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Getting There By Air:

Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Tel: (615) 275 1675.
Website: www.flynashville.com  

Nashville International Airport is located 13km (8 miles) southeast of central Nashville. The airport handles flights from 14 passenger airlines, with direct international connections to Toronto, Canada and Cancun, Mexico. Primarily a domestic hub, it does provide non-stop flights to international gateway cities, and is a major hub for Southwest Airlines. Nashville airport operates over 425 flights per day, flying about 8.7 million passengers annually.

Approximate flight times to Nashville: From London is 11 hours; from New York is 2 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 4 hours; from Toronto is 2 hours, and from Sydney is approximately 21 hours.

Airport facilities: These include ATMs, bureau de change, bank, restaurants, cafes, shops, post boxes, lockers, a massage bar and a children’s play area. Car hire is available from all major agencies including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty.

Transport to the city: Most hotels near the airport have their own shuttle buses. Hotels downtown and in the Vanderbilt and Music Row areas use the Gray Line Airport Express (tel: 1 800 251 1864 or (615) 883 5555; www.graylinenashville.com). Alternatively, the Metropolitan Transit Authority - MTA (tel: (615) 862 5950; website: www.nashvillemta.org) runs both express and local bus services to downtown Nashville. Approximate time from the airport to Downtown can range from 15 to 30 minutes. Taxis are available outside the terminal. For cab service call Checker Cab (tel: (615) 256 7000), Music City Taxis (tel: (615) 262 0451) or Yellow Cab (tel: (615) 256 0101).

Getting There By Road:

The USA has a network of Interstates (designated by the letter ‘I’ on a blue sign) and highways (designated by the letters ‘HWY’ on a black and white sign) with a corresponding number, as in I-440 or I-65. Driving in Tennessee, as anywhere else in the United States, is on the right. The roads in and around Nashville are generally good, although the city appears to be under a permanent state of road construction. Tennessee backroads offer an interesting glimpse to country living hidden away just minutes from bustling retail and business districts. The speed limit on interstates and freeways is 112kph (70mph), while most other highways have a speed limit of 88kph (55mph). In the city, the speed limit varies between 40-72kph (25-45mph). Drink and driving regulations are strictly enforced and the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%.

In Tennessee, the minimum age for driving is 16 years. Both front and back seat passengers must wear seat belts, while children under the age of five years must ride in the rear seat in an approved child safety harness. Helmets are mandatory for motorcycle riders. Radar detectors are common and on-the-spot fines are issued for seat belt or helmet offences, speeding, and also throwing litter from the vehicle. Drink-driving is always prosecuted and can result in penalties of up to US$1,000 fine plus 12 months in jail. 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; website: www.aaa.com) provides information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.

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

Routes to the city: Main routes from Nashville are Highway 40 east to Knoxville and the Appalachian Mountains, and west to Memphis. Highway 65 runs north towards Louisville (Kentucky) and Chicago (Illinois), and south to Birmingham (Alabama) and the Gulf Coast. Highway 24 runs southeast to Chattanooga and northwest to Paducah (Kentucky).

Driving times to the city: From Chattanooga - 2 hours 30 minutes; Louisville - 3 hours; Knoxville - 3 hours; Memphis - 3 hours.

Coach services: Greyhound (tel: (615) 255 3556 or 1 800 229 9424; website: www.greyhound.com) operates national bus services out of its terminal at 200 Eighth Avenue South, with connections to cities nationwide. Facilities at the terminal are basic.

Getting There By Rail:

Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com) operates the national railway network, but this does not stop at Nashville - the nearest passenger station being in Memphis. Nashville’s historic Union Station handles freight trains only.

Getting Around:

Public Transport
Downtown Nashville is quite small and easily managed on foot. The Metropolitan Transit Authority - MTA (tel: (615) 862 5950; website: www.nashvillemta.org) operates bus services in the greater Nashville area. A new downtown transit hub, Music City Central, is scheduled to be completed in autumn 2008, complete with retail stores and coffee shop.

The Opry Mills Express (bus 34) links Downtown with Opryland/Music Valley. The MTA offers a variety of discount passes on their network of local bus services. You can buy tickets upon boarding or at the ticket booths at 130 Nestor Street; on Deaderick between Fourth & Fifth Avenue North; or online. Buses can also be flagged down on their regular routes. MTA has various programs catering to seniors, students and cyclists. All buses have bike racks and encourage cyclists to bring their bikes on board.

Nashville’s new commuter rail service, the Music City Star (tel: (615) 862 8833; website: www.musiccitystar.org), runs between Lebanon and Riverfront Park, Nashville, Monday to Friday. Tickets are available from Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) at each station, or from the Regional Transport Authority office at Sixth Floor, 501 Union Street, Nashville (corner of Fifth and Union).

Taxis
There are several taxi services in Nashville but it is far easier to book one by telephone than to find one on the street. If you’ve made the booking some time ahead, it is sensible to telephone again on the day to confirm. Main firms include Allied Cab (tel: (615) 883 2323), Checker Cab (tel: (615) 256 7000), Music City Taxi (tel: (615) 262 0451) and Yellow Cab (tel: (615) 256 0101).

Driving in the City
Nashville’s roads have not really kept pace with the town’s expansion and it is a long-standing joke that Nashville is difficult to navigate. There is just enough of a downtown grid system to lull drivers into a false sense of security, but then some streets simply stop, others change their names and some veer off across the river and head for Opryland. Most streets Downtown are one-way and signposting is poor. Other than this idiosyncrasy, driving is no better or worse than any other mid-size American city, although rush hours (0700-0900 and 1600-1800) are best avoided. Right turns on red lights are legal, unless a sign says otherwise.

Many of the special parking meter lanes in the city center are inactive during rush hours - cars left there during these periods will be towed away. There is a large 24-hour public car park Downtown, at the junction of First Street South and Broadway, and numerous other parking lots and garages. On-street parking after business hours is usually free, but spaces fill up quickly with those visiting local music establishments, bars and restaurants.

Car Hire
Service providers include National/Alamo (tel: (615) 340 6546 or 1 800 462 5266; website: www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: (615) 361 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (615) 366 0822 or 1 800 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Enterprise (tel: (615) 872 7722 or 1 800 261 7331; website: www.enterprise.com) and Thrifty (tel: (615) 275 4257 or 361 6050; website: www.thrifty.com).

To hire a car, visitors must have a valid driving license from their home country, be at least 25 years old and have a major credit card for payment. Car hire prices do not include insurance and various levels of insurance are usually available as surcharges. Unlimited mileage is also recommended, if excursions are planned for outside the city.

Bicycle Hire
Nashville has many parks popular for cycling, and it is a common sight to see groups of cyclists riding the scenic hills of Middle Tennessee. Cumberland Transit (tel: (615) 321 4069; website: www.cumberlandtransit.com), at 2807 West End Avenue, just opposite Centennial Park, is the place to hire high-end road bikes. Nashville Bicycle Company, 2817 West End Avenue (tel: (615) 321 5510; website: www.nashvillebike.com), hires high-end mountain bikes, and Eastside Cycles, 1012 Woodland Street (tel: (615) 469 1079; website: www.eastside-cycles.com), hires out cruisers and tandem bikes. Check with any of them for maps of bike trails in the area.

The Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge offers a wonderful scenic view of downtown Nashville and the Cumberland River, and is open to pedestrians and cyclists every day from sunrise to sunset.

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