Getting from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Downtown Austin
If you’re headed to Austin, you’ve probably already bookmarked a few things to do and mapped out your taco and barbecue pit stops. But have you thought about how you’re going to get there?
No, we don’t mean the flight (that you should book at least two weeks in advance for the best savings). We’re talking about after you land.
To help you get prepared, we’ve asked our friends at GroundLink to provide you with a comprehensive overview of your ground transportation options from the Austin airport. A version of this post originally appeared on the GroundLink blog.
Pick-Up at the Austin Airport
After a long flight, the last thing you want to do is worry about finding a ride or take a long walk with your luggage to find that ride.
At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), passengers booking a ride with a taxi or rideshare company are required to meet their drivers in a separate rideshare lot.
Passengers can avoid the long walk and wait time by booking pickup from the Austin airport with GroundLink.
GroundLink is allowed to park closer to the terminal, and a private driver will greet you inside! Once you meet your driver, they will assist you with your luggage and escort you on the short walk to your private car.
Riding with Cabs and Rideshare Companies
Austin Airport has become the latest major airport to move rideshare companies to a separate lot, in an effort to reduce airport traffic and ensure smooth airport pickup for travelers.
These changes, however, require passengers using rideshare companies to walk their bags 600 feet–a distance the equivalent of two football fields–to meet their driver!
After leaving the baggage claim, passengers are required to exit and cross the street, go up one floor, walk across one parking garage, and then walk across to a rideshare parking lot, where their driver awaits. The rideshare lot can be challenging to find and is often quite crowded.
Here’s what www.austintexas.gov states in terms of AUS Airport Taxi and Ride-App pickups:
“From Lower-Level / Baggage Claim: Exit baggage claim of the Barbara Jordan Terminal to cross the street and enter the garage. Take garage elevators to Level 2. Walk through the pathway found in the center of the garage or take mobility assistance towards Taxi, ride app and Rental Car signs to cross the garage. You will reach pickup area after crossing the road.
From Upper-Level / Drop-off and Ticketing: Exit the Barbara Jordan Terminal to use the pedestrian crosswalk to cross the street to the garage. Walk through the parking garage following the signs to the Rental Car Facility. Take the elevators on left, down one floor (Level G) to reach pickup area.”
Riding with GroundLink Black Car Service
Although curbside pickup isn’t allowed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, GroundLink can park very close to your arriving terminal and your private driver will greet you inside.
When you schedule airport pickup with GroundLink, you’ll receive new SMS instructions sent straight to your mobile device once you land.
For international flights, your driver will be waiting outside customs, and for domestic flights, your driver will be waiting at the bottom of the escalator leading to the baggage claim area. Once you meet your driver, you’ll be escorted to your private car and dropped off at the location of your choice.
For more information, visit the GroundLink blog or book a ride online.