Shuttle from Portland Airport to Eugene

August 14, 2018 5:54 PM

I will be arriving in Portland, Oregon late at night and I want to take a shuttle to Eugene as soon as I get out. Do I need to book in advance, or can I just get a seat/ticket at the airport?
posted by dhruva to Travel & Transportation around Portland, OR (11 answers total)

If you already know of the shuttle you're taking, it may be best to call them to find out how quickly they book up.

If you're asking for assistance finding a shuttle to Eugene from PDX, that's a different story. Off-hand, I don't know of any from PDX, but you can take the Tri-Met MAX to Union Station and catch the Greyhound or Amtrak from there.

If you can specify how late you're getting in and what day of the week, that would also help us to help you.

Generally speaking, I don't expect that a shuttle would fill up from PDX to Eugene, but I also don't expect that they run that often either. (It's a 2-hour drive.)
posted by hydra77 at 6:13 PM on August 14, 2018

I haven't taken it or been to Eugene but the shuttle seems to have a schedule, somehow.

http://www.hutshuttle.com/schedules/index.php
posted by sandmanwv at 6:17 PM on August 14, 2018

Response by poster: I’ll be arriving at 10pm tomorrow. I’m traveling from Mexico so it’s a bit hard to just call them. Google tells me that there are a few PDX to Eugene shuttles, and normally I would book one, but I’m not sure how long immigration/ customs etc will take.
posted by dhruva at 6:37 PM on August 14, 2018

At least for Hut Shuttle, you should book in advance. If your flight is delayed or customs takes a while and you wind up missing the shuttle, your reservation number will still get you on the next available shuttle.

While technically you're only required to make reservations for trips to PDX and can buy tickets onsite for trips from PDX (space permitting), it's good to book for Eugene in particular. The main shuttle route turns off I-5 at Albany and continues to Corvallis; Eugene passengers transfer to a different bus/van for Albany -> Eugene. Booking in advance gives them a heads up that they have to run that spur route.
posted by bassooner at 6:50 PM on August 14, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Ok That sounds reasonable; I’ll go ahead and book the shuttle. Another question: Is it wise /safe to arrive at 3 am in Eugene, and will there be taxis or Ubers around that I can take to my hotel?
posted by dhruva at 8:05 PM on August 14, 2018

Where is your hotel located? If it's downtown, it should be easy enough to get a Lyft even late at night. Eugene can be pretty sketchy in spots but it's fundamentally a college town.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:31 PM on August 14, 2018

Before leavng PDX, your HUT driver should ask who needs a taxi at their drop off destination. I’ve never had a driver not ask, but feel free to tell her/him to have one called to meet you or remind them when you get close.
posted by Knowyournuts at 10:09 PM on August 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

Here’s another shuttle option for PDX to Eugene. Oregon Express Shuttle.
posted by Knowyournuts at 10:13 PM on August 14, 2018

I no longer live in Eugene, but if the r/Eugene subreddit is any indication, there is still no Lyft or Uber service in the city. They voted to allow ride sharing services earlier this year, but neither service is running there yet, AFAIK. You will want to arrange for a taxi to pick you up to get to the hotel.
posted by wakannai at 1:29 AM on August 15, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks for all your responses, I’ve booked a shuttle and I’ll ask the driver to help me get a cab at Eugene. Worst case scenario, I’ll just walk the 5 miles. I’m not normally this unplanned, but I missed my flight yesterday (visa was in old passport) and I’m scrambling to catch up with my family.
posted by dhruva at 7:39 AM on August 15, 2018

Yep, no Uber or Lyft in Eugene now.
posted by purenitrous at 9:21 PM on August 15, 2018