Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- The Detroit Metropolitan Airport (www.metroairport.com), 35 miles southwest of downtown, is a hub for Northwest Airlines (tel. 800/225-2525). Cab service to downtown costs $41.

By Train -- Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL [872-7245]; www.amtrak.com) provides daily service from Chicago (trip time: 5 1/2 hr.) and Ann Arbor (1 hr.) to its station at 11 W. Baltimore St. at Woodward Avenue. Trains also stop at stations in Dearborn, 16121 Michigan Ave.; Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd.; Royal Oak, 202 S. Sherman Dr.; Birmingham, Villa Road at Lewis Street; and Pontiac, 51000 Woodward Ave.

By Car -- Major routes into Detroit are I-75 from the south (Toledo) and north (Flint), I-94 from the west (Chicago), and Route 401 from the east (Toronto).

Visitor Information

Contact the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, 211 W. Fort St., Ste. 1000, Detroit, MI 48226 (tel. 800/DETROIT [338-7648]; www.visitdetroit.com).

Getting Around

Detroit is a city built for cars -- expect little public transportation. The exception is the People Mover train that loops around downtown, a convenient way of visiting downtown tourist sites and Cobo Hall Convention Center for 50¢ per ride. But unless you remain downtown, you'll need a car.

Fast Facts

To find a physician, contact the Detroit Medical Center (tel. 888/DMC-2500 [362-2500]; www.dmc.org). Medical assistance is available at Detroit Receiving Hospital, 4201 St. Antoine Blvd. (tel. 313/745-3000; www.drhuhc.org). Sales tax in Michigan is 6%; hotel taxes in Detroit range between 13% and 15%, depending on the county.

Special Events & Festivals -- The Motor City displays her best and newest at the annual North American International Auto Show (www.naias.com) in mid-January. In mid-August, '50s- and '60s-era muscle cars and street rods rule at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise (www.woodwarddreamcruise.com), a 16-mile parade of 40,000 vehicles along Woodward Avenue, the largest single-day car event in the world. The weeklong Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival celebrates Canada Day (July 1) and American Independence Day, ending with fireworks over the Ambassador Bridge.