Getting to the Oregon Coast is Half the Fun

Visitors pursing that getaway to the Oregon Coast" today have plenty of travel options getting there that werent around in the past according to the Central Oregon Coast Association (COCA), regional destination marketing organization for Lincoln County. Today, a visitor to Oregons Central Coast may opt for planes, trains, motor coaches and buses in addition to the traditional Oregon trip to the beach" linked to the family car, group van, RV or pickup camper and the school or church bus according to COCA Executive Director, Guy DiTorrice.

This past year Oregons Central Coast received daily commuter air service, improved AMTRACK scheduling from the I-5 corridor as well as extensive highway improvements in and into Lincoln County," DiTorrice notes. For the year-round visitor we offer non-driving options for travel to Oregons Central Coast. And for the summer visitor this means options to heavy weekend coast-bound traffic."

Travel planning is still important when you factor in many Oregonians taking more numerous and shorter trips to the Pacific Coast as well as the number of people traveling to Oregon during non-school months and holiday breaks, DiTorrice adds. While COCA continues promoting year-round visitor travel to Lincoln County, motoring travelers will usually see the most traffic summer months as well as spring and winter breaks. Travel options now provide our coastal visitors choices of someone else 'doing the driving for them."

HARBOR AIR provides daily commuter flights between Portland [PDX] and Newport [ONP], with mid-day and early-evening flights seven days a week. Harbor Air reservations and ticketing information is available toll-free at (800) 359-3270. Car rental assistance is also available at Newport Municipal Airport.

AMTRACK has daily rail service to/from Portland from the Eastern U. S. on the Empire Builder [#7]. In addition, Amtrack provides daily service to/from Albany (only 50 miles east of Newport) along the entire West Coast on the Coast Starlight" [#4 south from Seattle, #14 north from Los Angeles]. Amtrack ticketing and reservation information is available by calling toll-free (800) 872-7245.

VALLEY RETRIEVER provides daily 'motorcoach thruway service from the Albany Amtrack station, with late morning and early afternoon trips to/from Newport Monday--Saturday and a third scheduled evening run Sunday--Friday evenings. Contact the Valley Retriever to coordinate scheduling your Amtrack travel linked to Oregons Central Coast by calling (541) 265-2253.

CAR RENTALS are available at the Albany and Portland Amtrack rail stations as well as in Lincoln City and Newport along Oregons Central Coast. Consult your telephone directory or travel provider for assistance.

BUSES provide the original leave the driving to us" option for Oregon coastal visitors, with daily, year-round service available to/from the entire continental United States. Information on schedules and ticketing for Greyhound buses to/from Oregons Central Coast is available by calling toll-free (800) 231-2222. Local weekday transit service is available between Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Toledo, Seal Rock, Waldport and Yachats by Lincoln County Transit. Receive local transit information by calling (541) 265-4900.

PERSONAL and RECREATIONAL VEHICLES still provide the primary modes of travel of most visitors to Oregons Central Coast. COCA provides the following routing tips:
 From Portland: Travel south on I-5 to the 99W exit (#294), traveling west to Newberg/Highway 18 to Lincoln County
 From Portland: Travel I-5 south to Corvallis/Highway 34 to U S Highway 20 to the Coast.
 From Albany: Travel west on US Highway 20 to Lincoln County.
 From Eugene: Travel I-5 north to Corvallis/Highway 34 to U S Highway 20 to the Coast.
 Scenic route: Take Highway 34 at Philomath off Highway 20.
 24-hour Road Condition Reports: toll-free (800) 977-6368.

Bicycles are often used for travel along the Highway 101 corridor, with the Oregon Department of Transportation providing a free Oregon Coast Bike Route Guide" by calling (503) 986-3556 or visiting the internet at http://ww.odot.state.or.us.

The Central Oregon Coast Association is a regional visitor marketing organization representing the unincorporated areas of Lincoln County and is funded, in part, by transient room tax revenues collected by Lincoln County. COCA provides free information for inquiring visitors, travel professionals and the travel trade media about rural Lincoln County accommodations, attractions, scenic features, recreational opportunities, annual events and their travel options getting to/from here. COCA cooperatively promotes year-round, overnight visitors to Oregons Central Coast with the Chambers of Commerce in Yachats, Waldport, Newport, Toledo and Depoe Bay as well as the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau, Oregon Tourism Commission, Oregon State Parks & Recreation and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association. For additional information, contact COCA by calling [541] 265-2064, toll-free at [800] 767-2064, via eMail at coca@orcoast.com and on the Internet at http://www.newportnet.com/coca.