Arkansas Taxis and Car Rental
Taxis are really only available in the larger cities of Arkansas like Little Rock, Huntsville, and Hot Springs. The capital, Little Rock, has the best taxi service, with companies like Yellow Cab (+1-501-570-9999) and Affordable Taxi (+1-501-380-6000) offering round-the-clock transportation. Most taxis use a meter and are reasonably priced by US standards.
Car rental is a better choice if you plan to move around the state or explore some of the countryside. All the major towns and airports have a good representation of American car rental shops, and the roads throughout the state are in excellent condition. Interstate 40 and Interstate 30 run right through Arkansas, while US 71 and I-540 are broad highways that cut right through the rolling, scenic Ozarks. Advance bookings are advised in fall, when the changing of the leaves brings a surge in tourists. Weekly rentals can offer great savings over daily car hire rates.
Arkansas Trains and Buses
None of Arkansas’ cities are large enough to warrant an inner-city train service, but the Amtrak national rail network runs through the state. The Texas Eagle line travels from Chicago to Dallas, stopping off at Little Rock and Texarkana along with several smaller towns along its way through the state, from northeast to southwest. If time is not an issue, train transportation is a fun way to see the state and soak in its lovely mountain scenery. The seats are comfortable and roomy, and amenities like a dining car add to the fun of the trip.
Nearly all of Arkansas’ larger towns like Hot Springs, Huntsville, and Little Rock have public bus systems that are useful for moving around the inner city. But they rarely venture far out of town, so few tourists bother with them. To travel between cities in Arkansas, the Greyhound bus company has affordable fares and routes that seem to stop at even the smallest hamlets between their main routes. If you don’t rent a car, the bus is the cheapest and easiest way to travel between towns. Greyhound buses aren’t known for their luxury or amenities, but they are comfortable enough for journeys of a few hours.