I’m a big fan of taking a train to and from an airport, especially in a foreign country. There’s something comforting about having the route map in front of you and knowing where you’re going. You can take a train to and from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and it’s well worth it.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, or the RTA for short, operates the train services in this city in Ohio. It takes just 25 minutes to travel between the airport and downtown.
A Train From Cleveland Downtown
Tickets for the RTA train from Cleveland Hopkins to Downtown and vice versa cost US$2.50. The ticket machines accept credit cards, which is how I was paying for my ticket. At the airport, there are no ticket barriers but there are at the other end so do purchase a ticket like a good citizen. For comparison, an Uber cost me between US$30 and US$40 for the same trip.
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- Tower City is a mall and the train station is in here.
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- The network map for the Cleveland RTA.
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- Ticket machines are red and silver.
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- Front and back of a ticket.
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- You swipe your ticket like a credit card at the barriers.
Trains are frequent and in a few trips I never waited more than a few minutes for a train. Rolling stock is not what I would call modern, in fact, it’s a bit smelly and slightly rough around the edges, but it does the job. Trains consist of two carriages and it’s best to sit at the front near the driver.
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- Inside one of the RTA Red Line carriages.
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- Arriving at the airport.
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- You walk straight down into the terminal.
As per the schedule, services commence at 3:52am from the airport and run through to 1:22am, which is comprehensive and should cover most flights. The walk from the terminal to the station is very short, and when you arrive in Downtown you’re also well located at Public Square. It was walking distance to the Kimpton Schofield Hotel for example.
Overall Thoughts
It’s remarkable to see a city in the USA with train service at an airport. Yes, yes, I know, there are others such as in Washington, but it’s not as common as it is in Europe, that’s for sure.
Getting the train from Cleveland downtown to the airport is a doddle as services are frequent and it’s cheap. I see in the news that the city is going to be purchasing new rolling stock for the network, which will be very welcome indeed.
Have you taken the train to or from the airport in Cleveland before? Do you prefer to take trains, buses or Ubers when doing airport transfers? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Michael Barera via Wikimedia Commons.
The train is the best kept secret in Grtr Cle. I always take it when I fly. It’s about 50 min from Little Italy. Love it
It’s amazing how it’s not so much busier! Not many people seem to use it from the airport, which is crazy since it’s so cheap and takes you to so many places.
park at brookpark park and ride, up to 7 days free- register with RTA police
Good advice there! Sure beats airport parking, I’d say! Thanks for that.
Cleveland was the very first US city with train service to the airport
Oh wow, I didn’t know that! That’s really very cool… and it’s also ultra convenient. I really liked using the service when I was there.