For many people traveling to Mayo Clinic, the trip itself can feel like one more challenge in an already stressful time. Patients may be dealing with limited energy, mobility concerns, or complicated schedules. Caregivers are often juggling luggage, paperwork, and the responsibility of helping a loved one get where they need to go.
That’s why many first-time visitors are pleasantly surprised when they arrive at Rochester International Airport (RST).
Because thousands of Mayo Clinic patients and caregivers travel through the airport every year, the experience is designed to be simple, supportive and easy to navigate. RST works closely with Mayo Clinic to help ensure patients and caregivers arrive as smoothly as possible.
Here are five things that often surprise visitors flying into Rochester for medical care.
1. Transportation Options Are Right Outside the Terminal
After a long travel day, the last thing patients and caregivers want is a complicated process for getting from the airport to their hotel or appointment.
At Rochester International Airport, several options are available just steps from your gate, including:
- Taxi and rideshare services
- Hotel and medical shuttle services
- On-site car rental agencies
For caregivers helping someone with limited mobility, or for those managing luggage and medical supplies, the simplicity of RST is a welcome alternative to the large transportation hubs, long walks, or multiple shuttle transfers often found at larger airports.
You can explore available options on the RST transportation page before your trip.
Tip: Arranging your transportation in advance, especially if you’re arriving at RST later in the day, helps ensure a shuttle, ride, or rental car is ready when you arrive.
2. Security Lines Are Typically Short
Many travelers expect airport security to involve long lines and stressful waits. But at Rochester International Airport, the experience is usually much quicker.
Because RST serves a smaller number of flights than major hubs, security lines tend to move efficiently. Travelers often move from check-in to their gate in a matter of minutes.
For someone using a wheelchair, walker or oxygen, covering just a few hundred feet instead of navigating long terminals — both before and after the security checkpoint — can make the airport experience far less tiring.
3. Mayo Clinic is Only Minutes Away
Many visitors are surprised by just how close the airport is to Mayo Clinic.
RST is located about 10 miles from downtown Rochester, meaning most travelers reach Mayo Clinic or nearby hotels in roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
Flying into Rochester also eliminates the 90-minute drive from Minneapolis–St. Paul’s airport (MSP), saving patients and caregivers up to three hours of additional car travel round-trip.
For patients who may already feel fatigued after a long trip, a shorter drive from the airport to their final destination can make the journey significantly easier.
4. The Terminal is Easy to Navigate
Large airports can be exhausting — long hallways, multiple terminals, trains between gates, and endless escalators.
RST is refreshingly simple.
The airport has one commercial terminal and a small number of gates, which means travelers don’t have to worry about navigating complex layouts or walking long distances.
For visitors traveling with wheelchairs, mobility aids or medical equipment, the straightforward design makes getting through the airport far less stressful.
5. Staff Are Used to Helping Medical Travelers
Perhaps the most meaningful surprise for many visitors is how familiar airport staff are with the needs of Mayo Clinic travelers.
Each year, thousands of patients and caregivers fly into Rochester for care. Because of that, airport teams are experienced in assisting travelers who may need extra support.
Helpful services include:
- Wheelchair assistance
- A Mayo Clinic information desk inside the terminal
- Quiet rooms located post-security, offering a private, dim, and calm space where patients can rest or lie down before or after flights
- Airport staff accustomed to assisting patients and caregivers
For international visitors, interpretation services are also available to help make the travel experience smoother.
A Smoother Start to Your Mayo Clinic Visit
Traveling for medical care is never easy. But when the airport experience is simple, supportive, and close to your destination, it removes one more layer of stress.
For many patients and caregivers, arriving at Rochester International Airport is the moment when the journey begins to feel a little easier — and when the focus can shift to what matters most: getting the care you need.
Additional Resources
Caregivers accompanying a loved one may also find it helpful to review these tips for traveling caregivers before their trip.
You can also read one medical visitor’s experience of care beginning at RST long before she arrived at Mayo Clinic.
