Trail notes
- An RTA all-day pass costs $5 for adults and gives unlimited rides until 3 a.m. the next day; a cash fare is $2.50 per ride.
- Children under 6 ride RTA free, up to three per fare-paying adult; children 6 to 12 pay the child fare.
- The Red Line takes less than 30 minutes between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Tower City Station downtown.
Most of the best free things in Cleveland, Ohio, cost nothing to enter but something to reach. A day of museum parking or a Saturday downtown can add up quickly. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, known as RTA, runs buses, rapid trains and the bus rapid transit line across Cuyahoga County, and a $5 day pass costs less than two hours in the natural history museum’s garage, which charges $12 for the first two hours. Here is how to use it for a low-cost weekend.
Fares at a glance
| Fare | Adult | Senior, disabled or child |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fare, one ride | $2.50 | $1.25 |
| All-day pass | $5.00 | $2.50 |
| 5-trip card | $12.50 | $6.25 (senior/disabled) |
| 7-day pass | $25.00 | $12.50 |
| Monthly pass | $95.00 | $48.00 (senior/disabled) |
Those prices come from RTA’s fares page. Student K-12 fares are $1.75 cash and $4.25 for a day. The all-day passes give unlimited rides until 3 a.m. the next day and can be bought on any RTA vehicle at the farebox, at ticket vending machines and at retail agents.
Passes made for visitors
RTA sells Cleveland passes that it says were designed for tourists, though anyone can buy them online:
- Cleveland pass: $5 for one day.
- Cleveland 2-Day: $10.
- Cleveland 4-Day: $20.
Like the all-day pass, they give unlimited rides until 3 a.m. after the last day. RTA’s example: a 4-day pass first used on Monday expires at 3 a.m. Friday.
Who rides free or for less
- Children under 6 ride free. Children 6 to 12 pay the child fare when riding with a fare-paying adult. Either way, the limit is three children per paying adult.
- Riders 65 and older pay the senior fare with a valid photo ID: an RTA Senior ID card, a state-issued photo ID, or a Medicare card with photo ID.
- Passengers transferring into RTA from a transit system outside Cuyahoga County get one free RTA ride with a valid transfer from that agency.
Paying: cash, cards and phones
Paying cash means paying full fare on each bus or train and having exact change; operators do not make change. On buses, purchases are cash only. Credit and debit cards work at ticket vending machines and kiosks at Red Line and HealthLine stations and at the Customer Service Center at Tower City.
If you use mobile tickets, RTA says that since May 7, 2026, you must scan the fare validator when boarding; showing your phone to the driver is no longer accepted. RTA has also announced account-based ticketing with fare capping, which it says can be unlocked with a smartcard or its mobile apps.
Tip: If you will ride more than twice in a day, the $5 all-day pass is already cheaper than paying $2.50 cash for each ride, and it saves hunting for exact change.
From the airport by train
RTA’s Red Line runs between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, downtown and the Louis Stokes Station at Windermere in East Cleveland. The ride from the airport to Tower City Station downtown takes less than 30 minutes, and the line operates seven days a week from about 4 a.m. to about 12:30 a.m. The airport station is on the lower level of the terminal; take the elevators or escalators near the center of the ticketing and baggage claim levels.
The Red Line uses proof of payment, so keep your activated pass or farecard handy in case Transit Police ask to see it. RTA notes it was the first rapid transit service to an international airport in North America, opening on November 15, 1968.
Service changes happen; RTA’s alerts page has listed shuttle buses replacing Red Line trains between Brookpark and the airport during work. Check alerts before you travel.
Bring your bike
Combining a bike with transit stretches a free day much further. RTA says all its buses except HealthLine buses have exterior racks for two to three bikes; HealthLine buses have a designated area in the rear. Rail cars carry two bikes, stored at the end doors, and you must stay with your bike. If the rack or space is full, wait for the next vehicle. On a bus, signal the operator before loading, and ask for a bike ticket as you board.
The free shuttle in University Circle
Once you reach University Circle, CircleLink shuttles are free. The BlueLink connects Wade Oval, Uptown, Little Italy and Coventry and serves the Little Italy – University Circle Red Line station, and the GreenLink links the Cedar-University Circle Red Line station with the hospital and university campuses. That makes a Red Line ticket plus a free shuttle a simple way to reach the museums; see Free Things to Do in University Circle and Around It.
A sample car-free weekend
Buy a Cleveland 2-Day pass for $10. On Saturday, ride to Ohio City for a morning at the West Side Market (West Side Market and Ohio City: A Free Morning in a Historic Food Hall), then ride to University Circle for the art museum in the afternoon. On Sunday, use the same pass to head to the lakefront. Food aside, the whole weekend costs $10 in fares, with no parking to pay.
Going beyond the county
If a route runs more than one mile into a neighboring county, riders on that portion pay a $1 out-of-county surcharge, RTA says. Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the state parks east of the city are generally easier to reach by car or bike, so many people save transit for city days and drive or carpool to the parks.