Just about everyone knows that Scottsdale has a free trolley that will take you all through the Downtown districts. You can hop on and off, shopping at wonderful shops and eating at great restaurants. BUT did you realize that with a little creative effort, you can use the trolley system as your starting point to get into Tempe (for FREE) and then Downtown Phoenix? All for the cost of a light rail ticket!
Okay, here’s all you need to know:
• Catch the Downtown Trolley at your favorite location. When you get to the Loloma Station (you can start here as well), you will transfer to the Scottsdale Neighborhood Trolley. It’s super easy and the drivers can answer any questions you may have. They are very friendly and helpful.
• Take the Neighborhood Trolley to the stop on Continental, where you will transfer to Orbit, the free Tempe transportation service.
• Once on the Orbit, let the driver know that you are going to the Light Rail. Once you are in Tempe, there are two stops right on the Orbit route.
• At the Light Rail platform, you can purchase a ticket at the automatic kiosk: $4 for an all-day ticket with unlimited transfers, or $2 for a one-way ticket. It is important to purchase your ticket prior to boarding the train as they do randomly check tickets.
• Once you are on the Light Rail you can go into Downtown Phoenix and visit the many attractions there, including the Phoenix Art Museum, world-renowned Heard Museum, and much more. Or, enjoy a game or concert!
All this for only $4! Just remember that you are going to want to get back to enjoy Downtown Scottsdale too, so make sure that you allow time to get back to the Downtown Scottsdale trolley before 5:30 p.m. as they stop running at 6:00 every night (except Thursday when it runs until 9:00). If you go to a game or a concert late into the nigh, you’ll need to arrange other transportation back. We can help you with that at the concierge desk!
Just so you know that this really works, I had a guest who had never been to the Valley before and she wanted to explore. I gave her all this information. She headed out around 10:00 a.m., and by 5:30 p.m. she was back at the concierge desk raving about her great trolley/rail adventure and how she really felt like she got to know the area! So go forth, be a visitor in your own town, and explore your cities…like a visitor!
Downtown Trolley {Scottsdale}
HOURS: 11am-6pm Friday to Wednesday, 11am-9pm Thursday for ArtWalk
FREQUENCY: every 15 minutes
COST: FREE
Neighborhood Trolley {Scottsdale}
HOURS: 7am-9pm daily
FREQUENCY: every 20 minutes
COST: FREE
Orbit {Tempe}
HOURS: 6am-10pm Monday to Friday, 8am-10pm Saturday, 8am-7pm Sunday
FREQUENCY: every 15 minutes (Monday to Saturday), every 30 minutes (Sunday)
COST: FREE
*Times are approximate.
– Ace {Concierge}
