Phoenix airport question

[Battis]

We're flying into the Phoenix airport next week, renting a car and driving to Goodyear. The people we're going to visit insist that we don't drive out of that airport - they'll pick us up. They say that the airport is a nightmare, confusing to navigate and leave, etc.
I've driven many many times in and out of Logan in Boston, which really is a nightmare.
How bad is the Phoenix airport?

[Winger Ed.]

I'd go with what the locals tell you.
I'd figure they know what they're talking about.

[trails4u]

I've flown in and out of PHX hundreds of times.... The rental car setup now is a bit of PITA, as it's completely offsite, but by no means overly confusing. If you can read, you can navigate the airport/rental situation with ease..... Plan extra time for dropping off your rental, as it involves a bus ride from the rental car center to your terminal, but really....no different than any major airport in the country...

[M-Tecs]

As stated all rental cars are off site. You take a shuttle to the rental car of your choice. After that I found it easy to navigate.

[JimB..]

I’ve only been maybe a dozen times, never seemed bad to me.

[ofitg]

https://i.imgur.com/HVpluqy.png

[1hole]

I haven't been to Pheonix since 1962 so I'm probably outdated there.

Only been to Logan a couple of times but I had no real difficulties going in. It got a bit amusing once when I got to the outbound "squeeze down" at the tunnel tho. Seems Boston drivers haven't yet learned what lane divider lines mean so they run five lanes of traffic where there's only three lanes marked. They can get away with that until they get to that tunnel entry, then they pretend they don't see anyone alongside them as they strive to bulldoze their neighbors into giving way.

I was laughing my head off showing one guy that a country boy can survive in the big city as an idiot in his own shiney Mercedes tried to squeeze me out while I was driving a rental Ford into the tunnel; he gave up when we were only about six inches apart and closing fast! The jerk's head didn't turn, he never did look over at me but he knew precisely where I was. (I'm not always as sweet as most folk think I am; IF he had forced contact with me I planned to turn into him and hit the brakes so he could ding my fender but then scrap a long and deep scar in the side of his own machine to remember me by.)

[armoredman]

I drive up in The Phoenix Valley area a lot - it's no more confusing than any other unfamiliar big city. Google Maps is pretty darn good and easy to follow, and there are plenty of freeways to get where you are going. Sky Harbor is MUCH easier, for me, than, say, O'Hare or Oakland, but I grew up here. I do confess I know absolutely nothing about the rental car situation there, sorry.
One thing to note - Arizona drivers do NOT know how to drive when it's raining, amazing how people get stupid. However, if they want to pick you up, let them, just offer to pay for dinner someplace nice. :)

[Idaho45guy]

I flew into PHX and rented an SUV with some buddies to drive to Yuma for a week of fun back in 2015.

I don't recall it being any more difficult or confusing than any other big airport.

[Battis]

I don't see it being a problem at all, but the way the airport was described to me makes it sound extra confusing. For something to do, I used to drive airport runs for a limo company in and out of Logan (Boston). Boston, and MA drivers in general, are brainless. It was easier ignoring them in a stretch limo.

[Wag]

It's not difficult but like ArmoredMan said, let them pick you up if they want to.

--Wag--

[Battis]

The problem is that if they pick us up, they gotta bring us back. We're only staying one night with them, then we're off exploring AZ for a week.

[William Yanda]

I haven't been to Pheonix since 1962 so I'm probably outdated there.

Only been to Logan a couple of times but I had no real difficulties going in. It got a bit amusing once when I got to the outbound "squeeze down" at the tunnel tho. Seems Boston drivers haven't yet learned what lane divider lines mean so they run five lanes of traffic where there's only three lanes marked. They can get away with that until they get to that tunnel entry, then they pretend they don't see anyone alongside them as they strive to bulldoze their neighbors into giving way.

I was laughing my head off showing one guy that a country boy can survive in the big city as an idiot in his own shiney Mercedes tried to squeeze me out while I was driving a rental Ford into the tunnel; he gave up when we were only about six inches apart and closing fast! The jerk's head didn't turn, he never did look over at me but he knew precisely where I was. (I'm not always as sweet as most folk think I am; IF he had forced contact with me I planned to turn into him and hit the brakes so he could ding my fender but then scrap a long and deep scar in the side of his own machine to remember me by.)

Anybody ever comment that ;you play for keeps?

[Battis]

Getting into the tunnels from Logan that are southbound isn't hard - it's trying not to get into those tunnels (if you're heading northbound) that's the problem. One wrong exit and you have to go to RI to turn around.
That's what happens when you make roads that follow old cow paths.

[Wayne Smith]

Getting into the tunnels from Logan that are southbound isn't hard - it's trying not to get into those tunnels (if you're heading northbound) that's the problem. One wrong exit and you have to go to RI to turn around.
That's what happens when you make roads that follow old cow paths.

Naa, my Dad once asked me if I knew why the roads in Maine had so many unnecessary turns. I had no idea. He told me that when they laid them out they took half the property of each property owner, that is, the road ran the property lines! I mentioned this in north Georgia to my father in law's family - one of his brothers worked for the State Road Commission. He looked at me and asked, "You know how we do it in Georgia?" "We survey from one patch of shade to the next!"

[upr45]

If you get picked up, the North and South parts of the terminal by bsggage claim sre only a few feet apart, however traffic lineup can be jammed at one and not as bad at the other, so yo need to call your pickup person an find out which one they want to get you at. What you have already been told is right on about the rental car pickup nightmare. Driving out of the airport is a bit of a challenge also.

[bedbugbilly]

I think it depends on the individual. The first time we were there to drop someone off, we found it confusing and "busy" - seemed like it wasn't that well marked. After we had done it a few times and it was more familiar, it wasn't bad. That said, we pick up and drop off at the Tucson Airport every once in a while during the winter and Tucson is easy peasy in comparison.

At any rate, enjoy your time in Arizona and have fun! We leave to drive out for the winter and are looking forward to the sunshine!

[Battis]

We bought the tickets about 2 years ago but due to "things" happening, we had to postpone the trip a few times. I'd rather not get picked up and I think we can do it.

[MaryB]

I haven't been to Pheonix since 1962 so I'm probably outdated there.

Only been to Logan a couple of times but I had no real difficulties going in. It got a bit amusing once when I got to the outbound "squeeze down" at the tunnel tho. Seems Boston drivers haven't yet learned what lane divider lines mean so they run five lanes of traffic where there's only three lanes marked. They can get away with that until they get to that tunnel entry, then they pretend they don't see anyone alongside them as they strive to bulldoze their neighbors into giving way.

I was laughing my head off showing one guy that a country boy can survive in the big city as an idiot in his own shiney Mercedes tried to squeeze me out while I was driving a rental Ford into the tunnel; he gave up when we were only about six inches apart and closing fast! The jerk's head didn't turn, he never did look over at me but he knew precisely where I was. (I'm not always as sweet as most folk think I am; IF he had forced contact with me I planned to turn into him and hit the brakes so he could ding my fender but then scrap a long and deep scar in the side of his own machine to remember me by.)

Minneapolis drivers are just as bad. I drove into the metro to pick a friend up at the airport. Drove my 4wd 1979 Ford Camper van that I used to bash down jeep trails so the sides were pretty scarred up. Those Mercedes types eyes got really bog when they glanced over and saw massive scratches and 33" tires about to eat their lunch! Another scratch on the van wouldn't be noticed LOL their pretty little car would have lost badly on the rock/tree rails and tires. One of my favorite fishing spots was down a jeep trail to a sandbar on the river. Some very tight turns. I came rumbling onto the sand bar and jeep guys just stared then asked "how in the heck did you get that thing down that trail? Well... your trail is a bit wider... one tree decided it was going to move out of my way as the rock rail pushed it over widening a bad turn...

[super6]

Just don't try to sleep in the seats while waiting on a flight to arrive, They are tilted forward so you will fall out! LOL. Circa 1975.

[.429&H110]

I lived in Scottsdale for four years,
and picked up my wife at SkyHarbor exactly once.
At SkyHarbor there is a fleet of independent vans, airport service,
they pick you up at home, drop you off at home,
maybe the origins of Uber.
They worked out well for me, 20 miles to Scottsdale,
Goodyear is not as far as that.
But the west side of Goodyear could be 60 miles out into the desert.

The address in Goodyear might be both hard to find and gated.
It's a maze outside the grid, some people don't want to be found.

Phoenix at dawn you are surrounded by a million (1,000,000)
10^6 suvs driving flat out, solid traffic 80 mph, and now stop crunch.
Get up on the Stack, you can see them all, suvs to the mountains.
A hundred square miles of headlight-taillights.
(Then one day the gasoline pipeline broke! No gas!)
It is up to you to avoid the accident, they aren't playing chicken.

I have been to the three busiest intersections in America:
George Washington bridge (now and forever #1)
Top of NJ turnpike
Proudly at number 3 is the Mini-Stack in Phoenix
(It's on the way to Goodyear)
The rest of the list is Lost Angeles.

There are enough cars in America to fill I-10 both lanes coast to coast.
Semis in the breakdown lane bumper to bumper for 3000 miles.
And everybody would have to try to pass.

[Electrod47]

I drive up in The Phoenix Valley area a lot - it's no more confusing than any other unfamiliar big city. Google Maps is pretty darn good and easy to follow, and there are plenty of freeways to get where you are going. Sky Harbor is MUCH easier, for me, than, say, O'Hare or Oakland, but I grew up here. I do confess I know absolutely nothing about the rental car situation there, sorry.
One thing to note - Arizona drivers do NOT know how to drive when it's raining, amazing how people get stupid. However, if they want to pick you up, let them, just offer to pay for dinner someplace nice. :)

"The Roaring Fork" Scottsdale

[elmacgyver0]

If I had someone willing to pick me up, I would sure as hell take them up on it.
If they didn't want to do it, they wouldn't have offered, and could be a bit offended if you decline.
You can always hire a cab to get back if you have to.

[Battis]

There's more to it than accepting an offer.
The question was, how bad is that airport...

[.429&H110]

Bad is subjective, it's just a big sprawling airport.
A mile north is Phoenix Chinatown. After 10PM, that's what I mean by bad.
Thousands of people use SkyHarbor every day, it is what it is.

How bad is it?
Much better than O'Hare.

At o'hare I prayed if I ever got home I would never fly again.
The regional air traffic control was set on fire?
Only Grace of God got me out of Chicago
and so no more airports for me ever again.
If I want to go back to Alaska I will take my Tacoma again.
The Alcan is much more fun than flying.

My favorite airport is SeaTac,
leave Fairbanks at 1AM,
breakfast in Seattle,
Tucson for lunch.
Airlines kept schedules in those days.
Those days are over.

[MT Gianni]

One thing to be aware of Arizona does not require it's drivers to have liability insurance. If you want protection you need full coverage.

[Battis]

That's good to know. NH doesn't require insurance so we have to pay more in MA.

[35 Rem]

I fly into the Phoenix airport about 1 time a year for about the last 20 or so years. If you can manage the Logan airport in Boston, Phoenix is like small town USA in my opinion. All of Phoenix is manageable as far as driving goes. The land is flat so everything tends to be more spread out. Yeah, it's like any large city in the country, crowded and all the lanes are full on the Interstate, traffic will suddenly stop, etc. But you see that everywhere. The Rental car situation is not bad compared to many of the large airports. I kind of prefer the remote Rental car center concept so that you get out of the airport clutter on a big bus before picking up your rental car. I don't travel unless I can get my own car - too independent to do it any other way.

Airports I try to avoid at all costs - anything in the NY City/Newark, NJ area. Those are horrible as is the entire area. Boston - that tunnel is something else. LAX - way too many people for miles and miles and miles around the airport. I try to use the Orange County airport in that area if possible. I've only driven into Chicago Ohare a couple times and don't remember it being too bad - follow the signs and turn your brain off. :)

[Mal Paso]

There's more to it than accepting an offer.
The question was, how bad is that airport...

The airport is much better than I-10 South to Tucson. You wouldn't know it's an open carry state, it's that rude!

[Battis]

Come to find out, the offer to pick us up didn't include bringing us back.
Our average trip out west has been at least 1500 miles of driving. Nope - I quit. Goodyear, Sedona, Grand Canyon - that should do it. Monument Valley has a mask mandate, indoors and out. No thank you.
I have my woodstove going tonight. Something tells me that will all change in AZ.
The Boston Big Dig tunnels...some call it the Big Frig. Nothing changed as far as traffic.

[Handloader109]

Why that doesn't make sense.. they expected you to walk back or stay permanently with them? Airport is easy.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[Battis]

Yeah, I'm not sure how they expected us to get back.
If someone I know is flying into Boston's Logan Airport, I always offer to pick them up. To get out of that place, you have to be a speed reader, a mind reader, and a little nuts. Even after several trips, you can still screw up.

[Battis]

Phoenix airport is a great place to fly into, especially compared to Logan in Boston. Renting the car off site wasn't bad. I like that grid road system. Incredible scenery up to, and including, the Grand Canyon. Sedona looks like a Hollywood set. Long weekend means lots and lots of people. I missed the foliage season in NH, but Sedona made up for it.
Question: why are there so many blown out truck tires on the highways? Heat or just bad tires?

[MUSTANG]

Phoenix airport is a great place to fly into, especially compared to Logan in Boston. Renting the car off site wasn't bad. I like that grid road system. Incredible scenery up to, and including, the Grand Canyon. Sedona looks like a Hollywood set. Long weekend means lots and lots of people. I missed the foliage season in NH, but Sedona made up for it.
Question: why are there so many blown out truck tires on the highways? Heat or just bad tires?

1. Yes Heat kills the tires.

2. In the Las Vegas area (Probably many other locations in Arizona, and New Mexico also) Look for the different colored black rough spots of asphalt on the shoulder 20 to 40 foot long. Thats where the Winnebago RV's and Tractor Trailer's caught on fire and burned when either the Tires or bakes failed, caught fire, and the vehicle burned along the side of the road.

[elmacgyver0]

There's more to it than accepting an offer.
The question was, how bad is that airport...

Really?
It is an airport, what else needs to be said.
If it serves more than puddle jumpers it is bad, just how bad is the question.

[Battis]

just how bad is the question.
And that was the question, not whether or not I should take a ride.

[ShooterAZ]

I've never had much problem in getting in or out of Sky Harbor. It's a very large airport, but it's pretty dang efficient in my opinion. Just allow yourself the time to do what you need to do and you'll be fine.

[armoredman]

Welcome to Arizona. I hope you have a great time.

[Battis]

We had a great time. The second day there, we decided to see what Tucson was like, but we only went as far as the Casa Grande Ruins. Interesting place. Sedona was great. We hiked to the The Devils Bridge but neither of us crossed it. I don't think I'd stay in the Grand Canyon park again, but the Canyon itself was amazing.

[armoredman]

If you come back again, we have tons of neat stuff tucked away in weird spots. For instance, the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff has an incredible night tour. Also, Black Barts in Flagstaff is the craziest place for dinner, with the wait staff all taking turns singing and dancing. The International Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix SOUNDS boring but is anything but. In any case, glad you had a good time, come back soon.

[Battis]

Our first day there, the temp was a "comfortable" 97 degrees, late in the afternoon. I had my woodstove going the night before at home. A hummingbird in AZ is about the size of a crow at home. Love the styles of the houses and property, and the desert openness. I'll definitely go back, but not in the summer.

[jonp]

I haven't been to Pheonix since 1962 so I'm probably outdated there.

Only been to Logan a couple of times but I had no real difficulties going in. It got a bit amusing once when I got to the outbound "squeeze down" at the tunnel tho. Seems Boston drivers haven't yet learned what lane divider lines mean so they run five lanes of traffic where there's only three lanes marked. They can get away with that until they get to that tunnel entry, then they pretend they don't see anyone alongside them as they strive to bulldoze their neighbors into giving way.

I was laughing my head off showing one guy that a country boy can survive in the big city as an idiot in his own shiney Mercedes tried to squeeze me out while I was driving a rental Ford into the tunnel; he gave up when we were only about six inches apart and closing fast! The jerk's head didn't turn, he never did look over at me but he knew precisely where I was. (I'm not always as sweet as most folk think I am; IF he had forced contact with me I planned to turn into him and hit the brakes so he could ding my fender but then scrap a long and deep scar in the side of his own machine to remember me by.)

Now thats funny. The newer more expensive car might act tough but will always give up first. Almost. I had a guy on a brand new 700 or 900 series BMW with paper plates, not a cheapo but very expensive type, try merging onto the NJT near the Vince Lombardi. Idkeing forward in traffic here he comes down the ramp yaking on the phone trying the "i'll merge in front of you and you will let me" schtick. Well, no i didn't. I kept going forward in 3rd, guy disappeared on the blind side, i heard a crunch then there he was in front of me with his rear bumper hanging off. I stop, he jumps out and i yell "hey, you scratched my chrome lug nut covers. Hold on Ill call the cops". Guy stuffs his phone in his pocket and picks up the bumper and jams that in the trunk then takes off. Drugs or no insurance is my guess
I pull into the Vince and there are a bunch of Jersey Troopers in there. I go over and tell them what happened and one asked me if he was still outside.
"No"?
"Then it didnt happen"
Lol, I gotcha...