Saint Paul 2008

By plane, train, or automobile, it’s relatively easy to get to the Twin Cities.

The Miracle of Flight

The Twin Cities are primarily served by Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (aka MSP), located in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, near the infamous Mall of America. The airport is one of Northwest Airlines’ major hubs, and the airline has more flights in, and out, of the airport than any other. The airport and surrounding hotels are twenty to thirty minutes from downtown Saint Paul.

If arriving or departing MSP, be aware there are two terminals, on opposite sides of the airport, and you should double-check which one your flight will be at. The Lindbergh Terminal is the main one, and serves most major airlines; the Humphrey Terminal handles charter flights and a handful of smaller carriers.

Saint Paul also has it’s own airport, historic Holman Field, somtimes known simply as “Saint Paul Downtown Airport”, located less than a mile from downtown and the Xcel Energy Center. The longest of it’s three runways, at 6,700ft / 2km, is long enough to accomodate most private and chartered traffic, though available hangar space is reportedly limited.

Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, there are no dirigible mooring points in the Twin Cities; the only planned one, on Minneapolis’ Foshay Tower, was never completed. Sorry, blimp, zepplin, and balloon owners; you’ll have to find a different way to get to town.

The Historic Railroad

Saint Paul is lightly serviced by Amtrak trains, from both Chicago and Seattle. Who knows what, if any service, will be available in 2008, though. The station is northwest of downtown Saint Paul; no trains have stopped at the historic Union Depot in the heart of downtown in several decades, alas.

Metro Transit’s light rail system only serves Minneapolis, the international airport, and the Mall of America, and that state of affairs is unlikely to change by 2008.

Road Trip!

It’s pretty simple to reach the Twin Cities by road. From the south, Interstate 35 heads right thru the heart of the metro; from east and west, it’s Interstate 94. Sure, once you get here, things may get a little more confusing, but that’s the subject of another page, entirely.

Saint Paul (and Minneapolis) is well-served by Greyhound, with several buses a day to, and from, just about everywhere. Eventually. It’s not a fast, nor terribly fun, way to travel, but it’s cheap, and gets the job done. Saint Paul’s Greyhound station is on University Avenue, just west of the Capitol, less than a mile from downtown and the convention center.