Cleveland Travel Guide

Cleveland, Ohio — Travel Tips

Getting There By Air

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
Tel: (216) 265 6000.
Website: www.clevelandairport.com

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is located 16km (10 miles) southwest of the city center.

Airport facilities: These include bureau de change, ATMs, tourist information, car hire (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Thrifty), duty-free shops, restaurants and bars. The Airport Business Center (tel: (216) 265 3975) offers conference rooms, flight insurance, fax machines and photocopying.

Transport to the city: A variety of transport options are available for transit into Cleveland from the airport. Direct journeys to central Downtown take about 20 minutes. Taxis to Downtown cost about US$25. The RTA subway train service takes less than 30 minutes to Downtown Cleveland via Tower City Station.

Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL)
Tel: (216) 781 6411.
Website: www.clevelandairport.com

Burke Lakefront Airport is a small airport located right in the heart of Downtown. It is used for corporate clients and general aviation traffic.

Airport facilities: These include a restaurant and car hire. Millionaire (tel: (216) 861 2030) and Business Aircraft Center (tel: (216) 781 1200) offer conference rooms, photocopying, fax and Internet services.

Transport to the city: A Regional Transit Authority rapid transit station is located on site. Taxis are available. Downtown is accessible by foot in a matter of minutes.

Approximate flight times to Cleveland: From London is 7 hours 10 minutes; from New York is 1 hour 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 5 hours; from Toronto is 1 hour and from Sydney is 21 hours.

Getting There By Road

An extensive network of freeways and highways services Ohio. Freeways have a maximum speed limit of 105kph (65mph). Two-lane highways have a maximum speed limit of 89kph (55mph). All freeways and highways are named according to numerical convention. Traffic drives on the right and seat belts must be worn at all times. The minimum driving age is 16 years. Proof of insurance is compulsory and foreign drivers must have a license from their country of origin. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) (tel: (216) 606 6300 or 1 800 222 1333; website: www.aaaohio.com) can provide information, and may offer benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.

Emergency breakdown services
AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357/AAA HELP).

Routes to the city
Cleveland is connected to its suburbs and the rest of the state by a series of interstate highways. I-90 and I-80 (Ohio Turnpike) run east-west through the Downtown, connecting Toledo in the west and Ashtabula in the east. Running south from the shores of Lake Erie, I-71 connects with Columbus and Cincinnati, while I-77 connects with Akron and the eastern half of Ohio. I-480 and I-271 services suburbs lying on the southern rim of the city center, such as Brooklyn, Garfield Heights and Solon.

Coach services
Intercity coach service in Cleveland is operated by Greyhound (tel: (216) 781 0520; website: www.greyhound.com) out of the Greyhound Bus Terminal at 1465 Chester Avenue. Facilities include restaurants, toilets, lockers and tourist information. Charter coach services can be hired from American Sightseeing/Greatday! Tours & Charter Bus Service (tel: (440) 526 5350 or 1 800 362 4905; website: www.greatdaytours.com) and J&F Luxury Travel (tel: (216) 447 1111; website: www.clevelandlimos.com).

Getting There By Rail

Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com) operates intercity rail services from Amtrak Lakefront Station, 200 Cleveland Memorial Parkway. It is a staffed station and facilities include a wheelchair lift, pay telephones, baggage service and lockers. Rail services: Amtrak offers direct daily services to Pittsburgh (journey time - 3 hours 30 minutes), New York (12 hours) and Chicago (7 hours). Many other US cities on the Amtrak network are accessible, although journeys are often very long due to the distances involved.

Getting Around in Cleveland, Ohio

Public Transport

Cleveland has a relatively developed public transit system consisting of four rapid transit lines and over 100 bus routes. These services are operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (tel: (216) 566 5100). Buses serve downtown and the suburbs; some routes operate 24 hours, others only during rush hour, and the rest throughout the day. Rapid transit lines operate 0400-2400.

The red line is a heavy rail system running from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport through downtown to east Cleveland. Both the blue and green lines run from the eastern suburbs to downtown. And the Waterfront line runs from Tower City along the east bank of the Flats to the Muni Parking Lot. All the lines intersect underground at Tower City Center. It is possible to transfer a fare onto buses. A weekly transit pass is available.

Taxis

Taxi service is cheap and efficient and can be hailed on the street at any time, or can be ordered from a dispatching company if none are available. Companies include: Ace Taxi (tel: (216) 361 4700), Americab (tel: (216) 881 1111) and Yellow Cab Co. (tel: (216) 623 1500). A tip of about 10% is not mandatory but appreciated.

Driving in the City

Cleveland's traffic is usually heaviest around rush hour (0800-0930), particularly on the highways leading into the city. Visitors should be aware that winter snowfalls can bring on dangerous road conditions, particularly on the highways and freeways. The city is laid out on a loose grid system. Roads running north-south are mostly named according to numerical convention, whereas those running east-west are avenues. Cleveland's most important streets are East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. Street parking is available in the downtown core at parking meters. Garage parking is often more reliable. An abundance of garage parking is available near Public Square, adjacent to the Tower City Shopping complex.

Car Hire

A number of different car hire companies operate within Cleveland including Avis (tel: (216) 265 3700; website: www.avis.com), Enterprise (tel: (216) 898 2200; website: www.enterprise.com) and Hertz (tel: (216) 267 8900; website: www.hertz.com), all on Maplewood Avenue.

Drivers must be at least 21 years, and some companies will only hire cars to drivers over 25 years. Drivers with non-American licenses must have a national license from their country of origin. It is recommended that individuals always check with the car hire firm first, in case an International Driving Permit is required. Insurance can be purchased from the car hire firm.