will cost $11.40 plus $3 if you do not have a Clipper card.
So Close Yet So Far
As I mentioned earlier, California has quite a number of larger airports, but most do not provide easy access to public transportation. Below is a list of California airports where you'll want a car. Your options with the airports below are to pay to park your car, pay the hefty Lyft, Uber, taxi fees or you'll have to inconvenience a friend or family member to drive and pick you up.
Also known as San Jose airport for short. The closes station is the Santa Clara BART station. But walking takes almost 1hr because you need to walk circuitously around the tarmac. Once outside, you'll be walking next to drivers most likely speeding around the tarmac. If there's traffic, then you'll be breathing in exhaust fumes. Plus, there may or may not be a sidewalk around the entire perimeter of the airport, let alone a sidewalk wide enough that allows you to feel safe with luggage. This is why people drive, and just deal with the parking fees. Parking in Economy Lot 1 for one week, even with their 15% discount if you book online will cost you $107.10. That's just wasted money to me.
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) Also known as Burbank airport or Bob Hope airport. Sadly, this is probably the second to the best airport in Southern California with rail connections and it really isn't that great. There are two Metrolink stations "near" the airport. The station to the south, the Bob Hope Airport Station is the closes. Google Maps says it's a 5min walk. I think it look me slightly longer than that, but it isn't a very pleasant walk. To get to Metrolink's Bob Hope Airport Station, you have to walk out of the airport parking lot, cross a slip lane and hope drivers will stop for you; then get to a crosswalk where you cross Empire Ave.
The northern station, which is the Burbank Airport Station, is just too far of a walk. Both stations are outside of the airport. The Burbank Airport Station to the north is considerably worse because once you leave the airport, you have a long walk up Hollywood Way along side industrial and office buildings.
Similar to BUR, there are two Metrolink station outside the airport. Neither of them great. One is the East Ontario station which is south of the airport tarmac. You will not only need to walk pass industrial buildings, but also around the tarmac. The entire trip will take approximately 1hr by foot. And if you need the bathroom before you reach the airport, you're sort of out of luck. There is a 7-11, but I have only been to one 7-11 that had a bathroom for me to use. And I have been to A LOT of 7-11s when I do group rides. The only other option is a fast food stand called Avocado Burger.
The Metrolink station west of the airport is the Ontario Station. That is also about a 1hr walk from the station to the terminal.
Probably the most well known airport in Southern California and the busiest airport in California. Despite this, like other Southern California airports, it does not have a transit system that takes passengers to and from the airport. LAX will soon get an Automated People Mover (APM) that will shuttle passengers throughout the airport and also connect to the future Metro K Line. The estimated opening date for the APM according to LAX website is 2023. The K Line will hopefully open shortly after that.
Until that opens, you'll have to rely on the car, which makes driving to LAX a nightmare. Metro does have a C Line (formerly Green Line), but it stops a mile away from the airport. From there, you'll need to hop on the free LAX Shuttles that take you into the airport. However, since most people elect to drive, those LAX Shuttles are also stuck in traffic with everybody else. Plus the only way to get to the C line is if you are coming from Norwalk or downtown Los Angeles. To get to Norwalk, you'll have to drive. The Norwalk Metrolink station is a mile away from the C Line station. To get to downtown Los Angles you'll have to first take the B, D or L line depending on your starting point, then transfer to the A Line and then the C Line, and then to the LAX Shuttle. Confused?
The only other option, is the FlyAway. You can take the FlyAway either from downtown Los Angeles or Van Nuys. They used to have more locations, but sadly they are down to these two drop-off/ pick-up locations now. The downtown Los Angeles location is at Union Station and the Van Nuys location is across the street from the Van Nuys Airport. The schedule depends on which location you are at.
Also, just to clarify, in Southern California Metrolink and Metro are two different systems. Metrolink is a commuter rail which covers five Southern California counties (Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange). Metro is the transportation agency of Los Angeles County only. I'm sure you were itching to know that.
Simple, you need a car. There is a Metro A line station but it's 5mi away.
Like Long Beach Airport, you'll need a car. SNA is also in Orange County, so it is not serviced by Metro. The closes Metrolink station is approximately 10mi away.
I would rate public transit access at SAN the best for Southern California, being slightly better than Burbank Airport. You can take public transit close to the airport, but not directly to the airport. Passengers can take the Green line to the Middletown station. They will need to then cross Pacific Coast Hwy, an 8 lane road to get onto the airport property. From there, passengers can wait for a shuttle to take them to the airport terminal.
An additional option for those not driving to the airport is the San Diego Flyer. The San Diego Flyer is a free shuttle that transports passengers from the Old Town Transit Center to the airport. The shuttle stops at the airport Terminal 1 and 2. The shuttle departs the transit center every 20-30min depending on the time of day. From the transit center, it takes approximately 30min to arrive at the airport.
The third option is to take the MTS Route 992 Airport/Downtown Shuttle from the Santa Fe Depot Station in downtown San Diego. The bus arrives roughly every 15min on weekdays from 5:00am to 11:30pm and 30min on weekends. It will take about 20min to arrive at the airport.
And that completes the list. Why Southern California airports can't just have a light rail go directly to the airport is beyond me. Or at the very least a people mover that connects to the light rail. Hopefully LAX can make the process more seamless once the K Line and APM are up and running.
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