Traveling to Pittsburgh
Next stop, Pittsburgh! In this chapter we’ll tell you all you need to know about getting into town and figuring out how to get around while you’re here.
In this chapter we’ll cover the following:
Flying to Pittsburgh
PIT Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is a nice airport, and only 20 minutes from downtown. However, PIT is a secondary airport, meaning there are no airlines that have hubs here.
Luckily, there are still plenty of direct flight options. If you’re coming from a major hub city like New York, Chicago, Atlanta, etc., you should have no problem getting a flight on airlines like American, Delta, and United. And even from some non-hub cities, you might be surprised that direct flights could be easier than you think. Southwest has nonstop flights to Pittsburgh from 18 different locations, including 11 MLB cities. Frontier flies direct from five cities, including Raleigh and Philadelphia (for as low as $19!!). Meanwhile, Spirit flies direct from unexpected places like Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, and Myrtle Beach. And don’t leave out Allegiant, which has nonstops from another 16 spots.
So when you add it all up, getting a flight to and from Pittsburgh might not be so difficult. Just be sure that if you’re going to see a game on the same day that you’re traveling, that you can get a flight that arrives early enough to catch an evening game or departs late enough following an afternoon game. Flight times may still be limited on some of those smaller airlines, so don’t book any non-refundable hotels or purchase any game tickets before you’re sure that your travel plans are compatible with the game schedule.
Getting from the airport to downtown
Taking Taxis and Rideshares
Ridesharing
Rideshares, on the other hand, can cost as little as $30-35. So when you arrive at the airport, check your rideshare app. If rideshares are less than the taxi rate, go ahead and book one. But if surge pricing has pushed it higher than $50, then head to the taxi stand and save some money.
Taking the Airport Express Bus
Port Authority Red City Bus - X28 Flyer
The 28x Flyer bus travels from the airport to downtown for the low cost of $2.75. But we can’t say that it’s something that we would recommend. First, there isn’t even a spot to put your luggage, which makes it difficult to balance your things while not getting into anyone else’s way. Sadly, we also know that the bus is frequented by homeless folk. While they won’t interfere with your ability to get downtown, the reality is that it can make for an unpleasant ride, especially one that lasts 40 minutes.
(A note from the Editor: I’m disappointed to hear that the 28x bus is having problems with homelessness. I have taken this bus a number of times over the years, albeit not since Covid, and it was always a perfectly fine experience and a great way to save some money. I will try to take the bus again on my next trip to PNC Park and will update this section accordingly. For the moment, I would suggest that if you want to take the bus, jump on and take a look when it arrives at the airport. If it doesn’t look (or smell) as it should, then turn around and go order a rideshare.)
But if you do decide to take the bus, you can either pay with cash on the bus (no change given), or you can purchase a Connect Card inside the airport (in the landside terminal near Door 6). Finally, you can also download the “Ready2Ride” app from the Pittsburgh Port Authority and load money onto your app via credit card. You can activate your ticket once the bus arrives and scan the barcode when you board.
You’ll also want to pick a hotel within walking distance of a bus stop. Luckily there are a few to choose from (both hotels and bus stops). The bus travels along Liberty Avenue, a main road downtown, and has stops on 5th, 6th, and 9th. Take a look at the Lodging chapter for a full list of hotels that are convenient for those taking the bus.
Renting a Car
Rental Car
If you do need a rental car, the rental car counters are on the first floor of the terminal next to baggage claim, and the garage is attached to the terminal – no need to take a shuttle anywhere.
Driving to Pittsburgh
Driving to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is no different from any other city in that you’ll find the heaviest traffic headed into the city (both from north and south) between 7:00am and 8:30am, and then again between 3:45pm and 6:00pm to exit the city. But if you’re visiting on the weekend, the only traffic you should encounter will be game-related.
In terms of parking, there are plenty of garages in the city. There is limited street parking, and it’s not somewhere I’d suggest leaving your car overnight. For garages, there are plenty to choose from. If your hotel doesn’t offer overnight parking, then simply use a parking app such as ParkWhiz or SpotHero to find a nearby garage.
If you’re just driving in for a game, there are plenty of parking garages and lots in the vicinity of the ballpark. The Pirates have partnered with ParkMobile as their official parking app, but we’ve found that ParkWhiz has just as good of availability. For some reason SpotHero has the least options, so we’d stick to the first two.
ParkMobile
Example for Friday, 07/19/24, 5-10pm, taken two weeks in advance.
ParkWhiz
Example for Friday, 07/19/24, 5-10pm, taken two weeks in advance.
SpotHero
Example for Friday, 07/19/24, 5-10pm, taken two weeks in advance.
Taking the train to Pittsburgh
While there are two train lines that run to/through Pittsburgh, it is not a smart travel option for a baseball weekend. The arrival and departure times are inconvenient and not very baseball friendly. Trains from Washington DC arrive at midnight, from Chicago at 5am (after traveling overnight), and from New York/Philly they arrive at 8pm. None of those options match up very well with seeing baseball games.
The return trains aren’t much better, with the train to New York leaving at 7:30am (and taking almost 10 hours to get to NYC), the train to DC leaving at 5:20am, and the train to Chicago leaving at midnight.
With so many flight options mentioned above, there’s just no reason to take the train.
Taking the bus to Pittsburgh
There are greyhound buses that run through Pittsburgh, but there’s the same issue with the bus as the train … long travel hours, limited options, and bad timing. But if you find a bus schedule that works, Pittsburgh Intermodal Station is located on the east side of downtown, closest to the Westin, AC Hotel, and Drury Plaza. The area is safe, so if this is an option, feel free to take it.
Bottom Line
Pittsburgh may not be the biggest airport in the world, but there are more direct flights than you might expect. If you land by 3:30pm, you should easily be able to make a 6:40pm evening game, and if you head to the airport after a 1:35pm afternoon game, you should be able to make a 7pm flight (depending on where you’re staying and how long it takes to go grab your bags and head to the airport). If you’re tighter on time, definitely skip the delay that would come with renting (and returning) a car, and focus your hotel search on those right around the ballpark.
