Getting There

By Plane

Arizona is served by many airlines flying to both Phoenix (Code: PHX) and Tucson (Code: TUS) from cities around the U.S. and Canada. Phoenix is the more centrally located of the two airports and is closer to the Grand Canyon. However, if you plan to explore the southern part of the state or are going to visit both Phoenix and Tucson, I recommend flying into Tucson, which is a smaller airport and charges slightly lower taxes on its car rentals. The only drawback is that your plane will probably stop in Phoenix on its way to Tucson. If a trip to the Grand Canyon is your only reason for visiting Arizona, consider flying into Las Vegas, which sometimes has lower airfares and better car-rental rates.

In the past, I have usually flown America West Airlines, which was headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and usually had the best rates to the state. However, in 2005 America West and US Airways merged, so this may no longer be the case. Alaska Airlines has also had reliably low fares to Arizona. Also be sure to check the fares at Southwest Airlines, which does not list its fares on big travel search engines.

Phoenix and Tucson are both served by the following airlines:

Alaska Airlines -- tel. 800/252-7522; www.alaskaair.com

American -- tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com

Continental -- tel. 800/523-3273; www.continental.com

Delta -- tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com

Frontier -- tel. 800/432-1359; www.flyfrontier.com

JetBlue Airways -- tel. 800/538-2583; www.jetblue.com

Northwest/KLM -- tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com

Southwest -- tel. 800/435-9792; www.southwest.com

United -- tel. 800/864-8331; www.ual.com

The following airlines serve Phoenix but not Tucson:

Air Canada -- tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com

British Airways -- tel. 800/247-9297; www.britishairways.com

Ted -- tel. 800/225-5833; www.flyted.com

US Airways -- tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com

WestJet -- tel. 888/937-8538; www.westjet.com

Getting There by Car

Because Phoenix and Tucson are major resort destinations, both have dozens of car-rental agencies. Prices at agencies elsewhere in the state tend to be higher, so if at all possible, try to rent your car in one or the other of these two major cities. However, because of high taxes at both airports, consider renting at a location outside the airport. If you stay at a hotel that offers a free airport shuttle, you can check in and then have an off-airport rental-car location pick you up and drive you to its office. However, if you have to pay for a shuttle or taxi to either your hotel or the off-airport rental-car office, you may wipe out any savings by renting away from the airport. Be sure to weigh all the costs carefully.

Major rental-car companies with offices in Arizona include:

Advantage -- tel. 800/777-5500; www.arac.com

Alamo -- tel. 800/462-5266; www.alamo.com

Avis -- tel. 800/331-1212; www.avis.com

Budget -- tel. 800/527-0700; www.budget.com

Dollar -- tel. 800/800-3665; www.dollar.com

Enterprise -- tel. 800/261-7331; www.enterprise.com

Fox Rent a Car -- tel. 800/225-4369; www.foxrentacar.com

Hertz -- tel. 800/654-3131; www.hertz.com

National -- tel. 800/227-7368; www.nationalcar.com

Thrifty -- tel. 800/847-4389; www.thrifty.com

Rates for rental cars vary considerably between companies and with the model you want to rent, the dates you rent, and your pickup and drop-off points. If you contact the same company three times and ask about renting the same model car, you may get three different quotes, depending on current availability of vehicles. It pays to shop early and ask lots of questions. At press time, Dollar was charging around $150 per week ($224 including taxes and surcharges) in Phoenix for a compact car with unlimited mileage during the winter high season.

At most rental-car agencies, you must be 25 years old to rent a car. However, some companies will rent to drivers between 21 and 24 if they pay an additional daily charge (usually $25-$35). Sometimes drivers as young as 18 can rent a car if they pay an even higher daily rate. In the U.S., virtually all rental cars have automatic transmissions. Of course, because Arizona is so sunny, convertibles are the preferred rental car. SUVs are also popular. Note that you cannot drive a rental car into Mexico.

If you're a member of a frequent-flier program, check to see which rental-car companies participate in your program. Also, when making a reservation, be sure to mention any discount you might be eligible for, such as corporate, military, or AAA. Beware of coupons offering discounts on rental-car rates -- they often discount the highest rates only. It's always cheaper to rent by the week, so even if you don't need a car for 7 days, you might find that it's still more economical than renting for only 4 days.

Taxes on car rentals vary between around 12% and 50% and are always at the high end at the Phoenix and Tucson airports. You can save around 10% by renting your car at an office outside the airport, but many rental-car companies tend to raise the rates at these off-airport offices in order to negate any potential savings. Before making a reservation, be sure to ask about the tax and the loss-damage waiver (LDW) if you want to know what your total rental cost will be.

Getting There by Train

Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) provides service aboard the Southwest Chief between Flagstaff (for the Grand Canyon) and Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Kansas City, and Chicago. The Sunset Limited connects Tucson with Orlando, New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, and Los Angeles. At press time, the fare from Los Angeles to Flagstaff was as low as $58 one-way and $116 round-trip. There is no rail service to Phoenix, but Amtrak will sell you a ticket and then put you on a bus from either Tucson or Flagstaff to Phoenix. Book early for lower fares.