£274+ Cheap flights to Portland

Portland overview

Often referred to as the ‘City of Roses’, Portland’s gardens have become one of its main attractions. But beyond its greenery, its setting among coastal mountains, its mild climate, impressive arts scene and lively nightlife lure visitors from all over to book flights to Portland.

Lovers of the great outdoors can spend their holiday hiking the trails of Forest Park and taking long walks in the Japanese Garden. The climate is so mild and rainfall so plentiful that Portland is a paradise for gardeners. Semi-tropical plants like camellias thrive, as do 400 varieties of roses. And while much of the rest of North America is still shovelling snow, spring comes to Portland early.

Visitors who come off a flight to Portland when it’s raining shouldn’t be disappointed, there’s plenty to do indoors from visiting art museums to exploring the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry or just hanging out at the enormous Powell’s bookstore. There are several local theatre companies, a symphony orchestra, chamber music group, and opera company. In addition, Portland has so many microbreweries and brewpubs; it’s been called “Munich on the Willamette”.

The Pearl District in particular, has been hailed as the ultimate capital of hipsterdom, where you can soak in all the healthy eats and craft beer that you can handle.

Portland climate

Portland has the mild rainy climate of the Pacific Northwest. It doesn’t get that much rain in inches, but it has a lot of days when it rains some. The rainy season is roughly October to May. Summer is the sunniest season in Portland, so that’s when most people visit. It can be hot, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius. Whenever you go, be prepared for at least a little rain and also for cool evenings even in summer.

Getting around Portland

It’s easy to walk around compact Portland. There are plenty of small parks to rest at and sidewalks are wide. The public transit system is very good. TriMet has buses and light rail, the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX). If you’re travelling in the free rail zone, a 300-block area in the centre, a ride won’t cost you a thing. The Portland Streetcar services the cultural district and great areas for shopping and restaurants. The free rates apply to the streetcar too. If you hop on one of the vintage streetcars that run on the weekends, you still won’t have to pay.

Getting from the Airport to the City

The main airport in Portland is Portland International Airport (PDX). PDX provides access to shuttles, taxis, limousines, and on-site and off-site rental cars. The airport website lists taxi and limo companies by destination. TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon) is the public transport system that serves downtown Portland.

What is good to know if travelling to Portland?

• If you have a question or need directions when you’re in the city centre, look for one of the people wearing bright green jackets. These are Portland Guides, and their job is to answer questions and give directions.
• The Portland Saturday Market (which also operates on Sunday) is a favourite outing for locals and visitors alike. Every weekend, artists and craftspeople, typically close to 300 of them, sell their creations. You’ll also find a variety of ethnic and other interesting foods.
• Portland calls itself the City of Roses, and celebrates the Rose Festival throughout all of June. The festival includes a grand parade, boat and car races, an air show, an arts festival, and of course a rose show. Also during June is Fleet Week, when a variety of US Navy, US Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy ships are in port. Some ships provide river cruises. Ships in port are open for free tours.
• Some of Portland’s main attractions are gardens and parks. The Japanese Garden, one of Portland’s most popular attractions, is considered the finest example of a Japanese garden in North America, and the Portland Classical Chinese Garden is the largest of its type outside China. Though very different, both gardens are lovely, and both have tea rooms.
• The Pittock Mansion is the most impressive mansion in Portland, and it commands an impressive view, looking over the city to the Cascade Range. Built in 1914 in the style of a French Chateau, it has innovative features like a built-in vacuum cleaning system and multiple shower heads. The lawn is a good picnic spot.
• One of Oregon’s best-kept secrets is Sauvie Island, a 24,000-acre island ten miles northwest of central Portland, where you can observe an impressive array of migratory and year-round birds, pick berries, or walk along the beach. A narrow bridge connects the island to the mainland, running along the top of a dyke past houseboats and fruit and dairy farms.
• Portland has been a major port since the 19^th century, and in the early days, unsuspecting young men enjoying a night out in Portland’s seedier sections might be drugged and wake up on board a ship heading for Asia, sold to the captain as slave labour—shanghaied. You can tour the Shanghai Tunnels, the restored labyrinth where the victims were imprisoned, and see the cells where they were held and the trapdoors through which they were dropped from bars and brothels.
• Portland has some unusual attractions, but none is more bizarre than the 24-Hour Church of Elvis/Where’s the Art?, a cross between performance art and a kitschy collection of found objects and pop art. It’s not a church—but it does have a proprietor who claims to be a minister; it’s not open 24 hours; and Elvis is only a small part of the popular culture represented.

Portland airport overview

Portland International Airport is the busiest in the state, providing up to 90 per cent of the air traffic to Oregon. Nearly 15 million passengers pass through its gates each year.

While its name says international, flights to Portland International Airport are mostly regional with a few routes from Canada. Direct connections can be made to cities such as New York, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Denver and Los Angeles. Delta operates the airport’s only intercontinental route to Amsterdam.

The airport is attractive and relatively efficient, but tends to be ranked somewhere in the middle in terms of US airports. With no diversions more exciting than free Wi-Fi and an ice-cream cone from Baskin-Robbins, passengers coming through Portland International will find it as adequate as they require.