Pittsburgh Travel Guide

Getting There

By Plane -- Pittsburgh International Airport (tel. 412/472-3525; www.pitairport.com) is 15 miles west of downtown. US Airways is the dominant carrier. To get downtown from the airport, take the public 28X Airport Flyer bus (tel. 412/442-2000; www.ridegold.com) for $2.25, or a cab ride for $30. Car rentals are inexpensive in Pittsburgh, and more than 1,500 color-coded signs point the way to highways and attractions, making it easy to drive to and around town. The airport is a 20-minute drive (45 min. during rush hour) from downtown.

By Train -- Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL or 412/471-6172; www.amtrak.com) provides daily service from Philadelphia (trip time: 7 1/2 hr.), Washington, D.C. (8 hr.), Cleveland (2 1/2 hr.), and Chicago (10 hr.) to its station at 1100 Liberty Ave.

By Car -- Major routes into the belt roads around Pittsburgh are I-76 from the northwest (Cleveland) and east (Philadelphia), I-70 from the west (Columbus) and southeast (Baltimore), and I-79 from the north (Erie, PA) and south (Charleston, WV).

Visitor Information

The Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau, 425 6th Ave. (tel. 800/359-0758 or 412/281-7711; www.visitpittsburgh.com), operates several Visitor Information Centers: downtown, Liberty Avenue next to the Gateway Center, Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 3pm; at the Airport Landside, Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm; and at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center in the Strip District daily 10am to 5pm.

Getting Around

The Port Authority of Allegheny County (tel. 412/442-2000; www.ridegold.com) operates subways and buses throughout the city as well as the "T" Light Rail. Fares are free within the Golden Triangle downtown; prices vary outside that area, but are generally less than $2.

Fast Facts

For medical services, call Allegheny General Hospital near downtown at tel. 412/359-3131; in the Oakland area the major local hospital is UPMC Presbyterian, 200 Lothrop St. (tel. 412/647-2345). The 7% city sales tax is not assessed on clothing, groceries, or prescriptions; hotel taxes total 14%.