Getting in

• Palm Springs International Airport: This is the airport to choose: it is in town, roughly 10–15 minutes from central Palm Springs. For downtown, use SunLine Route 24 from the stop one block west of the terminal, at Civic Drive and East Tahquitz Canyon Way; a regular SunLine adult ride is about $1, though the walk and limited-frequency service make it impractical late at night. A rideshare is the sensible default with luggage or an off-downtown hotel—roughly $20–30 to downtown in normal conditions. Do not prebook an expensive “airport shuttle” for this short trip unless your hotel specifically requires it.
• Ontario International Airport: ONT has more year-round flight options but is about 70 miles west. Rent a car and take I-10 east: allow 75–100 minutes without serious traffic, longer on Friday afternoons and holiday weekends. A one-day rental plus fuel is commonly a better proposition than a long private transfer; expect roughly $50–100 before fuel/insurance depending on season. Public transport exists only as a slow, awkward chain of connections and is not a realistic vacation transfer.
• Palm Springs Amtrak station: Do not plan around the rail platform at 300 N Indian Canyon Drive unless you have arranged a pickup: it is an unstaffed outdoor platform near I-10, with no local transit or rental-car shuttle. The useful rail option is an Amtrak itinerary that includes a Thruway motorcoach to the downtown stop near 190 N Indian Canyon Drive; book it as one through-ticket. The Sunset Limited serves the rail station only three times weekly in each direction, so it is a niche option rather than dependable city access.
• Downtown FlixBus stop, Palm Canyon Drive at Baristo: For Los Angeles-area or Arizona arrivals without a car, this is the genuinely useful intercity-bus stop: it is in walkable downtown, near 301 S Palm Canyon Drive. FlixBus schedules and fares vary sharply by day, but it avoids the isolated Amtrak platform and the expense of an Ontario transfer. Check the exact stop and departure time before committing; service is not frequent enough to treat as turn-up-and-go.