By Plane

If you haven’t flown into Nashville since the pandemic, you won’t recognize Nashville International Airport (BNA) as it is today. With a brand-new International Arrivals Facility (IAF), a renovated lobby with soaring ceilings, and a central marketplace that includes local go-to restaurants like Acme Feed & Seed, BNA finally feels like a “Big City” hub. That’s good because, as local interstate traffic worsens, you’ll want to head there early for your departure, and now there’s at least some fun food and booze onsite (see: flynashville.com). The Nashville Visitors Center is located at The Music City Shop (inside the glass tower) at 501 Broadway (tel. 800/657-6910) and is the main source of information on the city and surrounding areas. Open daily during daylight hours, the center offers free Wi-Fi and is located at the base of the radio tower of the Bridgestone Arena. Signs on interstate highways around the downtown area will direct you to the arena.

Getting into Nashville from the Airport

Nashville International Airport (tel. 615/275-1600) is located about 8 miles east of downtown Nashville and is just south of I-40. It takes at least 20 minutes to reach downtown Nashville from the airport and may take an hour or more during rush hour. Many hotels near the airport offer a complimentary shuttle service, while others slightly farther away have their own fee shuttles; check with your hotel when you make your reservation.

WeGo Public Transit provides hourly bus service between downtown and the airport daily. Express trips take 20 minutes excluding traffic, and local service takes 45 minutes to an hour. One-way fares are available a dirt cheap $2. Inside the city, all-day, unlimited-ride passes are available for $4. Music City Central, the downtown transit station, is located at 400 Charlotte Avenue. The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center shuttle (tel. 615/889-1000) runs many (but not all!) days from the hotel. Ask about options at the Opryland information desk on the airport ground level.

Taxi service is another option. There is a $25 flat fare in the triangle between the airport, downtown, and the Opryland resort. Between any two points, the fare is $30 for up to four people. Outside this triangle, the meter starts at $9. Taxis are available on the ground level of the airport. For information, call the Transportation Licensing Commission (TLC) at tel. 615/862-6777.

Ride-hailing services including Lyft and Uber are both active in Nashville via phone application. A nearby driver will be dispatched to your location within minutes. The Nashville International Airport was the first airport in the country to allow ride-hailing services to operate on the property, and they remain committed to making them easy to use. For more information, visit flynashville.com/ground-transportation#RideApp.

By Car

Avoid the interstate during morning or afternoon rush hour in both cities, which is typically 7 to 9am and 4 to 6pm. Traffic tie-ups are increasingly common, especially in Nashville, and ongoing freeway construction and renovation often congests roadways. To find out about lane closures, visit the Tennessee Department of Transportation. You can also find out about snow and ice warnings there.

Nashville is a hub city intersected by three interstate highways: I-65 runs north to Louisville, Kentucky, and south to Birmingham, Alabama; I-40 runs west to Memphis and east to Knoxville; I-24 runs northwest toward St. Louis and southeast toward Atlanta. Downtown Nashville is the center of the hub, encircled by interstates 40, 65, and 265. Briley Parkway on the east, north, and west and I-440 on the south form a larger “wheel” around this hub.

Here are some driving distances from selected cities: Atlanta, 250 miles; Chicago, 442 miles; Cincinnati, 291 miles; Memphis, 210 miles; New Orleans, 549 miles; and St. Louis, 327 miles. If you’re heading into downtown, follow signs for I-65/24 and take exit 84 or exit 85. If you’re headed to Opryland, take I-40 east to Briley Parkway and head north. If your destination is West End, take I-40 around the south side of downtown and get off at Broadway.

If you’re visiting from abroad and plan to rent a car, keep in mind that foreign driver’s licenses are usually recognized here, but you should get an international license if your home license is not in English. 

By Bus

Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222) is the sole nationwide bus line. Greyhound offers service to Nashville from around the country along interstate corridors or local routes. The Greyhound bus station is on the south side of downtown Nashville at 709 Rep. John Lewis Way S.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.