How to get out of Portland without a car

🏖️ The Coast

For northwest beach towns, the Point bus runs two trips daily from Union Station in Portland, with pickups in Beaverton and Hillsboro too. First coast stop is Cannon Beach, then Seaside, Gearhart, Warrenton and Astoria.

• One morning and one evening trip in each direction — about three hours one way.
• Tickets are $18 through Amtrak and some local stores, but cheaper if you buy early or get a 10-ride pass. Bikes are free (or $5 to reserve). WiFi and outlets are on board.
• Bonus stop: Camp 18, where you can eat under an antler chandelier and wander through the open-air logging museum.

To head farther south, the Northwest Connector can get you to Tillamook. Pickups are at Union Station and the Sunset and 185th transit centers. From there, connecting buses run around town, up to Cannon Beach and down to Lincoln City.

• Three daily trips each direction; about a two-hour ride.
• One-way tickets are $15 online or cash on the bus, with discounted multi-day passes. Bikes are free, and there's room for three on outside racks. Bring your own bungee.
• If you want to hop off at a lovely hike in the coast range or the Tillamook Forest Center, just let the driver know ahead of time.

🥾 The Gorge

The Columbia Gorge Express offers six trips daily — more starting next week — through the summer from TriMet's Gateway Transit Center, which you can get to by bus, Max, bike path (or car — there's parking).

• Hot deal: the $40 annual pass. Otherwise, use their app for a $15 day pass or pick up a $10 one-way ticket. Bikes ride free.
• The stops at Cascade Locks and Multnomah Falls get you to trails. Hood River gets you to beer, wine, windsurfing, biking the old Gorge highway — all those good Hood River things.

Amtrak's Empire Builder has service to Bingen, a lovely Gorge town on the Washington side.

• $7 one way. The ride is under two hours — if it's on time.

🏔️ Mount Hood and Central Oregon

The city of Sandy runs multiple buses daily from the Gresham Transit Center. Then from Sandy, hop on the Mt. Hood Express, with several stops on the way up to Timberline Lodge.

• Tickets are cash only; $1 between Gresham and Sandy, $2 to get up the mountain, or an all-day pass on both lines for $5.
• Bikes are free. Gresham buses have room for a couple on front racks; the Mt. Hood Express attaches a wagon with room for up to 20.

Starting June 7, the Breeze bus is upping its service between Portland and Bend, with stops on Mount Hood, to six days a week. There is no service on Saturdays. Mount Hood stops include Warm Springs, Government Camp and Welches.

• One trip each way each day — the bus leaves Bend in the morning and returns from Portland in the afternoon.
• Portland stops are Union Station and the airport.
• Tickets are up to $68 one way; book in advance for a small discount. Walk-ons welcome at certain stops. Bikes and pets cost extra.

🔂 Anywhere

The state transportation department runs Get There Connect, a public transportation and ride-share site. It was developed for commuters but open to anyone.

• Can be hit or miss.