Travel Tips
The Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center offers a few tips to make your trip more pleasant.
If you're flying in:
- Cincinnati's airport (CVG) is located about 15 miles southwest of downtown, in Northern Kentucky.
- CVG is more convenient than other nearby airports, but often also is more expensive. Dayton International Airport (DAY), which is about 65 miles north of downtown Cincinnati, may have cheaper flights, though this may be offset by the inconvenience or cost of then renting a car to drive into Cincinnati.
- Taxi service from CVG is centrally-coordinated. Instead of attempting to hail a cab at the curb, you should visit the taxi desk in the baggage claim area of Terminal 3 or use the courtesy phone near the exits of Terminals 1 and 2 (dial 3260) to make arrangements. Service is available 24 hours a day. The fare from the airport to downtown Cincinnati is about $25. Call 859-767-3260 for more information.
- The Airport Executive Shuttle regularly runs between CVG and the downtown hotels. The cost is $15 one-way and $25 round-trip. You can call 24 hours in advance to guarantee a reservation (859-261-8841 or 800-990-8841), or use the walk-up service at the Airport Executive Shuttle desk at each baggage claim area.
- Finally, you can use the public bus service, TANK (Transportation Authority of Northern Kentucky). The 2X (Airport Express) bus runs on a preset schedule between the airport and downtown Cincinnati seven days a week from 5 am to midnight. Riders can board a TANK bus at the Terminal 1 crosswalk and outside the Terminal 3 baggage claim. For more information, call 859-331-8265 or visit http://www.tankbus.org/.
If you're driving:
- Some good news: there are no toll roads within or near Cincinnati
- Some bad news: downtown Cincinnati has a number of one-way streets, which can be frustrating to visitors. A free map of downtown and key attractions that also shows the one-way streets downtown is available from the regional convention bureau.
- Valet parking at the Westin is $24 / day and downtown self-parking is $15 / day.
- Downtown Cincinnati is readily accessed from the north via I-75 or I-71, and the south via I-71 / 75 or I-471. Major east-west routes link up with one of these highways before reaching downtown. Directions to the conference hotel are available via the Westin web site.
Once you're in town:
- There are several downtown attractions within walking distance of the hotel, including the newly renovated Fountain Square across the street. A free map of downtown and key attractions can be downloaded from the regional convention bureau.
- You might also want to check out the Southbank Shuttle, an inexpensive ($1.00) bus service that runs from Fountain Square and the Westin to key attractions in Northern Kentucky.
- Other attractions are a brief cab ride away. Note that, unlike some cities that are crawling with taxis, you can't simply stand on the curb and hail a taxi in Cincinnati. At the hotel, stop by the concierge desk -- they can get you phone numbers for the major taxi services. When you need a cab back to the hotel, call one of the services, and they'll pick you up.
- Finally, if you're the type who likes to ride public transportation, you can visit the Cincinnati Metro Bus System web site for maps, schedules and fare information.
