ugh just landed at phoenix sky harbor and honestly the whole airport thing is always a journey but i wanted to share some thoughts for when you actually have to leave cause thats a whole other beast especially when youre trying to figure out how to get to the airport itself which always feels like a puzzle especially at a place like phx where its kinda spread out and you got the sky train and everything and its just a lot to think about when youre already stressing about packing and making your flight and if you remembered to turn off the stove.
so basically figuring out your ride to the airport here in phoenix can be super easy or a total pain depending on where youre coming from and how much stuff you have and if youre traveling alone or with a whole crew but ive done it a few times now and ive got some thoughts on whats good and what might make you pull your hair out before your trip even properly starts.
My Go-To Transportation Picks
okay so first off if youre returning a rental car or coming from the rental car center which is honestly a trek from the actual terminals the phx sky train is literally a lifesaver and its free and connects directly to all the terminals and even the light rail station so thats basically a no-brainer if youre in that situation and its super efficient and clean and you dont have to worry about traffic or anything but if youre not dealing with a rental car then its a bit more complex and you start looking at other options like ride shares or shuttles or even public transit which can be a journey depending on your starting point.
for most people though its either going to be a shuttle service a taxi or an uber or lyft and honestly these are the most common and often the most convenient ways to get there especially if youre staying in like downtown phoenix or scottsdale or tempe because they all have pretty good access and the drives arent usually too bad unless its peak rush hour then good luck but ive found that usually its a pretty smooth ride to the airport itself and the drivers are generally pretty familiar with all the different drop-off points for each airline and terminal which is a huge plus because navigating that yourself can be a bit much when youre in a hurry and just want to get to security.
Is it worth the extra cash?
this is the big question right because every penny counts but sometimes paying a little more actually saves you a lot of headache and stress which for me is often worth its weight in gold especially when im traveling for work or have an early flight and i dont want to be dealing with any unnecessary delays or complications and its basically an investment in your peace of mind because nobody wants to miss a flight over trying to save ten bucks on a ride so you really have to weigh your options here based on your personal situation and how much youre willing to put up with.
- if you only have a small carry-on and a backpack and youre not in a huge rush and youre trying to save some cash then a shared shuttle service is probably perfectly fine and its generally cheaper than a private ride and you might make a few extra stops but its usually not too bad.
- but if its more than one person and you have like two checked bags each and maybe a car seat or two or youre just loaded down with gear honestly just get the uber or lyft its not worth the hassle of waiting for a shuttle to fill up or making multiple stops before getting to the airport and the cost difference when split among people might be pretty minimal.
- if youre running even a little bit late or if its an early morning flight before the rush really kicks in its recomended to just bite the bullet and get a rideshare because you dont want to miss your flight over saving a few bucks and the convenience of being picked up exactly when you need to be is invaluable.
- if you literally have all the time in the world and only one small bag and youre on a super tight budget then you could consider taking the sky train to the light rail if youre close to a station but prepare for a multi-leg journey and make sure you check the schedules because it can add a significant amount of travel time.
- for anything in between like if you have one checked bag but youre solo and dont mind sharing a ride then a shuttle is still a solid option but always check their reviews and punctuality because some are definitely better than others.
so yeah thats my honest take on getting to phx its not the worst airport to get to but you definitely need a plan and dont just wing it unless you like stress and honestly who needs that before a trip right okay off to find my baggage claim wish me luck getting out of here.