Phaeton

I lived in the Crystal Towers apartments in Crystal City for a few years, and walking to DCA was just as quick as taking the metro or a cab--I'd usually make the decision based on the weather conditions (including snow on the ground) and whether I was traveling with only a carry-on. I once left my apartment 20 minutes before departure time and basically ran straight onto the plane with a few minutes to spare--I think that was 1995. I felt like I set a world record for shortest time from residence to sitting in commercial airplane seat to departure.

0524

I've been tempted to walk to LAS, but I've always wimped out or had a heavy bag.

ksu

Quite a number of Norwegian airports are eminently walkable. OSL really isn't; the beautiful walk along the fjord referred to in a previous post concerns the old airport at Fornebu (FBU) which closed in the late nineties. The present OSL is quite far inland, and is not really reachable from anywhere interesting on foot.

The most important "downtown" airport in Norway probably is Bodø (BOO). The passenger terminal is just over a mile from downtown, and there are dwellings just across the approach road, which runs parallell to the runway. BOO is also a major military air base; RNoAF shares the runway with the civilian traffic, but the base is on the other side of the runway. Quite a lot of activity there, especially F-16s of RNoAF. When I landed there last month, there was a large NATO excercise going on, and it was quite a sight as my SAS Braathens 737-700 landed, to se a full batttery of anti-aircraft missiles lined up along the runway.

Other "very close" jet airports are TOS (2 miles from downtown), MOL (3 miles), KSU (obviously ;-) 6 miles). TRD is quite a distance from Trondheim, but the growing town of Stjørdal (20.000 inhabitants, not that small for Norway!) is just on the other side of the runway from TRD.

And many of our STOL-airports are more or less in the centre of the community or village they serve: HFT, FRO, RRS (which used to have jet service).

Punki

I did once when I stayed at a hotel very, very close the airport. It was somewhere in Texas, but for the life of me I can't remember where. I thought it was Amarillo, but it doesn't look like Amarillo has hotels really close to the airport.

It couldn't have been El Paso because always stay at the Camino Real in El Paso. Very nice old hotel. Now that would be a great FT Party hotel central.

jfe

It is a very nice hotels, very few left with authentic Tiffany domes, although the rooms are a little old.

Could have been the ELP Hilton, walking distance to the airport.

Punki

Maybe, jfe, but the only times I have been to ELP were for Chamber of Commerce events and they always put us in the Camino Real, where there was once a murder in the room next to us. It is still a very nice hotel.

So what do you think, jfe about an ELP party?

jfe

Sure, I can throw a baby shower

MJonTravel

Well, I walked from the Villa Malpensa to the terminal at Milan once on a nice day.

Punki

jfe, when is this blessed event scheduled to occur?

doctall41

STL to the Marriott is easily walkable. I've done so two or three times.

jfe

Second or third week in June

nsx

Congrats.

Back on topic, I walk between LAX T1 and Sepulveda Blvd in 4 minutes, twice a week. For a short time post-WTC this entrance was closed to pedestrians, and the shuttle bus was MUCH slower.

Strawb

I once walked from my home in the suburb of St Peters to SYD Kingsford Smith Airport. Or rather I cheated. I was travelling light and it took me a good half an hour to walk and when I was just outside the airport I passed a car hire rental (at 0530 in the morning) and saw some people getting into a minibus. So I cheekily asked the driver if he'd give me a lift to the domestic terminal - and he said no worries, mate! So I saved another 10- 15 minutes walk! To the driver of that minivan, good on ya mate!

johnlw

Berlin Tempelhof is smack in the middle of the city. You exit the airport and either walk home if you live in the neighborhood, or catch the U-Bahn or bus to anywhere else.

It's a great historic airport, the site of the Allied airlift to keep Berlin alive during the 1948 blockade by the Soviets. It is also one of the few buildings completed by the Nazis. Landing there really feels like you're flying back in time.

Unfortunately, it only handles short flights from other German and European cities, and is peridocally threatened with closure. The last decree had it shutting down operation as of Octber 31, 2004, but that was rescinded. Once Schoenefeld is expanded into Berlin Brandenburg International to handle air traffic for the entire region, Tempelhof will almost surely close down for good.

SANspotter

I live in downtown San Diego, so if I have the time and a long flight ahead of me, I usually walk. Takes about an hour.

It's even better after flying into SAN after a long flight...the walk home is a great way to get the blood flowing again!