$2.25 gets you from RDU to downtown Raleigh
GoTriangle Route 100 is the cheap play for solo travelers and students moving between Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) and downtown Raleigh or NC State, with a base fare of $2.25 one-way and free transfers within the GoTriangle system on the same ticket or pass.
The bus stops at the lower-level curb by baggage claim at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, so after landing you head down to arrivals, follow the “public transit” signs, and look for the GoTriangle signpost instead of waiting upstairs near the departures or rideshare lanes where the 100 never stops.
Scheduled in-vehicle time from RDU to GoRaleigh Station downtown runs about 30–35 minutes, but real-world door-to-door trips usually clock in closer to 45–60 minutes once you add waiting at the curb and a possible transfer at GoRaleigh to reach NC State or specific neighborhoods.
Route 100 only runs Monday through Saturday, with no service on Sundays or major holidays, and it is daytime-only service from roughly early morning to early evening, so late-night arrivals and very early departures need a backup like Uber, Lyft, or a taxi.
On weekdays and Saturdays, buses generally come about every 30 minutes at peak times and less frequently off-peak, but riders on local forums say headways can stretch and that missing a bus can mean a 30+ minute wait, which is when many people bail out and pay for rideshare instead.
One Reddit user reported saving around $30 compared with an Uber by riding Route 100 to GoRaleigh Station and transferring, but also said the full trip took just under an hour, which lines up with typical 45–60 minute door-to-door expectations if you are not dropped exactly at your final address.
Regulars recommend checking the GoTriangle real-time app before you leave the gate, lining up your walking time to the lower-level stop with the next Route 100 departure, and bailing to rideshare immediately if the app shows more than about a 30-minute gap.
One simple tip: the moment your plane parks at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, check the Route 100 schedule, and if the next bus is within 15–20 minutes, head straight to the lower-level curb and skip any detours so you do not watch it pull away while you are still in the terminal restroom line.