World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
Although a car-dominated city, MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (tel: (404) 848 4800; website: www.itsmarta.com) does provide rapid rail and bus services throughout the city – which means that most places can be reached by public transport. The bus network operates throughout the city 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 0500-0100 Monday to Friday and 0600-2430 Saturday and Sunday.

For bus or rail, a single adult fare costs US$1.75, purchased from a ticket dispenser on either service. Rail stations sell tokens for use on both bus and rail services. A useful option is to buy one of the following passes allowing unlimited access to all services: Weekly Transcard – US$13, valid for any Monday to Sunday; Monthly Transcard – US$52.50, valid for any calendar month and the Weekend Pass – US$9, valid from Friday to Sunday.

Driving in the City
Atlanta relies heavily on the automobile, so there is plenty of parking – most major office buildings, malls and hotels have parking areas. The city is generally jam-packed with autos so it is not advisable for visitors to hire a car unless one is staying outside the immediate town centre 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 theatres and music venues. Not all of these temporary parking lots are legal. On average, parking costs approximately US$2 per hour in car parks (up to a maximum of US$30 per day). 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 licence is not in English. Some agencies will not rent cars to anyone less than 25 years old or possibly over 71 years. Car rental 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 7%. 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 have several offices throughout the city including: Alamo (tel: (800) 327 9633; website: www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: (800) 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (800) 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: (800) 800 4000; website: www.dollar.com), Enterprise (tel: (800) 261 7331; website: www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel: (800) 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com), National (tel: (800) 227 7368; website: www.nationalcar.com) and Thrifty (tel: (800) 367 2277; website: www.thrifty.com).