How to get to Cleveland

If you’ve never traveled to Cleveland before, then you may have some questions about the best way to get there and how to get around the city, including how to get to and from the ballpark. And we’ve got a ton of great answers for you. This chapter will cover advice on how to get to and from Cleveland, and how to get from the airports to the hotels. The later chapter on Local Transit will cover how to get to/from the stadium. 

In this chapter we’ll cover the following:

• Flying to Cleveland
• Transportation from the airport to hotels
• Renting a car vs public transportation
• Driving to Cleveland
• Getting to Cleveland by train

Flying into Cleveland to visit Progressive Field

There’s one major airport in Cleveland: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). It’s about 12 miles and usually less than 15 minutes west of downtown with convenient access to downtown hotels and Progressive Field.

There’s plenty of flights into and out of Cleveland, but it is a secondary airport. That means it’s not a hub for any major airline and flights to other secondary airports will involve a layover. If you live in a market with a major airport – Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Minneapolis, New York, etc. – then you should be able to find direct flights into Cleveland. And Southwest currently runs nonstops from non-hub cities like Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Tampa. But if you’re flying from other secondary airports (think Kansas City, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, etc.), then keep in mind you’ll likely be connecting.

If you do live in a secondary market that requires a layover, make sure to understand your flight options when considering your game schedule. If a 1:40pm game on Sunday ends at 4:30, by the time you get out of the park, get your luggage, and get to the airport, it will be 5:45 at the earliest. When you factor in any traffic or lines at the airport, you probably wouldn’t want to book a flight for earlier than 7:00 – assuming there is one that late in the day. It’s worth keeping an eye on when you’re making your plans. It’s entirely possible that seeing a game on Sunday may not be compatible with your flight options.

Getting from the airport to your hotel: should you rent a car or stick to public transportation?

Forget the car rental. While you certainly can rent a car if you really want to, Cleveland is easiest done without one. Parking isn’t terribly expensive in the city, but it will very likely be more expensive than a combination of ridesharing and public transportation. For the most part, car rental in Cleveland is less convenient than other options.

Downtown itself is exceedingly walkable, with almost anything you’d want to do being less than a 15-30 minute walk from wherever you are, and walking in downtown Cleveland is safe. In most instances, a vehicle isn’t necessary to get from Point A to Point B, unless you have physical limitations that would make walking difficult. But we’ll go over that in greater detail in the Local Transit section.

Best transit methods from the airport: rideshares and rapid transit

The two best options for getting from Hopkins Airport to Progressive Field/downtown are by taxi/rideshare and rapid transit rail (RTA). 

Taxis and rideshares will obviously be the most direct way to get to where you’re going, but they can be expensive: despite the short distance between the airport and downtown, the standard taxi rate is usually $40-$50. Rideshares can be less expensive, but are sometimes hard to book due to a shortage of available drivers in Cleveland. But if you can get one for $25-$30, it’s a good deal and we’d suggest you book it.

Meanwhile, the RTA is both reliable and far less expensive. A one-way fare for the train is just $2.50 and the ride will take under 25 minutes including all stops. The final stop on the red line from Hopkins to downtown is Tower City Center, which is the correct stop for Progressive Field and all of the hotels in the downtown area, so there’s no concern about missing your stop because it’s the end of the line. Conversely, the final stop of the redline going from Tower City westbound is Hopkins Airport, so you can’t miss that either.

The RTA is fine in Cleveland. It’s not the most beautiful train system, and other than at rush hour, it will rarely be that busy. But the system is safe and effective. The station at CLE is easy to find – it’s inside of the airport. And the Tower City station is inside of a shopping mall, so it’s easy as well. Although many of the hotels in downtown Cleveland will be less than a 15-20 minute walk from Tower City, it’s particularly convenient for those hotels that are right near the station. We’ll have more about that in our Lodging chapter.

If you would prefer to take a car from Hopkins to downtown, check the rideshare fare on your app when you arrive at CLE. If it’s significantly more than the standard taxi rate of $40-50 to get downtown, then you should walk to the taxi stand and take a cab. 

TSI TIP: If you choose to stay in a suburb or exurb, rideshares can be difficult to come by in some instances. Consider that when making your hotel plans.

Bottom line: if you just want ease, or if you’re staying at a hotel that’s a further walk from Tower City, then take a rideshare. If you’re looking for a budget option, are staying closer to Tower City, or don’t mind a 15-20 minute walk with luggage, the RTA is a good option.

Getting to Cleveland by car

If you’re planning on driving to Cleveland, the city is usually light on traffic (even comparatively during rush hour), and is easy to navigate. Google Maps can tell you everything you need to know about the route.

TSI TIP: If you’re coming in from the east or south, plan to park east of the ballpark and leave east on I-90/77. If you’re coming in from the west, plan to park west of the ballpark and leave west on I-90/71. Even though typical Cleveland traffic is never more than a slight inconvenience, ballpark traffic can turn downtown into a parking lot. Avoiding crossing the city from the direction you’re coming from is by far your best bet for a hassle free experience.

The vast majority of traffic comes to the game via I-90. At this point, a few highways merge into one stretch before branching back off. That means almost everyone going to a Guardians game travels on I-90 and exits at Ontario St. That traffic funnels right into the same four lanes and creates a serious traffic headache. Find parking spots ahead of time (via SpotHero or your preferred parking app) that avoids this logjam. We say it’s better to walk 15 minutes from a garage than parking closer and having to fight traffic after the game.

Getting to Cleveland by train

It’s possible to travel to Cleveland by train, but whether that’s a good idea will depend on where you’re coming from. 

The Capitol Limited line runs from Washington DC, through Pittsburgh, through Cleveland, and on to Chicago. Eastbound trains from Chicago will arrive in Cleveland at 1:45am, and the westbound return from Cleveland departs at 3am. Neither of those are very friendly, unless, perhaps, you get a sleeper car.

Traveling from the DC side, the train arrives into Cleveland at 3am, and the eastbound return toward DC will leave Cleveland at 2am. Again… that just doesn’t sound like fun. 

The Lake Shore Limited line runs from Chicago through Cleveland and terminates in either Boston or New York. Those trains arrive into Cleveland at 3:30-4:00am. For the return, the train departs Cleveland at 5:30am.

Why are we telling you all of this? Because we don’t want you to waste your time. Unless you’re coming from someplace close to Cleveland, the train takes a ridiculous amount of time, and the travel times are just wildly inconvenient. You’d like to think that you could just hop a quick train from Cincinnati or Pittsburgh, but the schedules suggest otherwise, and we think you’re definitely better off driving.

But if you’re going to do the train anyway, Cleveland’s station is located right next to Cleveland Browns Stadium on the north side of the city near the lakeshore. Given the times that the trains arrive and depart, you’ll want to take a taxi or rideshare to/from the station, so you really can choose any downtown hotel you want since they’ll all be the same short ride away.

FYI: notable regional cities that do not connect to Cleveland via Amtrak include Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Baltimore, and Philly. While Amtrak can’t get you directly to Toronto, you can take it to Buffalo and switch to Canadian rail from there.

Bottom Line

Cleveland is a very convenient city to get to no matter where you’re coming from, but for most people it’s going to be a choice of flying or driving. But once you’re here, you can easily spend the entire weekend getting around without ever stepping foot in a car. Rideshares, the RTA, and walking are your best strategy for a Progressive Field visit.