MRC Maricopa Shuttle

[Matt]

I located a local Maricopa shuttle service(taxi type) that can take you to and from the Amtrak station there. The name is www.maricopashuttle.com .Their phone number is : 520-568-0123. The provide service there at $1.80/mile with $2.50 minimum. (Relative to 4/30/2012). Thanks.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

So if you wanted to rent a car at PHX you'd be paying 35 x $1.80 = $63 each way.

Or $126 total is about as much as a coach fare on Amtrak from hundreds of miles away.

Yikes.

 

[VentureForth]

Precisely why a scheduled shuttle is so necessary - to consolidate cost.

 

[rusty spike]

The problem has always been the cost---$63 for a fare from PHX to MRC, about 35 miles. That compares to a fare of $32.50 to $45.00 (depending on whether Amtrak books you thru Greyhound or Arizona Shutte) for a fare from PHX to FLG--a distance that is approximately 5 times further! But then again---both Arizona Shuttle and Greyhound are "scheduled" services.

 

[SubwayNut]

Greyhound's book online fares are even cheaper:

-Tucson to Phoenix is $16 on line ($14 with advance purchase)

-Phoenix to Flagstaff $20 ($17 with advance purchase)

Plus that obnoxious $2.50 fee unless you pay cash at a 7-11.

I'm headed out to Pheonix in June to coming out on the Sunset to Tucson Greyhound to Phoenix, Greyhound again to Flagstaff (Or Could I add the Phoenix Shuttle to by AGR reward? Guess I might as well call and ask, anyone have experience with this?) before starting an AGR redemption to Minneapolis.

Decided for only $86 why not see an old friend and take the extra night on my AGR reward.

 

[SubwayNut]

An update: Just got off the phone with AGR and added the PHX to FLG shuttle van from the airport (easier to get to than their other pick-up point) to my itinerary, nothing charged, inclduded in my reward. She even let me pick the time so I could take a slightly earlier van and have time for a real dinner in Flagstaff since I assume the diner (still operating on Mountain Time) will be closed by the time I board my roomette at 8:57.

Happy I'm on Greyhound now only from Tucson to Phoenix!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Plus that obnoxious $2.50 fee unless you pay cash at a 7-11.

They're just passing on the fees they get from the credit and debit providers, processors, and networks. It's easy to blame Greyhound for this, but it's more of a secondary symptom than a root cause.

 

[SubwayNut]

Plus that obnoxious $2.50 fee unless you pay cash at a 7-11.

They're just passing on the fees they get from the credit and debit providers, processors, and networks. It's easy to blame Greyhound for this, but it's more of a secondary symptom than a root cause.

Greyhound doesn't even let you shopping cart purchases, so it would have been a $5 in fees total for my two separate bus segements, not $2.50. (The PHX-FLG segment is luckily now covered by my AGR reward!!) That obnoxious fee really makes me consider doing the 7-11 trick.

 

[rusty spike]

An update: Just got off the phone with AGR and added the PHX to FLG shuttle van from the airport (easier to get to than their other pick-up point) to my itinerary, nothing charged, inclduded in my reward. She even let me pick the time so I could take a slightly earlier van and have time for a real dinner in Flagstaff since I assume the diner (still operating on Mountain Time) will be closed by the time I board my roomette at 8:57.
Happy I'm on Greyhound now only from Tucson to Phoenix!

Yes it's great that the PHX/FLG shuttle is covered by AGR points. It's a full-size (probably Ford) van towing a baggage trailer. It stops at the McDonald's in Camp Verde if you can't wait to eat in FLG :giggle: , but their are some great restaurants in FLG within walking distance of depot.

 

[VentureForth]

Plus that obnoxious $2.50 fee unless you pay cash at a 7-11.

They're just passing on the fees they get from the credit and debit providers, processors, and networks. It's easy to blame Greyhound for this, but it's more of a secondary symptom than a root cause.

And I suppose you have justification for all the add on fees to concert tickets, cruise lines, etc.

Gee, all the shipping charges and credit card charges are included in the price of my Sausage McMuffin and coffee every morning...

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Plus that obnoxious $2.50 fee unless you pay cash at a 7-11.

They're just passing on the fees they get from the credit and debit providers, processors, and networks. It's easy to blame Greyhound for this, but it's more of a secondary symptom than a root cause.

And I suppose you have justification for all the add on fees to concert tickets, cruise lines, etc.

And I suppose you'd blame 7-11 for charging Ticketmaster's fees?

Please give us some more of your insight into how the world works.

 

[NW cannonball]

An update: Just got off the phone with AGR and added the PHX to FLG shuttle van from the airport (easier to get to than their other pick-up point) to my itinerary, nothing charged, inclduded in my reward. She even let me pick the time so I could take a slightly earlier van and have time for a real dinner in Flagstaff since I assume the diner (still operating on Mountain Time) will be closed by the time I board my roomette at 8:57.
Happy I'm on Greyhound now only from Tucson to Phoenix!

Yes it's great that the PHX/FLG shuttle is covered by AGR points. It's a full-size (probably Ford) van towing a baggage trailer. It stops at the McDonald's in Camp Verde if you can't wait to eat in FLG :giggle: , but their are some great restaurants in FLG within walking distance of depot.

Just what I needed to know but didn't think to ask. Serendipity is here. Thread wandered, watcher won. Again.

Don't need no Maricopa. Flagstaff and/or Tucson more interesting anyhow. And wasn't really interested in Phoenix, because have friends in Mesa and Cottonwood.

Serendipity.

Thanks for posting useful experience, subnut and rusty. Looking forward to getting to Arizona soonish myself.

 

[rzahl]

I thought there was a bus service during the weekdays. I was planning on taking it early in the AM after staying in a hotel.

http://www.movingaz.com/briefcase/41206_130201090917AM41986..pdf

 

[SubwayNut]

I researched that bus for a trip to Airizona in June and found out it has been discontinued because the Federal Grant for it has run out. The buses website is dead and transit info on the Town of Maricopa's website's Transportation Page just has their local Paratransit Type operation and this:

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION


Amtrak
Maricopa is the home of the only Amtrak station in Arizona. For information on traveling on Amtrak, please visit amtrak.com.

- See more at: http://www.maricopa-az.gov/web/living/travel-transportation#sthash.wO0dFe2n.dpuf

I don't think its the only Amtrak Station in Arizona, in Maricopa County yes (not including Thruway bus connections)

 

[NW cannonball]

Is it safe to assume that - if you want Phoenix - Mesa - Tempe - and environs - and their public transit and Greyhound and Arizona Shuttle and airport connections to Flagstaff and/or Tucson --

You don't want to detrain at Maricopa? That Tucson has better and/or cheaper connections to almost everywhere?

 

[calwatch]

Generally, yes.

There is an option that has not been brought up, and that is transport on the Harrah's casino bus. http://www.harrahsakchin.com/casino/free-ride-free-play.html#.UlY_SVBwqSo That is the only scheduled transport from the Maricopa area to Phoenix, and it runs a few times a day. Harrah's Ak Chin is about 2 miles south of the Maricopa station. Generally for casino buses you need to show ID over 21 to get on, and they count people getting back, although in the case of some of the routes that have two departures, you might be able to get on the second departure from the casino. However, the schedule, compared with the Amtrak schedule, guarantees you'll spend a day in the casino. (And it's not much of one either.)