Selected Travel Guide:		More Memphis Travel Guides:			Adjust Font Size:

Getting There By Air:

Memphis International Airport (MIA)
Tel: (901) 922 8000.
Website: www.mscaa.com

Memphis airport is the world’s busiest cargo airport and a bustling passenger terminal handling around 11 million passengers per year. Located approximately 16km (10 miles) southeast of Downtown Memphis, the airport handles flights from eight passenger airlines.

Approximate flight times to Memphis: From London is 10 hours 50 minutes; from New York is 2 hours 35 minutes; from Los Angeles is 4 hours; from Toronto is 3 hours 10 minutes and from Sydney is 18 hours.

Airport facilities: Facilities include bureau de change, bank, ATMs, travel agency, restaurants and duty-free shops. There is also a hairdresser and a hotel. New restaurants and concessions add a uniquely Memphis dining experience for travelers. Car hire is available from Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty.

Transport to the city: It takes approximately 20 minutes to reach Downtown Memphis from the airport. For cab service, call Yellow/Checker Cab (tel: (901) 577 7777), City Wide Cab Company (tel: (901) 324 4202), Metro Cab Company (tel: (901) 323 3333) or Arrow Transportation (tel: (901) 523 2002). The local airport shuttle service will drop you at your rental car location. Hotels or motels may offer shuttle service to downtown/midtown, or will call a cab for you.

Getting There By Road:

Traveling by car is the cheapest and most convenient way to get around the USA. There is an extensive system of interstate highways (the US equivalent of motorways). These are the fastest, most direct routes and are designated by the letter ’I’ followed by a number, such as I-55. Some of these routes are tolled. The speed limit on interstate highways is 112kph (70mph) for cars, unless stated otherwise. There is also an extensive network of federal, state and local roads and highways.

The minimum driving age is 16 years old. Driving is on the right throughout the USA, although specific driving rules vary within different states. In Tennessee, the driver and all passengers must wear seat belts. Penalties for drink driving are severe and in most states, including Tennessee, it is illegal even to have an opened container of alcohol in the car. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. Drivers must carry their national driving license with them when driving, as well as proof of their third-party liability insurance.

The American Automobile Association - AAA (tel: 1 800 222 1333 or (901) 761 5371; website: www.aaasouth.com) has reciprocal agreements with many foreign motoring associations.

Emergency breakdown service: AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357/AAA HELP).

Routes to the city: From the airport, I-240 goes into central Memphis. Memphis is a major crossroads of the south. The main routes into Memphis include interstates I-40 and I-55. I-40 comes from Dallas in the west through Little Rock, Arkansas, and from Nashville in the east; while I-55 runs from St Louis in the north and Jackson, Mississippi, in the south. I-55 has links to New Orleans in the south and Chicago in the north.

Approximate driving times to Memphis: From Nashville - 3 hours 30 minutes; St Louis - 4 hours 30 minutes; New Orleans - 6 hours; Dallas - 7 hours; Chicago - 8 hours 30 minutes.

Coach services: Greyhound (tel: 1 800 231 2222; website: www.greyhound.com) operates coach services to and from Memphis and around the country. Coaches depart from the coach station, 203 Union Avenue (tel: (901) 523 9253), for destinations such as Nashville, New York and Chicago.

Getting There By Rail:

Amtrak is the country’s official passenger train company (tel: 1 800 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com). Trains run to Memphis Central Station, 545 South Main Street (tel: (901) 526 0052). The station was built in 1914 and received a US$24 million renovation several years ago, involving new cladding on the old facade and the building of apartments and banquet facilities. The station serves as a major passenger terminal.

Rail services: Amtrak’s services are limited, although the City of New Orleans train does connect Memphis with both Chicago (journey time - 10 hours 20 minutes) and New Orleans (journey time - 8 hours 42 minutes). Reservations are necessary for priority seating and sleeping accommodations.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
The transport service provider is the Memphis Area Transit Authority - MATA (tel: (901) 274 6282; website: www.matatransit.com) which operates bus and streetcar routes around the city. The telephone line is open for enquiries 24 hours.

Since most residents of Memphis own cars, public transport in the city is not particularly good. Timetables vary on major bus routes, so commuters should check these by calling the information help line (see above). Tickets are available on the bus.

MATA also operates a streetcar service - the Main Street Trolley. Vintage trolley cars (most imported from Oporto, Portugal and Melbourne, Australia) run in the Downtown area along Main Street, Madison Avenue and on a Riverfront Loop. The daily service is inexpensive and generally runs every 10 to15 minutes, although Sunday service stops early. Tickets are available for purchase on the streetcar. Check the MATA website for fares and passes.

Taxis
It is not possible to hail taxis in the street - they must be booked by telephone. Providers include Yellow Cab Company (tel: (901) 577 7777) or City Wide Cab Company (tel: (901) 324 4202).

Driving in the City
Memphis is a sprawling city and for areas outside of Downtown, a car is the best way of getting about. Traffic can be heavy during the rush hours from 0730 to 0900 and 1700 to 1830, but otherwise is light compared to other major American cities. In general, the city is laid out on a grid, with avenues running east-west and streets running north-south. However, there are exceptions to this rule, including the Downtown area. The main east-west roads are Poplar and Union Avenues. These get very congested during rush hours and are best avoided. Driving is on the right. Right turns on red lights are permitted if it is safe, unless otherwise stated.

Metered street-parking or numerous fee-based parking lots are available in Downtown Memphis. Some hotels offer free parking, but most charge for valet parking and self-parking each day. There is a free car park on the cobblestones between Front Street and the river.

Car Hire
Some companies will insist on an International Drivers Permit, as well as a national license, so visitors should check company regulations before leaving home. Usually an international driver’s license is only required if a visitor’s national driver’s license is not in English. Most car hire companies require drivers to be over 25 years old. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) cover is advised when hiring a car.

All major car hire companies have offices in the city, located near to the airport. These include Alamo (tel: (901) 332 8412 or 1 800 327 9633; website: www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: (901) 527 1138 or 1 800 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (901) 398 8888 or 1 800 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Enterprise (tel: (901) 525 8588 or 1 800 325 8007; website: www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel: (901) 345 5680 or 1 800 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com) and Thrifty (tel: (901) 345 0170 or 1 800 367 2277; website: www.thrifty.com).

Bicycle Hire
Cyclists can hire bikes at the Adventure Center at Mud Island River Park, 125 North Front Street (tel: 1 800 507 6507 or (901) 576 7241), or from the Peddler Bicycle Shop, 575 South Highland Street (tel: (901) 327 4833; website: www.peddlerbikeshop.com).

Outdoors Inc. (website: www.outdoorsinc.com) has two locations in the city, at 5245 Poplar Avenue (tel: (901) 767 6790), and 1710 Union Avenue (tel: (901) 722 8988). Mountain bikes are available for daily hire, but not overnight. Deposit required.

Related Memphis Content

Related Tennessee Content

Tennessee Airport Guides: Memphis International Nashville International	Tennessee City Guides: Memphis City Guide Nashville City Guide
Tennessee Attraction Guides:
Graceland	Grand Ole Opry