Mark308

Just wondered how most people made this trip to start the TransAm. Is there a bus you can take after you fly into Portland, or do you just start biking from there.

If you do just start biking, does anyone have a good route, or am I best just looking at a map and taking off. I would just hope I don't travel any really busy roads.

Thanks for the help!
Mark

Shifty

You may as well start riding from the airport. Ride to Scappoose on Rt 30, then take a county road west out of Scappoose that connects to Rt 47 at Pittsburg, riding toward Jewell. At Mist take Rt. 202 which takes you into Astoria. I like this route because there is very light traffic (Rt 30 is not fun to ride) and it is very scenic.

Oregon offers a great bicycing road map, which is free for the asking. They also offer a free bicycle map specific to the Oregon Coast Bike Route, you should request both.

Oregon Department of Transportation
Salem, OR 97310

Telephone 503-986-3556

I'm sure that others will also help, this is a route that I have taken and very much enjoyed, it is hilly be advised.

Good luck and enjoy Oregon, as well as the rest of your adventure!

jamawani 

Howdy -

Bus service keeps going downhill - but it usually only serves the very poor, the very old, and persons with handicaps. But there are some connections from Portland - and I think you should start your ride in Astoria - - not Portland. It's a moral question, you know,

My first x-country tour started in Astoria - - I won't tell you how long ago. Enough said that there were two Greyhound bus trips per day. When my bike arrived the front fork was trashed - even with the protector piece. So consider shipping your bike by UPS to a bike shop in Astoria and pay them to "uncrate" it. UPS guarantees delivery to business addresses - plus the shipping isn't any more than the extra fee that airlines charge. It saves you a whole lot of hassle toting your bike thru airports and bus stations.

Here the info on special summer train service to Astoria and Amtrak bus connections - -

lewis & clark explorer train - https://www.lcbo.net/traingo.html
Have to connect from downtown shuttle - and VERY early in the a.m. - but the route is beautiful.

Amtrak operated a Thruway Bus from Portland to Astoria leaving Portland at 6:00 pm and arriving at Astoria at 8:30 - fare $17. Check the Amtrak webpage - https://www.amtrak.com

Best - J

Mark308

I requested the bicycle guide for Oregon and plan on looking at the route a little closer.

The bus fare seems reasonable tho, I feared it would be more than that. Perhaps I will check into sending the bike via ups to Astoria rather than travel with it on the plane.

Is there any bike shop in Astoria that people seem to prefer for mailing there bikes?

Thanks for both of your replys. They've been a big help. I was coming up dry trying to search the internet and read travel logs of how people got to Astoria.

Best Regards

Shifty

Glad to help, I'll keep an eye on this thread, pipe in as I think I can help.

mntbikedude

Hi Mark,

On our first ride down the coast my son and I took the Amtrak bus to Astoria. The bus is set up to take bikes and as it turned out our driver was a biker himself. We ended up talking bikes all the way to Astoria and he even dropped us off right at our motel rather than the normal stop.

MBD

shackbar

I side with Shifty: getting from the Portland airport to Astoria using Route 202 is a great option. It was one of the highlights of the trip I took last summer from Portland to San Francisco. I wrote about Mist, Birkenfeld, and Jewell in my travel blog, https://blogs.law.harvard.edu/hackbarth/stories/storyReader$37 if you're interested.

Shifty

Shackbar, I very much enjoyed your story, sounds like a great trip. Next time you do the Oregon Coast Eugene is 55 miles in from Florence, you're welcome here.