Atlanta, Georgia Hotels and City Guide

Atlanta - Transportation

Getting Around Atlanta

Far and away, the biggest criticism of Atlanta is the traffic. The city has grown so large so fast, there was no real way that city planners could have handled things any better, so residents and tourists alike are left sitting in cars waiting for the traffic in front of them to inch along. What makes matters worse is that the city is so spread out, getting around without a car is difficult. This section will explore what to do if you get a car, and more importantly, what to do if you don’t. Your best friend in Atlanta may be the local traffic reports on the news and on the radio.

In general, if you are only planning on seeing the city of Atlanta and not any of the outlying areas, you will be fine without a car. There is just enough transit here to allow for you to live without a car, but if you want to venture outside of the city to visit the University of Georgia in Athens or if you want to see any of the beautiful plantations, you are going to need a rental. If you live outside of the United States, your international driver’s license will be fine, unless it is not in English. In that case, you will need an International Driving Permit to rent a car.

As a general rule, rush hour is the busiest time to drive. The problem is, however, that rush hour usually starts around 3pm or 3:30pm and goes as late as 6:30pm. You also need to have a good idea if a sporting event or concert is happening. An Atlanta Falcons game on a Sunday afternoon or a Monday night can cause heavy congestion and even delays on otherwise reliable transit. This is where the local newspaper, your car radio or the concierge at your hotel can really help you. Make sure you check on all of this before you set out for the day and whatever you do, be sure to have a map of Atlanta with you when you go.

Along with the traffic, the general layout of the roads here leaves a lot to be desired. Atlanta was not laid out with a grid system in mind, in fact, the roads are haphazardly placed throughout the city, mostly because of the random hills and barriers that crop up here and there. If the lack of a grid system wasn’t enough to scare off new drivers, roads in Atlanta often switch names at different points.  You’ll be headed out over one road that will suddenly be known by another name for a mile or two and then switch back to the original name after it goes over a city or county line. The final problem that many drivers experience here is the sheer number of roads that use the word “peach” or “peach tree” in their name. There is only one “Peachtree Road” but there are over 80 other permutations of the phrase in street names here. That is why it is extremely important for you to not only get the address of a place you are driving to, but also the cross streets, the section of town and any other information, such as landmarks and nearby businesses so you can cross reference where you are going. Since there is a good chance that you will be trying to look at a map and drive at the same time, you may want to consider buying that extra collision insurance when you rent your car. Drivers here are naturally aggressive, and if you don’t know where you are going, you could end up being a bit of a hazard on the open road.

The process of renting a car either at Atlanta’s airport or from one of the many downtown rental agencies is simple. The only issue you may run into is if you are under the age of 25. There could be an extra fee saddled on your bill, but policies change almost weekly, so be sure to call ahead and ask before you get to the counter.

Rail

There is a subway system of sorts in Atlanta, but it is very limited in the places it goes. The system is run by MARTA – the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. The system boats two main lines you can choose from. They cross at the Five Points station, in the heart of downtown Atlanta. A one way fare using the Breeze card system is $1.75 but there are also multi-day and month passes available. Trains don’t run very frequently; usually every 15 minutes during non-peak hours and every 10 minutes during rush hour. You can also take the MARTA train from the airport to the downtown core, which provides another money saving alternative to taking a taxi. If you like, you can always take a taxi once you reach downtown if you aren’t quite sure where your hotel is in relation to the MARTA station.

Buses

If you only need transport from the airport to your hotel and you don’t want to pay the high price charged by many of the local taxi companies, you can use the Atlanta Airport Shuttle. For $16-$20, you can take a nine-passenger shuttle bus from the airport to any hotel in the downtown core. The shuttle bus runs from the crack of dawn to about midnight every day. You can either hop on without a reservation in the baggage claim area or you can call ahead and reserve one if you would like. Fair warning, the shuttle van is cheaper than a taxi, but if you happen to be the last one dropped off from a full van, it could take over an hour for you to get to your hotel.

The main bus service here is also run by MARTA, and the same Breeze cards that get you on the subway get you on the buses, too. There are more than 100 routes spread out over the entire city and they offer the most affordable way to get from one place to the next. However, few of the routes are direct and you can spend a good portion of your vacation either waiting for the next bus or on the bus as you creep to your destination. If the land isn’t too steep in front of you and you have less than a few miles to travel, many Europeans simply walk.

One final transit tidbit that may be useful, in the popular Buckhead neighborhood, there is a free shuttle service known as The Buc. It is used mostly by commuters who need to get from one side of Buckhead to the other, but it can also be a huge help to tourists who want to eat, shop and enjoy the nightlife that this exciting and ultra modern part of town offers. The Buc will connect you with the MARTA train station that services Buckhead, as well as many area hotels and other attractions throughout the area. The Buc is broken into several lines, coordinated by color. There is a blue, red, green and purple line. Don’t worry about memorizing which line goes where, the drivers on these routes are very friendly and will help you get to where you are going.

Taxis

It is easier to call ahead and reserve a taxi than it is to flag one down on the side of the road. If you don’t have a cell or if you’ve forgotten to call ahead, try to find a taxi stand. Otherwise, you may be signaling to no one in particular. Taxi service throughout the Atlanta metro area is fairly reliable, but even these seasoned veterans of the Atlanta streets have trouble figuring out where things are sometimes. If you are visiting a friend, a personal residence or any address that isn’t a major tourist attraction or well known business, make sure you bring a map or a computer print out that shows the exact address, neighborhood or route. Chances are, you won’t get lost if you have a taxi, but you may end up driving around for a bit if the spot you are looking for is difficult to find, and that is eating up money you could be spending on other things. A final note, most taxi drivers don’t carry much in the way of cash for safety purposes, so if you are planning on paying cash for your fare, be sure to carry small bills, such as $1s and $5s. Almost every taxi company will take credit, but you have to ask before you get in the cab. If you catch a taxi in Buckhead or in the downtown core, the rates are flat: $8 for the first person and an additional $2 for every person thereafter. Prices only go by distance if you leave the zone you are in.

Transportation in and around Atlanta has a ways to go before it can be considered world class, but like with any city that grows at such a rapid rate, there will be growing pains. The important thing to remember is that bad traffic is no reason to strike Atlanta off of your list of must visit cities.

Hotels in Atlanta, Georgia