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Getting Around Public Transport The Downtown area near Centennial Park, the CNN Center and Five Points is the most rewarding area for walking. It is essential to keep your wits about you as a pedestrian in this vehicle-dominated city. Automobiles rule the roads and drivers expect obeisance from those on foot. MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (tel: (404) 848 4800; website: www.itsmarta.com), provides rapid rail and bus services throughout the city. 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 overground 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 0600-0030 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 from 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. Taxis Taxis can be hired at ranks outside MARTA stations, in the city centre, at the airport, at shopping malls or by telephone. Taxi & Limo (tel: (404) 633 0030) or Metropolitan Cab Company (tel: (404) 525 5466) are two taxi services that operate within the city centre. Each district has its own local firm with special knowledge of the area. Taxi rates start at US$1.75 and increase US$0.25 every 0.7 miles thereafter. Tipping of 10-15% is customary but only if the driver is helpful. Women traveling alone during late hours should pre-book cabs or choose a female driver. Visitors should be wary of unlicensed taxis that linger outside of MARTA stations. These older limousines offer no set rates and should be avoided. Limousines Greene Classic Limousines (tel: (404) 875 3866) offers personal service with well-groomed drivers. Topper Limousine (tel: (770) 578 1867 or (800) 387 1642; website: www.topperlimo.com) has a ‘party bus’, which can be decked out with balloons and stocked with champagne, as well as more mundane buses and stretch limos. Rates start at about US$60 per hour, usually with a minimum 3-4 hour hire period requirement. Driving in the City Atlanta is designed to be accessed by car and visitors staying outside the immediate town centre may feel lost without one. Sights are far apart and there are car parks provided at all of them. However, MARTA buses and light rail, taxis and tour buses are available for those who do not care or dare to join the thronging hordes on the freeways. Traffic is extremely busy on and within the ring road during weekday rush hours. Lane discipline is almost non-existent but should drivers venture into another’s, offenders are likely to be hooted or verbally abused. From whichever direction visitors approach Atlanta by car, the first major road encountered is the peripheral I-285. This is a frighteningly busy five-lane highway with multiple exits and speeding traffic, which is especially bad at rush hours. When driving on this and other freeways, a detailed map is essential. 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; in Atlanta a standard automobile currently costs about US$170 and a top line limousine US$650 for a week’s rental; fly–drive deals can reduce the prices further. Companies insist on collision damage waiver insurance (CDW) – about US$6-14 per day – and the car hire prices quoted above do not include this or sales tax (7%). However, European insurance may be extendible to cover US driving and some credit cards may have an insurance scheme that covers car hire insurance. Major car hire agencies have several offices throughout the city including: Budget (tel: (404) 530 3000; website: www.budgetrentacar.com), Dollar (tel: (404) 261 7337; website: www.dollarcar.com), Enterprise (tel: (404) 261 7337; website: www.pickenterprise.com), National (tel: (404) 530 2800; website: www.nationalcar.com) and Thrifty (tel: (770) 996 2350; website: www.thrifty.com). Adventures on Wheels, 1774 Iris Drive, Conyers (tel: (770) 483 9080; website: www.adventuresonwheels.com), has motorhomes for hire from US$1100 per week. |
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