Getting around Albany without a car
CDTA bus on State Street Albany
Albany is walkable in its core and CDTA covers the rest — you can genuinely skip the rental if you’re staying downtown.
Walking the core
Downtown Albany, Empire State Plaza, Center Square, and Washington Park form a 20-block walkable zone. You can hit the New York State Museum, the Capitol, Albany Institute, Lark Street restaurants, and the park on foot from any downtown hotel. This is Albany at its best — pretend it's a smaller city than it is and just walk.
CDTA buses and rideshare
CDTA buses run $1.50 a ride or $4 for a day pass — download the Navigator app to pay. Route 100 (BusPlus) is a proper limited-stop line running Central Avenue between downtown and the airport, roughly every 15 minutes, 35 minutes end-to-end. Route 10 runs Madison Avenue through Pine Hills. Rideshare works well: airport to downtown is $28, downtown to Wolf Road is $18. Taxis exist but rideshare is cheaper and easier.
Amtrak and getting further afield
Albany-Rensselaer Station is across the river and one of Amtrak's busiest — trains to NYC (2h 30m, $45 to $80), Montreal, and Chicago. A rideshare from downtown hotels to the station is $10. If you’re day-tripping to Saratoga Springs, Amtrak works but the schedule is thin — driving is easier.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Downtown Albany, answered with this month’s numbers.
Not if you’re staying downtown and only doing city sights. You’ll want one for day trips to Saratoga, the Berkshires, or Cooperstown.
No. CDTA buses are the only public transit. There have been decades of talk about light rail; don’t hold your breath.
