Thrifty Car Hire
Portland

On arrival at Portland International Airport (PDX), collect your luggage and then follow the prominent overhead signs for the “Rental Car Centre”. All car hire companies, including Thrifty, are served by a unified shuttle bus system located just outside the baggage reclaim area on the lower level. The shuttles are clearly marked and run on a continuous loop to the dedicated rental facility, which is a short ride away from the main terminal. This consolidated system makes it easy to find your way without confusion.

The car hire shuttles at PDX typically operate 24/7 to accommodate all arriving flights, so late-night access is standard. The process remains the same: proceed from baggage reclaim to the designated shuttle island outside. To make the journey smoother with family and gear, it’s helpful to gather all your luggage and organise your group before heading to the kerb. The shuttles are designed to handle baggage, but having everything consolidated will make boarding and disembarking a much quicker and less stressful experience.

The drive from the PDX rental car facility to central Portland typically takes about 25 to 45 minutes without significant traffic. However, a weekday afternoon arrival means you will likely encounter rush-hour congestion, especially on the I-84 West freeway leading into the city centre. During peak times, it’s wise to budget up to an hour for the trip to avoid feeling rushed. Using a real-time traffic app on your phone once you’re in the car will give you the most accurate travel time estimate.

If your destination is not in the immediate downtown core, the simplest way to bypass central Portland is by using Interstate 205. Shortly after leaving the airport area, you can take I-205 South to reach southern suburbs like Lake Oswego or to connect to I-5 South. Alternatively, taking I-205 North will take you across the Columbia River into Washington state or connect you to I-5 North. This ring road is an excellent option for avoiding the denser traffic and complex interchanges of the downtown area.

For a straightforward drive to the Pearl District, take I-84 West from the airport area towards the city centre. As you approach the Willamette River, stay in the middle lanes and follow signs for the Morrison Bridge. After crossing the bridge, you’ll be on surface streets that lead directly into the Pearl District. Using a sat nav is highly recommended, as it will help you anticipate your turns well in advance, but the Morrison Bridge route is generally one of the most direct and well-marked approaches.

When navigating Portland’s bridges and freeways, be prepared for shorter-than-average slip roads and merge lanes, which require you to get up to speed quickly. Pay close attention to cyclists, as many bridges have dedicated cycle lanes adjacent to vehicle traffic. It’s also common for lanes to split with little warning, so using a sat nav and knowing which lane you need to be in ahead of time is crucial. Staying alert and driving defensively will help you comfortably manage these unique features of the city’s infrastructure.

If you’re driving a larger vehicle, be aware that neighbourhoods like the Alphabet District (around NW 21st and 23rd Avenues) and parts of Nob Hill are known for very tight on-street parking and narrow residential roads. Similarly, east-side areas like Ladd’s Addition and parts of the Hawthorne District can be challenging. In these locations, finding a spot for an SUV or people carrier may require extra patience and careful manoeuvring, so it’s often easier to find a space a few blocks away and walk.

The streets around NW 21st and 23rd Avenues are busy and narrow, making it difficult to stop for long. The best strategy is to look for a designated white-kerbed loading zone, which allows brief stops. If one isn’t available, pull onto a quieter side street to unload your bags quickly. It can be very helpful to have one person stay with the car while another brings the luggage to the hotel entrance, or vice versa, to ensure traffic is not obstructed.

Downtown Portland’s grid is dominated by one-way streets, which can be a challenge for first-time visitors. This system makes it essential to use a sat nav and plan your final approach carefully. Before you get close, identify the exact street your car park or hotel entrance is on and note whether it’s one-way. Missing a turn often means you’ll have to circle several blocks to get back, so anticipating your route is key to a low-stress arrival.

The three biggest surprises for drivers in Portland are the prevalence of cyclists, the right of way for pedestrians, and the presence of streetcar and light rail tracks. Cyclists are everywhere and may not always follow the same traffic rules as cars, so always be vigilant. Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks, whether they are marked or not. Finally, be careful not to drive onto, or get your tyres stuck in, the streetcar tracks embedded in the road surface in several central neighbourhoods.

The easiest way to drive to Washington Park is via Highway 26 West from downtown, taking the well-marked exit for the park and Zoo. The main challenge is parking, as the car parks are limited and fill up very quickly, especially on sunny weekends. It’s best to arrive early in the morning to secure a space. Once parked, you can use the park’s free shuttle bus to travel between the different attractions without having to move your car and find another space.

For a weekend visit to Pittock Mansion, it’s highly recommended to arrive early, ideally before 10.30am, to secure a parking space. The car park is located right at the mansion but is relatively small and can reach capacity quickly, leading to cars circling and waiting. Arriving ahead of the midday crowds ensures a much more relaxed experience, allowing you to find a space easily and enjoy the grounds and views without the stress of a long parking search.

The most reliable way to park near Powell’s City of Books is to aim for a public multi-storey car park rather than searching for limited on-street parking. Use your sat nav to navigate to one of the city’s “Smart Park” garages, such as the one located at 10th & Yamhill, which is just a few blocks away. By choosing a garage as your destination from the start, you avoid the frustration of circling the congested streets immediately surrounding the famous bookshop.

When visiting popular neighbourhoods like the Alberta Arts District or Mississippi Avenue, the common courtesy is to look for parking on the main commercial street first. If no spaces are available, the next best option is to park a block or two away on a side street. Be sure to read any posted signs carefully for time limits or permit-only restrictions. This approach helps keep spaces directly in front of homes available for residents and usually only requires a short, pleasant walk to the shops and restaurants.

Using a hire car is very practical for travelling between different Portland neighbourhoods, such as from the Pearl District to the Hawthorne area. However, once you arrive in a specific neighbourhood, the best strategy is to park your car once and explore on foot. Most popular areas have multiple food cart pods, shops, and cafés within a compact, walkable radius. This hybrid approach saves you the hassle of repeatedly finding parking and allows you to fully immerse yourself in each neighbourhood’s unique atmosphere.

The most important rule is to never leave luggage or any valuables visible inside the passenger cabin of your hire car. Always store your bags securely in the boot or, for an SUV, under the luggage cover before you arrive at your destination. If possible, plan your itinerary to visit places with high foot traffic and well-lit parking areas for any pre-check-in stops. The safest option, however, is always to drop your luggage at your hotel as soon as you can.

Arriving during a Portland downpour requires a bit of planning to stay comfortable. When loading the car, try to pull up under an awning or as close to a building entrance as possible. It’s a great idea to keep a couple of small towels in the front of the car to wipe down wet luggage handles and dry your hands. Having a designated plastic bag for wet umbrellas is also a local trick that prevents them from soaking the car’s seats and floors.

On a night when there’s an event at the Moda Center, you should expect significant traffic congestion in the Rose Quarter area, affecting the I-5, I-84, and Broadway Bridge interchanges. If you need to drive through this area, allow for considerable extra travel time. Parking becomes scarce and expensive, so if you are attending the event, it’s best to arrive very early or use public transport. If you’re not attending, it’s wise to check the event schedule and plan a route that completely avoids the immediate vicinity.

If your group is arriving on different flights, the most efficient plan is for the first person to arrive to pick up the hire car alone. That person can then drive to the airport’s cell phone waiting lot, which is a free area to park and wait. Once the second party has landed and collected their bags, they can call for a pick-up, and the driver can meet them at the passenger pick-up kerb outside baggage reclaim, avoiding the need to park and re-enter the terminal.

For a straightforward drive from PDX to the western suburbs like Beaverton or Hillsboro, the simplest route is to take I-205 South for a few miles. From there, you will merge onto US-26 West, which is marked with signs for Beaverton. This route allows you to bypass the more complex interchanges and traffic of downtown Portland entirely. US-26 is a direct highway that will take you all the way through Beaverton and towards Hillsboro.

The most direct and easiest route for a first-time trip to Cannon Beach is to take US Highway 26 West from Portland. This is a major, well-maintained highway that is relatively straight for most of the journey, making for a comfortable drive. As you get closer to the coast, the road becomes more scenic with some gentle curves through the forest, but it is not considered a difficult or overwhelming drive. The entire trip typically takes about 90 minutes without heavy traffic.

For the best experience, plan to visit Ecola State Park first thing in the morning. The park has very limited parking that fills up extremely early, especially on nice days. By going there first, you have the best chance of securing a space to enjoy the stunning views. After your visit, you can then drive the short distance back down to the town of Cannon Beach, where you’ll find more plentiful, though still popular, public parking options for exploring the town and Haystack Rock.

When driving back from the Oregon Coast after dark, be prepared for changing conditions, especially on US-26 through the Coast Range mountains. It is common to encounter patches of dense fog, which can significantly reduce visibility, so it’s important to drive at a safe speed and use your dipped headlights. The roads are unlit outside of towns, making it very dark. Driving cautiously and being aware of potential wildlife crossing the road will help ensure a safe return journey to Portland.

While the Tillamook Creamery is a popular destination, its car park can be very busy. For easier and more relaxing breaks along your coastal drive, consider stopping in smaller towns like Manzanita or Nehalem. These charming towns offer easy on-street parking, public toilets, and quaint cafés or bakeries. State parks along the way, such as Oswald West or Nehalem Bay State Park, also provide ample parking and facilities for a comfortable stop.

For a predictable and low-stress day trip, use Interstate 84 as your primary route through the Columbia River Gorge. This modern freeway allows for efficient travel between major sights like Multnomah Falls and Hood River. For scenery, you can exit I-84 to drive a portion of the Historic Columbia River Highway, but be aware it is a slow, winding road. A great strategy is to take I-84 out to your furthest point, like Hood River, and then enjoy the historic highway on the return trip.

Vista House at Crown Point offers spectacular views but has a very small, one-way loop car park that can become congested quickly. It is designed for short-term visits, making it ideal for a quick photo stop rather than a long stay. On busy days, you may need to circle the loop a few times or wait for a space to open up. To avoid the biggest crowds and have the best chance of parking, try to visit on a weekday or early in the morning at the weekend.

A great plan is to first drive directly to the town of Hood River on I-84 in the morning. Park once in the downtown area to explore the shops and waterfront. Afterwards, use your car to drive the scenic “Fruit Loop”, a well-marked route through the valley’s orchards and farms south of town. The fruit stands and wineries along this loop have their own dedicated car parks, making it easy and stress-free to stop as you please on your way back towards Portland.

The primary route to Timberline Lodge is US-26 East, a well-travelled highway. The most important thing to be aware of is the rapid change in weather as you gain elevation. It can be raining in Portland but snowing heavily on the mountain, even in spring or autumn. Always check road conditions on a site like TripCheck before you depart, and be prepared for colder temperatures and potentially slippery roads near the summit, regardless of the season.

A convenient place to stock up on snacks, water, and other supplies is in the suburban city of Gresham, which you will pass through on your way out of Portland towards both Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. Gresham has numerous large grocery stores with easy-access car parks located just off the main routes. Stopping here is much simpler than trying to navigate smaller, busier grocery shops within Portland’s city centre before you start your day trip.

To minimise driving time, it’s best to focus your winery visits on a specific sub-region of the Willamette Valley, such as the Dundee Hills or the Eola-Amity Hills. Research wineries that are clustered closely together in one of these areas. This allows you to park and potentially walk between a couple of tasting rooms, or at least have very short drives between your chosen stops. Planning a route with three to four wineries in a small geographical area makes for a much more relaxed and enjoyable day.

When driving in rural Oregon, be prepared for more two-lane highways where passing opportunities are limited. Local etiquette is to pull over at a designated turnout to let faster traffic pass if you have several cars behind you. Be watchful for slow-moving agricultural vehicles, especially during harvest season. You’ll also share these scenic roads with cyclists, so always give them plenty of space when passing.

There are two primary routes from Portland to Bend. The most scenic option is taking US-26 East over Mount Hood, which involves mountain passes and can be subject to winter weather conditions. The alternative, often more reliable in winter, is to take I-84 East through the Columbia River Gorge to Biggs Junction, then head south on US-97. Both routes are well-maintained, but the US-26 route is more winding while the I-84/US-97 route is flatter and straighter for much of the journey.

To break up the drive to Bend, consider a scenic or recreational stop. If you take the US-26 route over Mount Hood, a great place to stop is Timberline Lodge for its historic architecture and stunning views. Another option on this route is a short walk around Trillium Lake. If you choose the I-84 and US-97 route, you could stop at Smith Rock State Park near Redmond for a dramatic change of scenery and a chance to stretch your legs on a trail.

The drive from Portland to Crater Lake is quite long, taking about four to five hours one way. It is highly recommended to plan for an overnight stay in a nearby town like Bend or Klamath Falls to avoid a rushed and exhausting day. If you must do it in one day, leave Portland before sunrise to maximise your daylight hours at the park. Breaking up the drive with a lunch stop in a city like Eugene can also make the journey more manageable.

Mobile coverage can be unreliable or completely unavailable in many parts of Oregon, particularly in the Coast Range, the Cascade Mountains, and remote areas of Central and Eastern Oregon. To ensure you can always navigate, it is essential to download offline maps of your intended regions using your preferred GPS app before you leave Portland. This allows your phone’s GPS to function and provide directions even when you don’t have a mobile signal.

During winter in Portland, be especially cautious as the city’s hilly terrain can become treacherous with even a small amount of ice or snow. Bridge decks and flyovers are known to freeze first, so reduce your speed when approaching them. Shaded areas in hilly neighbourhoods, like the West Hills, can also hold on to ice for days after a storm. It’s important to drive slowly, allow extra stopping distance, and avoid sudden movements in these conditions.

A great way to stay organised is to assign a specific zone in the car for different items. Use a reusable shopping bag or a small box on the floor of the back seat to hold all the snacks and drinks for easy access. Encourage each person to keep their personal daypack or jacket with them at their seat. This system ensures that only larger luggage remains in the boot, minimising the need to open it and dig through bags at every scenic viewpoint or short stop.

To protect your hire car after a muddy hike, it’s wise to bring a few simple items with you. A large, heavy-duty bin bag is perfect for containing muddy boots and preventing dirt from getting on the car’s carpet. You can also bring an old towel to lay down in the boot or on a seat before placing wet jackets or backpacks on it. This small amount of preparation makes clean-up at the end of your trip much easier.

For a morning flight, it’s a good rule of thumb to leave central Portland about three hours before your flight’s departure time. This buffer accounts for potential weekday morning rush-hour traffic, which can be heavy on I-84 East. It also gives you plenty of time for the car return process, the shuttle ride back to the terminal, and getting through airport security queues, which can be long during peak morning hours.

The most efficient and least stressful sequence is to first drive to the main terminal’s upper-level departures kerb. Here, you can drop off all your passengers and unload all the luggage with them. After they are safely on their way to the check-in desk, the driver can proceed alone to the car hire return facility. This way, only one person has to manage the return process and take the shuttle back to the terminal, unburdened by bags and family.