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Getting There By Air:

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Tel: (801) 575 2400.
Website: www.slcairport.com

Salt Lake City International Airport is located just 6km (4 miles) west of the city center. 17 airlines operate from the airport, with over 400 daily departures to 92 cities throughout the United States and Canada. The airport, which served 18.3 million passengers in 2004, is ranked 26th busiest in the United States and 51st busiest in the world.

Major airlines: Salt Lake City is served by 17 airlines. It is the third largest hub for Delta Air Lines (tel: (800) 221 1212; website: www.delta.com), which operates direct international flights. Other major carriers include American Airlines, American West, Continental, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Northwest Airlines, Sky West, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Approximate flight times to Salt Lake City: From London is 11 hours; from New York is 4 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 2 hours; from Toronto is 5 hours and from Sydney is 16 hours 30 minutes.

Airport facilities: These include foreign exchange, banks and ATMs, tourist information counter, restaurants and snack bars, gift shops, coin-operated lockers, facilities for infant and small child care. Car hire companies Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National are located on the lowest level of the parking terrace (see Getting Around).

Business facilities: The Wayport Laptop Lane business center (tel: (801) 519 5060; website: www.wayport.net/laptoplane) is located in terminal two. Services and facilities include telephones, desktop PCs, high-speed Internet access, printing, copying and faxing and package shipping. In addition to the business facilities available at Laptop Lane, there is language translation assistance at the airport information desks and faxes can be sent at Zion’s Bank in terminal two. There are stamp machines and mailboxes in each terminal.

Transport to the city: Downtown Salt Lake is only a 15- or 20-minute drive from the airport. A one-way taxi fare is approximately US$15. Many hotels offer complimentary airport shuttle service. Buses, limousines and shuttle companies provide transportation into the city as well as throughout the valley and to area ski resorts. For more information, call the Ground Transportation Desk on (801) 575 2477.

The Express Shuttle (tel: (800) 397 0773; website: www.expressshuttle.com) is a convenient door-to-door airport shuttle, which operates on request and meets all flights. Tickets should be reserved at least 24 hours in advance, if possible (booking is open 24 hours daily). There are counters in the baggage claim area at both terminals, marked Ground Transportation Desk.

One of several companies providing shuttle service to ski resorts in the area, as well as to the Salt Lake Valley is All Resort Express (tel: (435) 649 3999 or (800) 457 9457; website: www.allresort.com), which also operates a request service, meeting all flights.

Getting There By Road:

America has an excellent system of Interstate Highways (I-1) and State Highways (Hwy-1), as well as smaller country roads with the letter of the state preceding the road number (U-1 in Utah). Driving in the United States is on the right. Speed limits are generally 55-65mph (88-104kph) on highways and 30mph (48kph) in towns but can vary and the signs should be checked. The legal driving age in Utah is 16 years. For UK nationals, a full UK driving license is sufficient. Other nationalities are required to have an International Driving Permit, which must be accompanied by a full driving license from their home country. Basic insurance is mandatory.

The wearing of seatbelts is mandatory by law in Utah. Children must be restrained in car seats or seatbelts. Utah has strict laws against drinking and driving and a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or more is cause for arrest and a criminal charge. Visitors should be aware that alcohol has a greater effect at higher altitudes.

The American Automobile Association (tel: (800) 541 9902; website: www.aaa.com) provides information and might offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.

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

Routes to the city: Main routes into Salt Lake City include Interstate 15 (I-15), which runs north–south on to Las Vegas, Interstate 80 (I-80), which runs east–west to San Francisco and Denver (connecting with I-25 South at Laramie, Wyoming), and US Highway 89, which runs north–south to Provo and Ogden, Utah.

Approximate driving times to Salt Lake City: From Las Vegas, Nevada – 7 hours; Denver, Colorado – 10 hours 30 minutes; San Francisco, California – 14 hours; Los Angeles and San Diego, California – 12 hours; Ogden – 45 minutes; Provo – 1 hour.

Coach services: Salt Lake City is served by the Rocky Mountain Trailways & Salt Lake Express (tel: (800) 356 9796; website: http://trailways.bluedepot.com), part of the National Trailways Transportation System. Most bus companies use the Greyhound Terminal, 160 West South Temple Boulevard. There are several buses per day, which travel east to Denver, Colorado, west to San Francisco, California, north to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington and south to Las Vegas, Nevada and Los Angeles, California.

Getting There By Rail:

Amtrak (tel: (800) 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com) is the national rail service provider, serving Salt Lake City. Amtrak services are comfortable and generally reliable, although it is always a good idea for travelers to confirm reservations and check train times prior to departure.

Salt Lake City Station is located Downtown, at 340 South 600 West (tel: (800) 872 7245); facilities are basic but include snack bars and toilets. Tickets are available for purchase at the station, online through Amtrak or reserved by telephone and picked up at the station (photo ID is required).

Rail services: The California Zephyr, which operates daily, is a splendid scenic route between Salt Lake City and Denver, Colorado (journey time – 15 hours), with a service east to Chicago (journey time – 35 hours), west to Reno (journey time – 10 hours), Nevada (journey time – 16 hours) and San Francisco (journey time – 18 hours).

Transport to the city: The station is fairly central (approximately a 15-minute walk to Temple Square) and taxis are available.

Getting Around:

Public Transport
As with most cities in the USA, driving is the main form of transportation. However, Salt Lake City’s light rail service, TRAX, along with a good bus network, has helped to ease traffic congestion and to improve travel between the suburbs and the city center. Both services are operated by Utah Transit Authority (tel: (801) 743 3882; website: www.rideuta.com). Together, they provide more than 100 different routes throughout the metropolitan region. There are also services to nearby cities such as Ogden and Provo.

Most buses (tel: (801) 287 4636) run 0600-2400 on weekdays and 0700-2400 on Saturdays. There is limited Sunday service on some regular routes.

TRAX, which stands for Transit Express, began a light rail service in late 1999. The 24km (15-mile) line runs between 10000 South in Sandy and the Delta Center in Downtown Salt Lake. There are 16 stations, each decorated with original artwork. The University Line, an additional east–west leg, intersects the main line at Main Street station and connects Downtown with the University of Utah. Trains stop at the stations every 10 to 30 minutes (0530-2300 Mon to Thur, 0530 to 0100 on Fri and Sat, and from 0930 to 2130 on Sun).

Schedules can be accessed online (website: www.rideuta.com/schedulesandmaps) and are also available at Visitor Information Centers and other public facilities. There are 11 free Park & Ride lots located near the stations.

The standard one-way fare within the valley for both buses and TRAX is US$1.40. A large section of the Downtown area, including Temple Square and the area just west of the State Capitol, is a fare-free zone and there is no charge if commuters or visitors enter and exit a bus or TRAX between the designated streets. Tickets are available for purchase from vending machines or on boarding the bus. These are valid for two hours from the time of purchase and can be used as often as necessary on both buses and light rail.

An All Day Pass, which is valid for unlimited rides on buses and TRAX light rail, is a bargain at US$3.50. Day passes are also available from vending machines or from Pass Sales outlets at supermarkets and other retailers. The latter are the most convenient, because they are self-validating and can be purchased in quantity and used as needed.

During the winter, a special ski bus operates to Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta, Brighton and Sundance ski resorts; the US$6 pass is also valid on TRAX and local buses.

Taxis
Several taxi companies in Salt Lake City offer a 24-hour service, including City Cab (tel: (801) 363 5550), Yellow Cab Company (tel: (801) 521 2100 or (800) 826 4746) and Ute Cab Co (tel: (801) 359 7788). Most people telephone for service but cabs can also be hailed in the street and there are taxi stands at hotels and other locations around the city. All taxis are metered and it is customary to tip taxi drivers 15%.

Driving in the City
With wide streets laid out in an easy-to-follow grid system, driving in Salt Lake City poses few problems. The grid starts at the Meridian Marker at the intersection of Main Street and South Temple. From here, streets are numbered in increments of 100 and located by grid co-ordinates (South or North (of South Temple) and East or West (of Main Street)) for example, 138 West 300 South.

A good system of freeways bypasses the city center and provides quick access to the canyons and suburban areas. Many scenic routes are quickly accessible from the city but drivers should take care on steep and winding mountain roads.

Parking lots cost US$3-5 per day, while mall lots are more expensive at about US$10, although stores will provide validation for free parking. Parking meters cost 25 cents for 20 minutes to one hour of parking time. Meters are free after 1800 and allow for two hours of free parking on Saturday. There are 11 free Park & Ride lots located near the light rail stations (see Public Transport).


Car Hire
Service providers include Avis (tel: (801) 575 2847 or (800) 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Dollar (tel: (801) 575 2580 or (800) 800 4000; website: www.dollar.com), Hertz (tel: (801) 575 2683 or (800) 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com), National (tel: (801) 575 2277 or (800) 227 7368; website: www.nationalcar.com) and Thrifty (tel: (801) 265 6677 or (800) 847 4389; website: www.thrifty.com). Most major hotels will also arrange car hire on their guests’ behalf. Rates begin at approximately US$30 a day.

The minimum age to hire a car is generally 25 years. For UK nationals, a full UK driving license is sufficient. Other nationalities are required to have an International Driving Permit accompanied by a full driving license from their home country. Rates generally include mandatory liability insurance, although visitors should always enquire whether rates quoted include Collision Damage insurance, as this is not automatically included in American car hire rates. Drivers should also check whether the rate includes unlimited mileage, which is recommended if excursions are planned for outside the city.

Car hire companies generally provide a number to call should problems arise, otherwise drivers should call the AAA emergency breakdown line (see Getting There By Road).


Bicycle Hire
Cycling is popular in Salt Lake City and the surrounding region, with mountain biking trails in the nearby mountains. Utah Ski and Golf, 134 West 600 South (tel: (801) 355 9088 or (800) 858 5221; website: www.utahskigolf.com), offers bicycle hire in the Downtown area, with three other locations around the city.

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