Getting to the Twin Cities

By air. Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is a major regional facility with hundreds of flights daily. Aside from being the home base of Northwest Airlines, MSP is served by many other major carriers, including Air Canada, America West, American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, United, and US Airways.

Northwest Airline is offering discounts of 5–10% off their regular fares to GWS2007 attendees. The discount is higher if you book more than 30 days in advance. To get the discount, you must book on-line at the Northwest website (nwa.com). Here's how:

  1. Go to nwa.com.
  2. The left-most tab on the front page is marked "Flights." Near the bottom of the tab, click the "NWA Discount Travel E-Cert Redemption" link.
  3. A "Flight Search" screen appears. You'll need to login to continue. Click the "Please login here" link at the top of the Flight Search screen.
  4. A "nwa.com Login" screen appears. If you are already a member of Northwest's WorldPerks frequent flyer program, login by entering your Northwest Airlines WorldPerks Account Number, your last name, and your Northwest PIN, and then click the red "Login" button. If you are not a Northwest WorldPerks member, simply click the red "Continue" button to login as a guest.
  5. You will be returned to the "Flight Search" screen. It should say that you are logged in, either under your last name or as a guest, as appropriate. Fill out the screen with your flight request and navigate to the bottom where you will see "Do you have an E-Cert Fare, electronic voucher or meeting agreement?" Under the "Select type" pull-down menu, select "Meeting agreement (WorldFile number)."
  6. The screen should change so that a "Meeting WorldFile Number" textbox appears. Type the following in the textbox (use all-caps):

    NYUUK

    Then, click one of the red "Search" buttons at the bottom of the screen. From there, you complete the transaction as you would any on-line flight booking. Your discount is automatically applied to the fares shown.

By rail. Amtrak serves the Twin Cities with routes that connect from Chicago and the Pacific Northwest.

Getting to the Crowne Plaza

From MSP airport. The Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel is in downtown St. Paul, 9 miles from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. Cab fares average $22.00-26.00; taxis can be obtained at the Tram Level of MSP’s main terminal (the Lindbergh Terminal).

SuperShuttle offers service from MSP to the hotel. Click the link or call 1-800-BLUE-VAN for reservations and fare information.

The cheapest way, but very convenient, is by city bus. In the airport go to the Airport Transit Plaza by following the signs to "buses.." Take bus #54 from Gate 4. Get off on 5th between Wabasha and Cedar. Walk toward the back of the bus. Take a left on Wabasha. The Crowne Plaza is within two blocks on the left side of Wabasha. The fare is either $1.50 or $2.00, depending on the time of day. For more info, call Metro Transit at 612-373-3333 (6:30 am to 9:00pm M-F; 8:00am to 5:00pm Sat, Sun & holidays).

From Amtrak. The St. Paul Amtrak Station is located about 6 miles from the hotel. One-way cab fare is approximately $16.00.

Driving directions. Click here for MapQuest customized driving directions to the hotel.

Getting around St. Paul and Minneapolis without a car

Minneapolis/St. Paul’s Metro Transit system offers extensive bus service around the metro area (and a new light rail line between MSP airport, the Mall of America, and downtown Minneapolis — there is no light rail access to St. Paul yet). Click here for bus route maps for downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis.

Ah yes, the weather ... the weather ....

Well, what about it? Will it snow?? Will I be pelted with stinging ice pellets??? WILL I FREEZE TO DEATH???? If you are a warm-weather person, we want to assure you that we here at the GWS are sensitive to your primal fears about travelling to Minnesota. You no doubt have heard Garrison Keillor wax poetic about stolid Minnesotans nonchalantly ice-fishing in late June, laughed nervously at the jokes about Minnesota’s climate (11 months of winter and 1 of tough sledding), cringed in terror at accounts of Arctic-born winds shredding everything in their path, blah blah blah....

But seriously, people ... these stories are an exaggeration. And remember, we will be in the Twin Cities in mid-April, not mid-January. Here are the official average weather statistics for April 18 in Minneapolis/St. Paul:

Avg temp
Avg high temp
Avg low temp
Avg humidity
Avg precip

(month-to-date)
48F / 8C
59F / 15C
37F / 2C
38%
1.33 in

It is possible to experience a rogue snowfall of an inch or two in mid-April — it’s happened a couple of times over the years — but it’s not very likely at all. To give you a real-life comparison, we held a planning meeting at the hotel on April 20th of this year (2006). During our time in town, the highs were in the low 60s with a mix of sun and clouds, and there were intermittent showers and one brief downpour. The leaves on the trees were out, flowers were in bloom, and it was very pleasant to be outside in a light sweater or jacket.

Are there any guarantees? No, there are no guarantees, and the GWS expressly disclaims any responsibility whatsoever for any adverse weather events you may find yourself in. (Full disclosure: our offices are located about 350 miles northeast of the Twin Cities, so for us, Minnesota is the Banana Belt.)

Budgets are extra-tight ... how can I cut my travel costs?

* Pick your airline carefully. The government fares you obtain through your normal channels may not be the cheapest available. You might do better booking a regular flight on the web ... and see the Northwest Airlines discount offer above.
* Stay over Saturday night. If you are planning on arriving Sunday, April 15, consider coming a day early. You might save enough on airfare to more than cover the extra night’s room charge and your food for another day. You can also beat the long registration lines by registering on Sunday afternoon.
* Consider a roomie. You can cut your hotel room costs in half by doubling up. If you don’t have someone to room with, call the GWS office at 1-906-487-9722 or email us at conferences@georgewright.org and we’ll put you in touch with others seeking roommates.
* Get exempted from the hotel room tax (if you are a federal employee). See how on our Lodging page.
* Skip the rental car. Downtown St. Paul is very walkable, everything you need is nearby, and with parking at the hotel running $20 a night, you’ll do much better to skip the rental.
* Cheap eats nearby. You can grab low-cost lunches at several places near the Crowne Plaza. There are also plenty of moderately priced places for dinner within close walking distance. We have maps on our Enjoying the Twin Cities page.