Once people arrive in Cincinnati, USITT’s Conference hotels are close by the Duke Energy Center, center, including the Millennium, at right. The Hyatt Regency is at the left. The Duke also connects to convenient parking via a skywalk. The photo was taken from the Cincinnati Hilton which is USITT’s headquarters hotel.

Photo/Barbara E.R. Lucas

Kathie Brookfield
Cincinnati Promotions Coordinator

Planning the trip to Cincinnati for the 2009 USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo? Here’s some information about airlines and airports in the region, as well as car, bus and train options.

Anyone living within six to eight hours from Cincinnati in cities such as St. Louis, Memphis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Toledo, Toronto, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta may consider driving. Car-pooling to the conference can save some money and extend the Conference networking experience.

Parking is available, at a charge, in several surface lots, metered parking on the street, and in garages within walking distance of the hotels and Duke Energy Center. Metered parking on the streets is enforced 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday with the first 10 minutes free. Meters have different rates depending on where they are located. Garage and surface lot maps and rate information can be accessed here. Click here for a downloadable guide.

While a recent check on airfares has listed flights in the $400 to $1,000 range for distances of about 800 miles from the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky airport (CVG), this changes constantly.

Flights from the West Coast are listed $200 to $400 less to CVG. Flights to airports just outside the Greater Cincinnati area within a 100 mile radius, such as Dayton (DAY), Columbus (CMH), Indianapolis (IND), Lexington (LEX), and Louisville (SDF) may be less expensive. Rental cars are available for the one- to two-hour drive to the Duke Energy Center. Bus, taxi, shuttle, and car rental services are available at CVG. Community Yellow Cab company is licensed to transport passengers both to and from the CVG airport. The cost for the trip from CVG to downtown Cincinnati is $25 per taxi for one to four passengers for the 13 mile trip. There is also the Airport Executive Shuttle a seat on which can be reserved the day prior to arrival or departure. Make sure to have the flight number, hotel and phone number available when calling 1-800-990-8841.

Amtrak has service to Cincinnati on the Cardinal from the east, New York through Washington, D.C., and from the west, Chicago through Indianapolis. The train arrives at the Historic Union Terminal. The schedule is limited to departures for the 828 mile trip from New York at approximately 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday arriving in Cincinnati at approximately 1:03 a.m. the next day. The departures for the 319 mile trip from Chicago are at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday arriving in Cincinnati at 3:17 a.m. the next day.  Check www.amtrak.com for connecting schedules.

Bus service via Greyhound is also available. The Greyhound Terminal is located on Gilbert Avenue in downtown Cincinnati. Click here for locations of Greyhound stations, schedules, and ticketing.

The 2009 USITT Annual Conference and Stage Expo is only a few months away. Start planning now!

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