Palomar Hotel

Hi,

We will be staying at the Palomar at the end of January and I was wondering how we can get from the International Airport to the hotel by public transportation. Is there an underground or something like this? I know there%26#39;s Mockingbird Station...

How much would a taxi cost?

Can you get a meal (main course and a soda) for around 15 US $ per person in the surrounding area - without heading to a fast food place? We enjoy a comfy restaurant, but do think that a small meal for 30 dollars per person is kinda expensive...

Many thanks.

Palomar Hotel

Sorry can%26#39;t help with public transport. Cab should be around $50 each way.

Palomar has a great location with Mockingbird Station across the street - it%26#39;s not just a train stop. There%26#39;s a few restaurants under $15 - Rockfish (fish and seafood), Cafe Express (salad, soup, sandwich), Margarita Ranch (Tex-Mex), Reikyu (Japanese). And Jason%26#39;s Deli - down Mockingbird, same side as Palomar - for cheap sandwiches, salad bar.

Palomar Hotel

mockingbirdstation.com/restaurant_directory.…

If you can handle your bags for a few transfer, you can catch the Trinity Railway Express at the airport. Go to end of the line in Dallas and catch the Dart train to the Mockingbird Station. It is across the street from the Palomar. www.trinityrailwayexpress.ORG. Cost will be about $4.50 per person. One ticket will cover each of the 3 legs of the trip.

Southern Methodist University is just a few blocks from the Palomar. That means there are many many good reasonably priced restaurants in the area. I am sure the hotel can tell you about them. My favorites are in Snider Plaza two blocks west of SMU. You can try Peggy Sue%26#39;s Barbeque, Amore Itailian Restaurant, and Cisco (Texan). All owned by the same family, all excellent quality and very very good prices. For Cajun seafood tried Picardy%26#39;s. Also there is Food of Gallilee. I get one of their ground sirlion platters with rice and chopped cucumber salad. Most of these places have lunch for about $7 and dinner is $4 higher.

Hi,

Thank you so much for the advice.

We%26#39;ll take the TRE from the airport to Union Station and then the Dart to Mockingbird. Seems to be quite convenient.

Already looking forward to the trip!

The $4.50 ticket is an all day pass so you can use it to go anywhere in Dallas and Fort Worth. It is good for all modes of transportation including TRE, Dart trains and buses in DFW area.

By the way, the first leg will be on a free shuttle bus from the airport to Centrepoint Train Station. You may have to ask more than one person to find where to catch the shuttle bus, but it will be very convenient.

Most of the shuttles are located on the lower level. And each one has a designated stopping point. There should be signs on the lower level telling you what stops where - but always good to ask to be sure.

Hi there,

Thank you so much for the info regarding the shuttle bus. At the airport I would have desperately searched for the TRE stop... ;-)

Does anyone know how long it would take from the airport to Mockingbird?

Many thanks.

Hopefully somebody can answer that for you. I%26#39;ve only driven to the airport. There should be schedules on a couple of different sites. Look for the DART site and the TRE site.

My son%26#39;s class took the TRE to Ft Worth one day and back to Dallas...kinda as an experiment. It took them twice as long to get home than it would have been driving.

Personally, I%26#39;d take the cab ride over the TRE and DART.

Things to know about the TRE (Trinity River Express only to me, to the rest of the world it%26#39;s the Trinity Railway Express):

It doesn%26#39;t run on Sundays. The trains run 2 -3 times an hour during morning and evening rush times, but at other times about once and hour and there is almost a 1.5 hr gap between noon and 2PM.

When you arrive at the airport terminal go downstairs to the shared ride stops and go to an ';airport bus'; sign. Each terminal has about three of these pick-up areas. If you are not under the right sign the bus can not pick you up, even if you%26#39;re waving madly. The upper level is for individual rides only (private cars, taxis, and limos).

Take a bus that is going to the remote South lot. This takes about 15 minutes once you are picked up.

You get off the bus at the remote south lot, and go to the bus stop that is for the Centerpoint bus (basically get off the airport bus and go to the inside lane where the Centerpoint buses have their pick-ups. If it%26#39;s raining, wait where the other bus dropped you and when the Centerpoint bus comes wave at the driver and walk over to the bus.

The Centerpoint bus takes another 15 minutes to take you to the train station. It%26#39;s actually a pretty drive.

These buses are free and the drivers are not tipped.

At the train station there are automated ticket booths, normally no service people to ask questions of. The ticket vending machines take cash and credit cards. The train has free days periodically--look and see if there%26#39;s a little notice on the machine saying it%26#39;s a free day.

Once you get on the train it is about 30 minutes to the Union Station (the downtown Dallas stop). At Union Station you get off the TRE and go to the MARTA train stop and catch the MARTA train to Mockingbird Station. Once you%26#39;re on the MARTA train it%26#39;s about another 10 minutes to Mockingbird.

When you get to Mockingbird there are sidewalks, but no cross walks (that I can think of) between Mockingbird and the Palomar and it%26#39;s six lanes of traffic. You%26#39;d have to walk east to get to a crosswalk and then re-trace your steps west to the Palomar.

Check with the Palomar, they may have a van that does runs to and from Mockingbird station.

I think the TRE is fun, but if you%26#39;re schlepping a lot of stuff you may find it cumbersome. I travel with three bags: a 22'; rollerboard, my computer bag sits on top of that, my travel purse and I get around the bus/TRE quite easily.

Here%26#39;s a link for info and you can click on the ';schedules'; box and see the times that the train is running (Centerpoint is the time you%26#39;re looking for and it%26#39;s in the center of the schedule).

http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/dfw.html

A taxi costs ~$40 to downtown--http://www.airport-transportation-dallas.com/dfw-taxi-fare-charts.htm

I really like Rockfish. They have an exquisite jalopeno soup, the crabcakes are excellent, and most of the entrees are quite good.

I also like the Trinity Pub http://www.trinityhall.tv/ for food, drink, and just a nice environment.

Spike has good food, but be aware they have a little cafe section and a bigger singles bar type section, and I much prefer the little cafe side.

Jason%26#39;s Deli is also a good, reasonable place to eat.

And the Pocket Sandwich Theater is 30 or so feet down from the Deli. One of my all-time favorite places to enjoy an evening. If you sign up on their mailing list, you can get in for $6 for 2 people. They have food options and I always get their nachos. Food options are limited and not spectacular, but for less than $25 you can enjoy live theater and a meal.

http://www.pocketsandwich.com/

The Pocket Sandwich Theater bargain is on Thursday nights.