Saint Louis Travel Forum

Hi VTers,

I'm traveling to St. Louis for the Radiohead concert in 2 weeks (May 14th). I arrive on the Mega bus at Union Station at 2:30pm. Concert starts at 7pm, I'd like to be there around 6-6:30, so that's a 4-hour window to get from place to place (2 hours of which I'd like to use to eat somewhere near the terminal).

I've looked at the St. Louis Regional Transit website to figure out transportation from St. Louis Union Station to the amphitheatre (14141 Riverport Dr), but I can't make heads or tails out of it. I used the police dept's address in Maryland Hts as a terminus point because I wasn't able to just plug in any address, which is extremely frustrating. There are no directions of how to get to the amphitheatre itself or how far that walk might be. I'm thinking it's a few miles walk and I don't want to do that, especially at night when I return; would love to get straight to the venue, if possible.

These are the directions it gives me:
http://www.metrostlouis.org/
Take metro from Union Station to Police Dept in Maryland Hts, 212 Millwell Dr.

Take Metrolink West from Union Station Metrolink Station to Rock Road Metrolink Station. Depart 3:36 arrive 3:53pm.

Walk to Rock Road Loop to catch the MO Bus 33 and ride that to Shuetz Rd. at Dorset Rd. arrive 4:07pm. Walk from Shuetz Rd to Maryland Hts Police Dept.



Can someone tell me the best way to get from Union Station to the amphitheatre?
Could I take metro/subway and then a bus once inside Maryland Hts - or a cab?
If so, what's a good cab company in Maryland Hts or the website for the bus?
Would either stop in front of the concert venue?
Is it too far to just take a cab from St Louis to Maryland Heights? And back (at 11:30pm or so)?
And if so, I'm worried about getting from the amphitheatre back into town to catch the Mega bus at 1:15am. I'm thinking I have about a 2-hour window. Which *should* be plenty of time but you never know.

Also, is there any place safe to meander around or stay at late at night around Union Station or is Union Station itself open?

Thanks for all your help!

Here is the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre website. They give phone address and directions.
http://www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/2240

Here is the website for Metro St. Louis Tripfinder.
http://tripfinder.metrostlouis.org/

Below is a past of the results from that site.

Walk Union Station 06:06pm UNION STA METROLINK STATION 06:06pm 0.00 miles
METROLINK Metrolink (WEST) UNION STA METROLINK STATION 06:06pm NORTH HANLEY METROLINK STATION 06:29pm 10.07 miles
Walk NORTH HANLEY METROLINK STATION 06:29pm NORTH HANLEY LOOP at METROLINK 06:30pm 0.06 miles
MO BUS 34 (COUNTERCLOCKWIS) NORTH HANLEY LOOP at METROLINK 06:45pm RIVERPORT DR at 14042 RIVERPORT DR (NS) 07:35pm 19.08 miles
Walk RIVERPORT DR at 14042 RIVERPORT DR (NS) 07:35pm 14141 RIVERPORT S DR 07:40pm 0.19 miles
Map Total time: 1 h 33 min Walking Distance: 0.27 miles

It has you walking a total of about 1/4 mile and elapsed time about 1.5 hours.

Metrolink has a light rail station in Union station. You will catch that to a station at North Hanley. Walk to North Hanley loop to catch a bus. the bus will take you to Riverport Dr. and walk .19 miles to the ampitheatre.

I am curious as to how you like the Megabus experience and what route you took. Let us know how it went.

Unfortunately, the Verizon Amphitheater (still often called Riverport around here) is difficult to get to via public transit. If you decide that combining a taxi with MetroLink is more to your liking, I'd recommend connecting at the airport. While the bus 34 mentioned in vanderlust's post connects at the North Hanley station, the Lambert Airport Main station is actually closer to the amphitheater. Plus it will be very easy to find a taxi there on your way out to the amphitheater. I've never taken a taxi in St. Louis, so I'm afraid I'm no more help than Google for a recommendation. Also, note that the last 2 trains of the night departing Lambert Airport Main only go as far as Grand station, which is NOT walkable to Union Station. So, be sure you get to the airport for the 12:08 train. If you were to miss it, I think I would just take a taxi from the airport to Union Station. It would be expensive, but I'm not sure if you'd be able to easily find a taxi at any of the other MetroLink stations.

If you haven't done so already, check out the MO System Map on Metro's website to get an idea of where things are located. The amphitheater is near the top left corner of the map and is probably easiest found by looking for the orange route 34 line.

The shops in Union Station will be closed by the time that you return, but there are several bars & restaurants in & immediately around Union Station that will still be open. The lobby bar of the Hyatt Regency is located in the Grand Hall of the old train station and is really beautiful. And I believe it is very near to the Megabus stop.

Best of luck & enjoy the show.

Thanks, guys, you all are awesome! I really appreciate your input.

I used Megabus early March to get from Cincy to Chicago. It was fine getting there; unfortunately, on the way back we were met with a heavy snowstorm (it may have even been classified as a blizzard). This was the maiden voyage for our driver from Chicago to Cincinnati (she'd driven other routes but not this one). She was a complete professional! We arrived late downtown Cincinnati but we arrived in one piece.

It was a pretty good experience overall. I met several different types of people on the bus, from college students to a corporate exec who lives in Cincinnati and works in Chicago (uses the inexpensive Megabus as transport to & fro). Very interesting people, overall, and conversations with them helped to pass the time.

The only thing I found a bit disturbing was the attitude of the Union Station in Chicago. I meant to take photos (and I probably will this upcoming trip) of their posters put up at various entrance points basically making Megabus users feel profoundly unwelcome.

Fortunately, I'm a rebel, said "posters be d****d" and camped out inside during the cold weather. :D

The concert was "teh awesome", as they say in the gaming world (no, I don't play, but my son does)!!

I believe they started out with All I Need from the new CD IN/RAINBOWS and ended up with Paranoid Android (my FAVORITE song)!! They played the entire new album in about the first 1/3 of the set, did not play Creep (I didn't expect them to even though they have 3 versions of the song). They did play Fake Plastic Trees and also My Iron Lung, which is my son's favorite song. I called him while they were playing it but he couldn't hear it over the roar of the crowd.

mjccafe, I took your advice and rode the Metrolink out to Lambert Airport, walked downstairs and caught a cab from there. I'd met up with a guy on the Megabus who also was going to the concert (he's from St. Louis but's transplanted to Chicago, so I got lucky finding a native to guide me around). The cost for the 2 of us was $26 (including tax, gas charge, charge for extra person, and charge for catching it from the airport). Thanks, MikeT, for the advice; it worked out perfectly!!

I took the advice of a lady on another forum and put the # of County Cab in my cell phone. Called them from the venue, they directed me to walk to a Mobil gas station/Burger King (take a left at the end of the parking lot and follow the road around). By the time I'd walked there the cab was waiting for me. It was $40 for the cab fare and I gave the guy a $10 tip for getting me back so quickly (and for the conversation, he's a great conversationalist); we were back in 30 minutes and I had plenty of time to catch the Megabus back to Chicago.

He echod me what a poster on another board said about the various small towns not wanting the Metrolink to come out to them for fear of the "undesirables" coming out to murder and rob the locals. Oy vey, such small-mindedness.

mjccafe, I also took your advice on the Hyatt for a drink in their historic surroundings. It's gorgeous with the barrel-vaulted ceilings and French accoutrements - reminded me of Le Train Bleu.

As for the Megabus, the trip from Cincinnati to Chicago, from Chicago to St. Louis and the return trips all turned out fine. However, it was difficult to sleep on the bus and I did that coming down & going back!

Here are the photos of the concert on pbase.com:
http://www.pbase.com/beatchick/st_louis__radiohead__may_2008

And more info about my trip to St. Louis on my VT page:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/5dc15/c7c6b/