Transportation from ANC Airport to Downtown Anchorage
There’s not many good options for getting to downtown Anchorage when you have a long layover at the Anchorage airport. Turns out the peak travel months can be both a curse and a blessing.
- Rental cars give you the most freedom, but in peak summer months can run $150+ a day, if they’re not already sold out by the time you make a reservation.
- Taxis appear abundant, even for late night flights, but run about $35-$40 each way. Not a great option for a solo traveler just wanting to get out of the airport for a few hours. Update: I’ve had it on good local authority that cabs should only run $20ish or less, so for two or more people, they’re probably a better bet!
- Public Transportation — Anchorage has limited bus service, but their People Mover does have a route downtown that appears to be fairly quick. Take Route 7 to the downtown area, runs approximately once an hour.
- $10 one-way shuttle — I couldn’t find this option anywhere online, but once I was at the airport, I discovered BAC is offering one-way shuttles to downtown hotels for only $10! Tickets are available for purchase at the airport near the Airport Shuttle door. Choose the Hilton or Cook Hotel as your destination to be dropped off near the heart of restaurants and shopping. Returns are $12 if booked separately (didn’t plan ahead so no idea what the round trip discount would be).
The shuttle was a huge relief for me. It looked like I *might* catch the last public bus at 8PM, which would give me 2 1/2 hours downtown before my return flight, but still meant I’d be paying for a cab on the way back — $40 total just to wander about downtown and have a drink. With the shuttle option I actually booked a room at the Sheraton for 7,000 points (while I was on the bus) enabling me to shower, charge all my electronics, and take in some views from on-high before heading back to the airport for my red eye, all for just $22.
Plus the bus was new, clean, and had funny modern lighting. Our driver even gave us a running commentary on the downtown options in between stops.
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Heels First is the travels and tribulations of two twenty-something frequent fliers jumping into the world of travel. Join Keri and Jeanne as they tackle mileage runs, elite status, and of course–the perfect travel accessories.
