Traveling to Cincinnati
So you’re coming to Cincinnati for baseball! Well, it’s a pretty easy place to get to and navigate around. Let’s tell you what you need to know.
Flying to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG)
CVG Airport
Let’s get this out of the way right now: the Cincinnati airport is in Kentucky (northern Kentucky, specifically). And yes, Northern Kentucky is right across the river from Cincinnati, which is in Ohio. So don’t be confused when you’re searching for flights – you’re flying to Kentucky.
Ok, now that we’ve cleared that up – CVG airport is the main airport serving the Cincinnati metro area. Once upon a time it was a Delta hub, but those days are long over, which makes Cincinnati a secondary airport. Meaning that if you’re flying here from a major hub airport, you’ll likely be able to get a direct flight, even if the number of those flights may be limited. But if you’re flying to Cincinnati from another secondary airport, you will likely have to take a connecting flight.
That’s really important, because it may affect your ability to fly out following an afternoon game. If you assume that a Sunday game that starts at 1:40 will end by 4:30, you’d have to get back to your hotel, grab your luggage, and get into a quick rideshare. The airport is only 20 minutes away, but with traffic thrown in, plus getting through security, it’s hard to imagine catching a flight that departs earlier than 7pm.
So when making your plans, make sure to take a look at the flight schedules before you lock down your game schedule.
Here are the airlines and US/Canadian cities that you can fly nonstop to Cincinnati on (schedules may change, so be sure to check for updated route availability):
- Air Canada: Montreal, Toronto
- Alaska Air: Seattle
- Allegiant: 24 cities, including eight MLB cities
- American: Charlotte, Washington DC (DCA), Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW), Phoenix, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia
- Breeze: Charleston, Hartford, Providence, San Diego, San Francisco
- Delta: Multiple cities, including nine MLB cities
- Frontier: Multiple cities, including eight MLB cities
- Southwest: Phoenix, Denver, Nashville, Chicago (MDW), Tampa, Orlando
- Sun Country: Minneapolis
- United: Chicago (ORD), Denver, Newark, Washington DC (IAD), Houston (IAH)
Other Airports
Cincinnati is within driving range of several other airports. Indianapolis (120 miles), Louisville (104 miles), Lexington (87 miles), Dayton (66 miles) and Columbus (115 miles) are all less than a two-hour drive. But you’d need to have a specific reason to fly into those airports – like if you’re going to an event in one of them. It’s highly unlikely that you would save money flying into an alternate airport, especially after factoring in a rental car and fuel charges (plus any one-way rental fees that might apply).
Getting from CVG airport to downtown
You’ve got a couple of easy options for getting downtown from the airport.
Take a taxi or rideshare
Taxis are approximately $35 from the airport to downtown Cincinnati or the Newport/Covington areas across the bridge. Rideshare prices can vary based on demand, but can sometimes be less. Just check your app when you’re ready. If the rideshare price is significantly higher than $35, then go grab a taxi. If not, opt for the rideshare.
The rideshare pickup area is located right off the baggage claim area at CVG, at the far east end of the terminal.
One thing to note: the supply of rideshares in Cincinnati isn’t as great as in some bigger cities. We’ve had experiences when it has taken 20+ minutes to get a car. So if you aren’t checking luggage, go ahead and order your car when you get inside the terminal from your flight. That may cut down on any potential wait time.
Take the bus!
Yeah, this one surprised us a bit, but we can confirm that A) there is a public bus that runs from the airport to downtown Cincinnati (the 2X Airporter), B) it is acceptably clean, safe, and appropriate for tourists/visitors, and C) it’s only $1.50 each way! Our bus driver was super friendly, and gave us advice on which stop we should get off at for our hotel. The bus wasn’t very busy, and we feel very comfortable recommending it.
And here’s the best part: there are NO STOPS between CVG and the first downtown stop at 5th and Elm. Which means this is essentially an express bus, so once you’re on it, you’re pretty much getting to that first stop as quickly as you would in a rideshare or taxi – about 25 minutes – but for a fraction of the price. Sure, from the bus stop you’ll need to walk to your hotel, but there are a number of hotels that are within a block or two of a bus stop. We’ll detail that more in our Lodging chapter.
You can find the bus stop at CVG right around the corner from the rideshare pickup location. It’s well-marked and easy to find. And the 2X is the only bus that stops here, so there should be no confusion about getting on the wrong one.
The bus runs both ways every 30 minutes from approximately 5am to 1am (although this is not a mode of transit we’d be as enthusiastic about outside of traditional daytime hours). For more information on the bus, check out the TANK (Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky) website.
Should you rent a car for a visit to Great American Ballpark?
NO! There is absolutely no reason to rent a car if you’re just coming into Cincinnati for baseball (or football/soccer, for that matter). The stadiums are all downtown, and Cincinnati is a small, walkable area. When there’s a game happening, you’ll see people everywhere on foot, as most of the hotels are either within walking distance, or accessible via the free and excellent light rail (in Cincinnati) or the $1 gameday shuttle from Newport or Covington (across the bridge in Kentucky).
Renting a car will be way too expensive between the rental fee and parking, and you just won’t have any need for it if you’re just staying in the downtown area. So we say skip the car unless you specifically need it.
If you do need a car just for the day, there are downtown rental locations where you can also rent a car, and that might help you avoid overnight parking charges if you’re on a single-day rental.
Driving to Cincinnati
Roebling Bridge
If you’re anywhere in the region, Cincinnati is a pretty easy drive.
- Lexington: 87 miles
- Louisville: 104 miles
- Columbus: 115 miles
- Indianapolis: 120 miles
- Cleveland: 240 miles
- Detroit: 250 miles
- Nashville: 275 miles
- Pittsburgh: 290 miles
- Chicago: 300 miles
Traffic in Cincinnati isn’t terrible, but if you’re coming in on a Friday afternoon, be sure to give yourself enough time to get into downtown, park, and walk to the game.
Bottom Line
Cincinnati is pretty simple. CVG is a good airport, and if you can get a direct flight, getting there should be relatively easy. If you have to connect, that’s fine – just make sure you have enough time to see a Sunday game and still catch your flight. Once in Cincinnati, if you want the easy route, order a rideshare, but if you’re more budget-conscious, the bus is a totally legit option.
Finally, skip the rental car unless you have a very specific reason for needing it.
