Atlanta, Georgia — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Tel: 1 800 897 1910.
Website: www.atlanta-airport.com
Located 16.2km (10 miles) south of the city, the Hartfield-Jackson, the busiest airport in the world, serves around 90 million passengers annually. A fifth runway opened in May 2006. As the Capital Improvement Program continues, travelers will have access to a new energy-efficient car rental facility and new 12-gate international terminal.
Airport facilities: Services include restaurants, bars, Internet kiosks, retail shops, a post office, chapel, bank, ATMs, bureau de change, tourist information and car hire (including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty).
Transport to the city: MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) (tel: (404) 848 5000; www.itsmarta.com) operates light rail services from the airport to Downtown and throughout the metropolitan area. Schedules may be obtained from the MARTA airport station (tel: (404) 848 4711), Traveler's Aid and the International Information Counter. Taxi services take 15-60 minutes to Five Points, depending upon traffic. Taxis have flat rates to the central business district (about US$32), to Midtown (about US$33) and to Buckhead (about US$47). The Atlanta Link (tel: (404) 524 3400 or 1 866 545 9633; www.theatlantalink.com) provides airport shuttle service from Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead hotels. Reservations for shared-ride shuttles to Atlanta, Atlanta metro and non-metro areas can be secured at the Ground Transportation Center's island F.
Getting There By Road
The USA has a network of sequentially numbered Interstate (I) highways. The roads with numbers ending in 0 cross the country east to west, while those ending in 5 run north to south.
Maximum speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on rural Interstates, 105kph (65mph) on urban Interstates and 88kph (55mph) on other roads. Locals regularly exceed these limits and pass with impunity on both left and right sides. In business or residential districts, a limit of 48kph (30mph) applies. The maximum legal alcohol-to-blood ratio is 0.08%. Both front and backseat passengers must wear seat belts, while children under the age of five years are required to be seated and belted in the back of the car in a child protective seat. Helmets are mandatory for motorcycle riders. As a deterrent, radar detectors are common. Fines can be issued on the spot for seat-belt or helmet offenses, speeding and also throwing litter from the vehicle. Drunk-driving is always prosecuted and can result in penalties of up to a US$1,000 fine plus 12 months in jail.
The minimum age for driving in Atlanta is 16 years; however, there are various restrictions for drivers under 18 and 21 years. It is best to check the Georgia Motor Vehicle Division online (www.dmvs.ga.gov). National driving licenses are sufficient if in English, otherwise International Driving Permits are required. Rush hours are 0700-0930 and 1600-1900.
The Southern Automobile Association (AAA) (tel: 1 800 222 1134; www.aaasouth.com) provides insurance and breakdown recovery for members at competitive prices, and also provides free maps and tourist guides.
Emergency breakdown services
AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357/AAA HELP).
Routes to the city
Atlanta is intersected by Interstates 20, 75 and 85. I-20 travels west to Birmingham (Alabama) and Dallas (Texas) and east to Augusta and Columbia (South Carolina). I-75 passes through Atlanta on its way north from Florida to Michigan. I-85 heads southwest to Montgomery (Alabama) and northeast to Charlotte (North Carolina) and Virginia. I-285 is a perimeter highway that rings the metropolitan area but the city has expanded northwards to Marietta, Roswell and other suburbs outside the ring. An urban highway, GA400, links the northern suburbs with the city center and provides easy access to the north Appalachians. GA400 is a toll road; the cost levied depends upon the mileage driven.
Coach services
Greyhound (tel: (404) 584 1728 or 1 800 231 2222 or 1 800 229 9424; www.greyhound.com) has a 24-hour coach station, at 232 Forsyth Street Southwest, off Peachtree Street Southwest, where baggage and parcel services, ticketing and fast food are available. Greyhound operates coaches throughout the USA; some direct destinations include Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans and Orlando.
Getting There By Rail
Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com) is the national railway service provider.
Amtrak Station, 1688 Peachtree Street Northwest (tel: (404) 881 3063), in Midtown, only sees two arrivals and departures each day, on slow trains. These offer an overlooked way to see the countryside and small towns of the USA. Reservations are necessary for priority seating and sleeping accommodations. The station has basic facilities, such as vending machines and an ATM.
Rail Services
The Amtrak Crescent service links Atlanta with New Orleans and New York (trains 19 and 20). An evening departure runs to Washington and New York and a morning departure to New Orleans. Sleepers, restaurant service and various excursion options are available.
Getting Around in Atlanta, Georgia
Public Transport
Although a car-dominated city, Atlanta also has rapid rail and bus services provided by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) (tel: (404) 848 5000; www.itsmarta.com), which means that most places can be reached by public transport. The bus network operates throughout the city around 0500-0130 Monday to Friday and 0500-2430 Saturday and Sunday. Buses take correct change or tokens only. The underground rail network runs from the north suburbs of Marietta to the airport in the south; east-west lines also extend across the suburbs. Trains are quiet, clean and, outside the rush hour, uncrowded. In stations, machines dispense tokens and change. Ticket booths are closed in the evenings. Rail services operate around 0500-0100 Monday to Friday and 0500-2430 Saturday and Sunday.
For bus or rail, fares are purchased from a ticket dispenser. Rail stations sell tokens or the reloadable Breeze Card (www.breezecard.com) for use on both bus and rail services. A useful option is to buy one of the following Visitor Passes (loaded onto your Breeze Card and allowing unlimited access to all services): 1-4 days, 7 days, 10 days, 30 days, 10 trips or 20 trips.
Driving in the City
Atlanta relies heavily on cars, so there is plenty of parking for most major office buildings, malls and hotels. The city is generally jam-packed with cars so it is not advisable for visitors to hire a car unless staying outside the immediate town center or planning to visit sites located in the outskirts of the city.
Freeways are often congested, especially within the ring road (I-285) during weekday rush hours. The I-285 is a frighteningly busy five-lane highway with multiple exits and speeding traffic. Lane discipline is almost non-existent but should drivers venture into another's, they are likely to be hooted or verbally abused.
For visitors staying on the outskirts of the city and using the light rail system to travel into the city, most MARTA stations provide parking. However, visitors should be careful of off-street parking near theaters and music venues. Not all of these temporary parking lots are legal. On average, parking costs approximately US$2 per hour in car parks, or US$5-10 flat rate. Hotel overnight parking averages about US$20 per night.
Car Hire
To hire a car, an International Driving Permit is only required if the visitor's national driving license is not in English. Some agencies will not hire cars to anyone under 25 years old or possibly over 71 years. Car hire prices are very competitive and fly-drive deals can reduce the prices further.
Companies insist on Collision Damage Waiver insurance (CDW) and car hire prices quoted will usually not include this or sales tax at 8%. However, European insurance may be extendible to cover US driving and some credit cards may have an insurance option that covers car hire insurance.
Major car hire agencies, which have several offices throughout the city, include: Alamo (tel: 1 800 327 9633; www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: 1 800 331 1212; www.avis.com), Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 4000; www.dollar.com), Enterprise (tel: 1 800 261 7331; www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; www.hertz.com), National (tel: 1 800 227 7368; www.nationalcar.com) and Thrifty (tel: 1 800 367 2277; www.thrifty.com).
