Luxury holidays in Portland

When to go

The winter is unfortunately rainy, chilly and grey, but if you are prepared to wrap up then there is always a local café or bar on hand to take off the chill. The summer – dry, bright and glorious – is definitely the best time to visit.

Getting there

• Planes

  Portland International Airport (PDX) is about a $30 taxi ride from downtown and is connected to nearly all major airports in the US. You can also fly direct from Frankfurt and Amsterdam (Northwest / Delta and Lufthansa respectively).

• Trains

  Just north of downtown, Union Station is a 15-minute walk from Pioneer Square. Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) serves Portland from all along the West Coast; there are three trains a day between Portland and Seattle. Coast Starlight (www.coaststarlight.com) runs the length of the Pacific coast from Los Angeles to Seattle.

• Automobiles

  Portland is an easy three-hour drive from Seattle down the freeway. Although the city’s public transport system, Tri-Met (www.trimet.org) is seen as an example to the rest of the US, you should consider renting a car (try www.avis.com) if you want to zip off to the surrounding countryside.

• Taxis

  When downtown you can often flag taxis down in the street, otherwise they’re available 24 hours a day by phone. Green Cab (+1 503 234 1414) is the eco-friendly option and is based on East Burnside.