Getting There

By Plane

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (tel. 404/768-4100; www.atlanta-airport.com), 10 miles south of downtown, is the world's largest and busiest passenger airport and transfer hub, accommodating 78 million passengers a year. It provides 186 U.S. cities with nonstop service.

Delta Air Lines (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), which is based at Hartsfield-Jackson, is the major carrier to Atlanta, connecting the city to the rest of the U.S. as well as 62 countries internationally. It carries 80% of the air passengers who come into Atlanta and serves over 350 international cities.

Other major carriers include AirTran (tel. 800/247-8726; www.airtran.com), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), America West (tel. 800/235-9292; www.americawest.com), British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297; www.british-airways.com), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com), Japan Airlines (tel. 800/525-3663; www.jal.com), KLM (tel. 800/374-7747; www.klm.com), Lufthansa (tel. 800/645-3880; www.lufthansa-usa.com), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), United Airlines (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com), and USAirways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com).

Those flying into Atlanta have several options for getting from the airport to the downtown area. Most large hotels offer their guests shuttle service, accessible through a courtesy phone located near baggage claim at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Other options include taxi, MARTA rapid-rail or bus service, and rental cars.

Immigration & Customs Clearance -- Foreign visitors arriving by air, no matter what the port of entry, should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. Clearing immigration control can take as long as 2 hours. This is especially true in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when U.S. airports considerably beefed up security clearances. People traveling by air from Canada, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries can sometimes clear Customs and Immigration at the point of departure, which is much faster.

By Car

Three major interstate highways (I-20, I-75, and I-85) converge near the center of downtown Atlanta.

Below is a list of approximate mileages from other major cities in the region:

Birmingham, Ala.: 148

Charleston, S.C.: 320

Charlotte, N.C.: 240

Jacksonville, Fla.: 346

Louisville, Ky.: 417

Nashville, Tenn.: 244

New Orleans, La.: 473

Norfolk, Va.: 555

Orlando, Fla.: 441

Savannah, Ga.: 252

Tampa, Fla.: 458

By Train

Amtrak operates the Crescent daily between Atlanta and New York, with stops in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and other intermediate points. Travel time between New York and Atlanta is approximately 18 1/2 hours. The Crescent also goes beyond Atlanta to many points south each day, terminating in New Orleans. And other Amtrak trains connect with most of the country. To find out if your city connects via rail with Atlanta, call tel. 800/USA-RAIL or check www.amtrak.com.

Like the airlines, Amtrak offers discount fares, and though not all are based on advance purchase, reserving early may pay off. Listed below are full round-trip coach fares (at press time) between Atlanta and the following cities:

Boston $323

Chicago $248

Los Angeles $427

Miami $266

New Orleans $114

New York $238

Contact Amtrak Vacations (tel. 800/321-8684; www.amtrak.com) to inquire about money-saving packages that include hotel accommodations and attraction tickets with your train fare.

Trains arrive in Atlanta at 1688 Peachtree St., just off I-85. From this central location, you can take a taxi to your hotel or to the nearest MARTA station (Arts Center). For information, call tel. 800/USA-RAIL or 404/881-3060.

By Bus

Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222; www.greyhound.com) connects the entire country with Atlanta via bus. The bus terminal is located at 232 Forsyth St., at the Garnett Street MARTA station, one stop south of Five Points (the main MARTA station downtown). Taxis are available, but it's both convenient and inexpensive to take MARTA into the central city.

The fare structure on buses is complex and not always based on distance traveled. The good news is that when you call Greyhound, you'll always get the lowest-fare options. Once again, advance-purchase fares booked 3 to 21 days prior to travel can garner big savings.