By plane

Pittsburgh International Airport  is the normal way in, although the area is also served by the smaller Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, primarily used by private and corporate airplanes. The airport is located near Robinson Township in Findlay, about 20 miles west of downtown, translating to about a $35 cab ride ($50 in rush hour traffic). Hotel shuttles and buses are also available, and can be cheaper. A city bus, route 28X also connects the airport to Downtown and Oakland, taking a reasonably fast route mostly along freeways and dedicated busways, and costing much less than a taxi.

The airport terminal is relatively new, yet you will find it is quite empty in terms of passenger traffic, even after closing one of the main concourses. This is mainly due to the relocation of many USAir (now US Airways) flights to/and from Pittsburgh. When it was built it was the first "airport mall" in the country, which contains many shops and restaurants. It has been much copied since it was completed.

From your plane, you will arrive in the Airside Terminal. If you are transiting to another destination you don't have to leave this building, and this is where most of the Airmall shops are which makes window shopping a pleasant way of passing the time. Free Wi-Fi is also available (Pittsburgh's was the first "international" airport to provide such service). If you are coming to the Pittsburgh area though, you will take a light-rail shuttle a short distance underground to the Landside Terminal where you will find the baggage claim and the various transportation modes to the city and other regional locations. A Hyatt Hotel is connected to the landside terminal complex and there are several hotels (Embassy Suites and Sheraton among them) within 5 miles of the airport.

The airport is served by United, Delta, Midwest, Myrtle Beach Direct, Airtran, American, jetBlue, Air Canada and USA 3000, but US Airways and Southwest Airlines are predominant. There are non-stop flights to/from most of the major airports around the country, as well as some service to Canada and the Caribbean and limited service to Paris.

By car

The city proper is served by three interstate spur routes off the rough beltway formed by I-76 (PA Turnpike) to the north and east, I-79 to the west and I-70 to the far south. The three interstate spurs form what locals refer to as the "parkways". The Parkway East is I-376 from downtown through the university district and Squirrel Hill to Monroeville, where it meets with the turnpike (I-76). The Parkway West and Parkway North both connect to I-79 to the west of downtown and are signed I-279. Instead of terminating at I-79 the "Parkway West" is the only parkway to continue its interstate-like travel without an interstate shield. It continues on to the Airport and beyond to Beaver and New Castle as 22/30 and then PA 60. Congress has passed legislation in 2006 to sign this area as I-376 (a continuation of the interstate from downtown Pittsburgh and thus having 279 strictly run from I-79 south into downtown). The re-signing of the parkway west is slowly moving forward pending some road improvements such as wider exit ramps and the extension of emergency lanes that are demanded by a interstate signing.

The interstate system links Pittsburgh from many cities. If coming from the east or west, your best bet into the city is the I-76, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. From the west, take exit 28-Cranberry to I-79 and then I-279. From the east, take exit 57 to I-376. From the north or south, take I-79. I-70 also comes within the metro area from central Ohio and Maryland. I-80 also skirts the far northern suburban counties of the region.

Within the metro area several limited-access turnpike spur routes have been completed recently including the Mon-Fayette Expressway linking the historic "Steel Valley" area to State Route 51 in Jefferson Hills (and eventually to Monroeville). PA Route 66 in nearby Greensburg offers a quick jump on the eastern side of the metro from I-70/I-76 (Turnpike mainline) junction area to the Kiski Valley in the northeast, and the newly completed Findlay connector offers quick access from the airport terminal to points west and south of the airport such as Steubenville, Ohio, and Wierton and Wheeling, West Virginia. PA 65 along the northern section of the city of Pittsburgh, PA 28 along the Allegheny Valley from downtown through the Oakmont and 76/Turnpike area to beyond Kittaning in Armstrong County and PA 60 from the I-279/79 junction through the airport area and up through Beaver to New Castle and I-80 are all toll-free state limited access highways in the region. US 22 from Robinson through to the Findlay airport connector and on to the West Virigina panhandle and east-central Ohio offers toll free interstate like travel as well.

By train

Amtrak, services Pittsburgh with a station Downtown at Grant and Liberty, just across the street from the Greyhound depot. Two Amtrak routes serve Pittsburgh: the Capitol Limited which runs daily between Chicago and Washington, DC, and the Pennsylvanian which runs daily between Pittsburgh and New York City through Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Duquesne Incline, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Station Square

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

A great place for the entire family, the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium is a true rarity when it comes to American wildlife exhibits. Very few zoos and aquariums are housed in combined facilities in the United States, but the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium takes advantage of its unique setup and delivers an experience that cannot be found elsewhere.

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

With its wide array of hands on exhibits that it makes available to children of all ages, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is one of the most popular stops in the city of Pittsburgh. Kids love absolutely everything in the museum, and they don’t even realize they’re learning while they’re having all that fun.

Duquesne Incline

Anyone wondering what it must have been like to ride a cable car up historic Mount Washington in the late 1800s need wonder no more. Visitors to the city can take a ride on a historic cable car to a location where they can enjoy an incredible view of Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the best equipped natural history museums in the country, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History is perfectly suited to entertain, inform, and truly captivate all who enter its doors. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History tackles the subjects of Anthropology, Earth Sciences, and Life Sciences, and tackles them well. A great many things can be learned in just one visit there.

Station Square

For anyone wanting to venture outside of the walls that make up a museum or other attraction, a great time can be had in the Station Square area of Pittsburgh. This historic district is home to many specialty shops and unique restaurants, the kind that cannot be found elsewhere in the city.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is known as an industrial town. It has longstanding ties to the steel and aluminum industries, not to mention manufacturing as well. While it is true that this history plays a large part in the make up of the city, Pittsburgh is much more than that. It also has a long history of cultural and historical achievements and features too. A visit to the city of Pittsburgh usually packs more into it than most people expect. From the museums and science centers to the beautiful parks and enticing shopping attractions, Pittsburgh offers something for everyone who visits there.

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