Oregon Coast Travel - How To Get There

Oregon Coast travel is not difficult by any stretch. If you've decided to drive, once you hit Highway 101 (also known as the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway), it's just a straight shot North or South.

In fact, Oregon Coast travel on Hwy 101 will be one of the more awesome trips you've ever taken. As you pass by estuarine marshes, through the lovely little towns, past the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and artistic sand dunes, you will be amazed at the beauty.

Driving the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway

From: Astoria, Oregon
Entire Distance: 350 miles
Travel Time: 10-12 hours

• Once you reach US Highway 101 in Astoria, you travel south on the Highway, following the coast, until you reach the California border.
  
  
  
• The California section of the Pacific Coast Highway then begins.
  

If you plan to travel by airplane, rental car or just want to find a nice, inexpensive hotel or Oregon Coast travel package, you may want to check out the Discount Travel page.

There are three popular ways to get to Hwy 101 from Portland, Oregon. Many people take these routes every year as they plan their Oregon Coast travel vacations. Here are the routes they take to get the most enjoyment of out of the trip:

• The North Coast Tour
  
  This specific tour begins in Portland.Take Highway 30 west to Astoria/Warrenton,
  Travel south on Highway 101 with stops at Seaside, Cannon Beach, Nehalem Bay, Rockaway Beach and Tillamook.
  Just north of Lincoln City, take Highway 18/99W for your return to Portland.
  
  
  
• The Central Coast Tour
  
  From Portland, take Highway 99W/Highway 18 to Highway 101.
  Go south to Lincoln City. Along this route, you'll explore Depoe Bay, Newport, Toledo, Waldport, Yachats and Florence.
  From Florence, take Highway 126 East to Eugene. Return to Portland on Interstate 5.
  
  
  
• The South Coast Tour
  
  From Portland, take Interstate 5 south to Eugene and then Highway 126 west to Florence.
  Take Highway 101 south to visit Coos Bay/North Bend, Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings-Harbor.
  
  
• To return to Portland, take Highway 101 south of Brookings-Harbor to Highway 199. Go east to Grant's Pass and take Interstate 5 north to Portland.

Additional & Detailed Oregon Coast Travel Directions:

From: Portland International Airport/Amtrak, Salem
Distance: 74 miles

Getting to the Scenic Byway:
US 101 is reached via several east-west routes connecting to Interstate 5 and various airports in the Willamette Valley.

US 30, US 26, Oregon 6, and Oregon 18 provide access to the northern portion of the scenic Byway from the Portland metropolitan area and Portland International Airport.

US 30 leads to Astoria and the Fort Clatsop National Memorial (Lewis and Clark), US 26 to Seaside, Oregon 6 to Tillamook, and Oregon 18 to Lincoln City.

From the center of the state along I-5 and the cities of Salem, Albany, and Eugene, Oregon 22,20, 34, and 126 provide access respectively to Lincoln City, Newport, Waldport, and Florence and the National Scenic Dunes Recreational Area along the central portion of the Scenic Byway.

The Eugene International Airport is near Oregon 126. Farther south, Oregon 38 runs from I-5 to Reedsport, and Oregon 42 connects Roseburg to Bandon By the Sea.

From Grants Pass along I-5, the most southern city of the scenic Byway can be accessed by following US 199 toward Crescent City, California, then north 17 miles to the Oregon border, and another 5 miles north to Brookings.

Other regional Airports with public service are located in Medford, Oregon and Crescent City, California.

Medford is approximately 2 hours from the southern Oregon Coast and Crescent City is 21 miles south of the Oregon Border.

Oregon is also served by Amtrak rail through the Willamette Valley with stations in Eugene, Albany, Salem, and Portland.

Each of these stations is approximately 1 hour from the Oregon Coast and US 101. As you can tell, whatever mode of transportation you choose for your Oregon Coast travel vacation, it will be a memorable experience. Take a deep breath (the ocean air is sooo refreshing!) and enjoy your time getting there. Don't be in too much of a rush; you'll miss the charm of the trip and that is truthfully a big part of the fun.

I would recommend making sure that you have a reliable camera so that you can stop at many of the places along the way and take some great shots. Make your Oregon Coast travel plans today and enjoy all the great Pacific NW has to offer. Now, if you're out of state, you first need to get yourself to Oregon. Let me help....

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