Planning a trip to Tucson

Fast Facts

Dentist — Call the Arizona Dental Association (tel. 800/866-2732) for a referral.

Doctor — For a doctor referral, ask at your hotel, or call the Northwest Medical Center (tel. 866/694-9355).

Emergencies — For fire, police, or medical emergencies, phone tel. 911.

Eyeglass Repair — Alvernon Optical has several stores around town where you can have your glasses repaired or replaced. Locations include 440 N. Alvernon Way (tel. 520/327-6211), 6987 N. Oracle Rd. (tel. 520/297-2501), and 7123 E. Tanque Verde Rd. (tel. 520/296-4157).

Hospitals — The Tucson Medical Center is at 5301 E. Grant Rd. (tel. 520/327-5461). The Banner-University Medical Center Tucson is at 1501 N. Campbell Ave. (tel. 520/694-0111).

Lost Property — If you lose something at the airport, call tel. 520/573-8156. If you lose something on a Sun Tran bus, call tel. 520/792-9222.

Newspapers & Magazines — The Arizona Daily Star is Tucson's morning daily. Tucson Weekly is the city's news-and-lifestyle journal, published on Thursday. Zócalo is a lively arts and local history/culture monthly.

Pharmacies — Contact Walgreens (tel. 800/925-4733) for the Walgreens pharmacy that's nearest you; some are open 24 hours a day.

Police — In case of an emergency, phone tel. 911.

Post Office — There's a post office in downtown Tucson at 141 S. Sixth Ave. (tel. 800/275-8777 or 520/903-1958; www.usps.com); it's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Safety —Tucson is surprisingly safe for a city of its size. However, downtown attracts a lot of street people and panhandlers. Be particularly alert if you’re down here for a performance of some sort. Just to the south of downtown lies a poorer section of the city that’s best avoided after dark unless you are certain of where you’re going. Take the same precautions you would in any other city.

When driving, be aware that many streets in the Tucson area are subject to flooding when it rains. Heed warnings about possible flooded areas and don’t try to cross a low area that has become flooded. Find an alternate route instead.

Weather —For the local weather forecast, call the National Weather Service (tel. 520/881-3333).

Getting Around

By Car

Unless you plan to stay by the pool or on the golf course, you'll want to rent a car. Luckily, rates are a little lower than rates in Phoenix. As of this writing, Alamo was charging around $250 per week ($325 with taxes and surcharges included) during high season for a compact car with unlimited mileage in Tucson.

The following agencies have offices at or near Tucson International Airport as well as other locations in the area. Because taxes and surcharges add up to around 30% on car rentals at the airport, you may want to consider renting at some other location, where you can avoid paying some of these fees. Among the Tucson car-rental agencies are Advantage (tel. 800/777-5500 or 520/294-4028), Alamo (tel. 877/222-9075 or 520/573-4740), Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 or 520/294-1494), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700 or 520/889-8800), Dollar (tel. 800/800-3665 or 866/434-2226), Enterprise (tel. 800/261-7331 or 520/573-5250), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 or 520/573-5201), National (tel. 877/222-9058 or 520/573-8050), and Thrifty (tel. 800/847-4389 or 877/283-0898).

Parking is at a premium in downtown Tucson, and parking tickets at expired meters are a major source of revenue for the city. There are two huge parking lots on the south side of the Tucson Convention Center, a couple of small lots on either side of the Tucson Museum of Art (one at Main Ave. and Paseo Redondo, and one at the corner of Council St. and Court Ave.), and parking garages beneath the main library (101 N. Stone Ave.) and El Presidio Park (on Alameda St.). Other garages and parking lots are scattered throughout downtown. Outside the crowded downtown area, with the exception of the University, parking is abundant and free. Almost all Tucson hotels and resorts provide free parking

By Public Transportation

By Bus — Covering much of the Tucson metropolitan area, Sun Tran (tel. 520/792-9222) public buses charge $1.75 per ride for adults and students, 75[ce] for seniors, and free for children 5 and under. Day passes are available on buses for $4.

Downtown Tucson's Ronstadt Transit Center, 215 E. Congress St., is served by about 30 regular and express bus routes to all parts of Tucson. The bus system does not extend to such tourist attractions as the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Old Tucson, or Saguaro National Park.

By Streetcar — Launched in 2014, Tucson’s modern streetcar proved an instant hit, transporting travelers from the Banner University of Arizona Medical Center to the Mercado San Agustín west of downtown, a distance of about 4 miles; it’ll get you close to everywhere you’ll want to travel downtown and in the University area. The streetcar runs every 10–15 minutes on weekdays and every 15–30 minutes on weekends. A day pass costs $4.50, which you can buy online (www.sunlinkstreetcar.com) or at vending machines at streetcar stops. Note that you cannot purchase individual ride tickets on board the streetcar. Your pass will be charged $1.75 for each ride you take.

By Taxi

If you need a taxi, you’ll have to phone for one. Yellow Cab (tel. 520/300-0000) and VIP Taxi (tel. 520/300-3000) provide service throughout the city. The general rate is $5 for the first mile and $2.60 for every mile thereafter; some companies impose minimum fares. Although distances in Tucson are not as great as those in Phoenix, it’s still a good 10 or more miles from the foothills resorts to downtown Tucson, so expect to pay $25 or thereabouts for a taxi. Most resorts have shuttle vans or can arrange taxi service to major attractions.

On Foot

Downtown Tucson is compact and best explored on foot. (Narrow streets in the historic districts make driving a challenge.) Several major attractions—including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Old Tucson Studios, Saguaro National Park, and Sabino Canyon—can be reached only by car, but be aware that they require quite a bit of walking once you arrive. Be sure to bring a good pair of walking shoes.

Neighborhoods in Brief

MAIN ARTERIES & STREETS

Tucson is laid out on a grid that’s fairly regular everywhere except the oldest parts of downtown; some of the midcentury developments in midtown also have odd diagonal streets called “stravenues.” In the flatlands, major thoroughfares are spaced at 1-mile intervals, with smaller streets filling in the squares created by the major roads. In the foothills, where Tucson’s most recent growth has occurred, the grid system breaks down completely because of the hilly terrain.

The main east-west roads are (from south to north) 22nd Street, Broadway Boulevard, Speedway Boulevard, Grant Road (with Tanque Verde Road as an extension), and Ina Road/Skyline Drive/Sunrise Road. The main north-south roads are (from west to east) Miracle Mile/Oracle Road, Stone/Sixth Avenue, Campbell Avenue, Country Club Road, Alvernon Road, Swan Road, Wilmot Road, and Kolb Road. I-10 cuts diagonally across the Tucson metropolitan area from northwest to southeast.

In downtown Tucson, Congress Street and Broadway Boulevard are the main east-west streets; Broadway splits into the one-way, westbound Congress Street when it enters the western end of downtown, with Broadway one-way eastbound until leaving downtown. Stone Avenue, Sixth Avenue, and Fourth Avenue are the main north-south streets.

FINDING AN ADDRESS

Because Tucson is laid out on a grid, finding an address is relatively easy. The zero (or starting) point for all Tucson addresses is the corner of Stone Avenue, which runs north and south, and Congress Street, which runs east and west. From this point, streets are designated either north, south, east, or west. Addresses usually, but not always, increase by 100 with each block, so an address of 4321 E. Broadway Blvd. should be 43 blocks—or 4.3 miles, at 10 blocks per mile—east of Stone Avenue. In the downtown area, many of the streets and avenues are numbered, with numbered streets running east and west, and numbered avenues running north and south.

STREET MAPS

The best way to find your way around Tucson is to pick up a free map at the airport visitor center or the MTCVB. Maps handed out by car-rental agencies are not very detailed but will do for some purposes. Local gas stations and convenience stores also sell detailed maps.

Downtown

Tucson’s main business district has also recently become a vibrant area, full of restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops, that buzzes until 2am. It is served by a streetcar that runs from the university to the west side.

El Presidio Historic District

Named for the Spanish military garrison that once stood here, this neighborhood is bounded by Alameda Street, Main Avenue, Franklin Street, and Church Avenue. In the 1880s, this was the city’s most affluent neighborhood, and many large homes from that era have been restored. The Tucson Museum of Art is a major draw here.

Barrio Histórico District

Another 19th-century neighborhood, the Barrio Histórico is bounded on the north by Cushing Street, on the west by railroad tracks, on the south by 18th Street, and on the east by Stone Avenue. The Barrio Histórico is characterized by Sonoran-style adobe row houses. A few restaurants dot the neighborhood, most at the southern end, but most restored buildings serve as offices and private residences. This remains a borderline neighborhood; try to avoid it late at night.

University District/Midtown

Northeast of downtown Tucson lie several different neighborhoods surrounding the University of Arizona. Just to the west, Fourth Avenue is a favorite shopping and nightlife district for college students. Neighborhoods to the east are largely residential but have a few good hotels. Stretching north from the university, Campbell Avenue has the city's greatest concentration of interesting budget restaurants.

East Tucson

East of the University District all the way to the eastern unit of Saguaro National Park, sprawling East Tucson has lots of hotels, including several all-suites properties, plenty of good restaurants, and both the national park and Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.

West Tucson

Along the flank of the Tucson Mountains, the west side is home to several top attractions, including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Old Tucson Studios, and the west unit of Saguaro National Park, but it doesn’t have many recommendable restaurants or places to stay.

Oro Valley & Marana 

These two suburbs northwest of Tucson are where all the city's recent development has taken place. Here you'll find the posh Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain resort and several good restaurants. The area has stupendous views of the west slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, with access to the mountains at Catalina State Park.

The Foothills

This huge affluent area in northern Tucson boasts elegant shopping plazas, modern malls, world-class resorts, golf courses, and expensive residential neighborhoods, surrounded by hilly desert at the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Getting There

By Plane

Located 6 miles south of downtown, Tucson International Airport, 7250 S. Tucson Blvd. (tel. 520/573-8100), is served by a number of major airlines.

Visitor centers in both baggage-claim areas can give you brochures and reserve a hotel room if you haven't done so already.

GETTING FROM THE AIRPORT TO YOUR LODGINGS

Many resorts and hotels in Tucson provide a free or competitively priced airport shuttle service. Stagecoach Express (tel. 877/782-4355 or 520/889-1000) operates 24-hour van service to downtown Tucson and the foothills resorts. Fares to foothills resorts are around $38 one-way and $66 round-trip. It takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour to reach the foothills resorts. To return to the airport, it’s best to call at least a day before your scheduled departure.

You’ll find taxis waiting outside baggage claim, or you can call Yellow Cab (tel. 520/300-0000) or VIP Taxi (tel. 520/300-3000). The rate at the airport is $5 for the first mile and $2.60 for every mile thereafter, with a minimum fare of $16. A taxi to downtown costs around $25, to the foothills resorts $32 to $55.

Sun Tran (tel. 520/792-9222), the local public transit system, operates bus service to and from the airport. The fare is $1.75. Route 25 runs north/south along Park Avenue between the airport and the Laos Transit Center, 205 W. Irvington Rd., and the downtown Ronstadt Transit Center, 215 E. Congress St., where transfers can be made to other routes. Route 11 travels north/south through midtown along Palo Verde Road and Alvernon Way between the airport and the Tucson Jewish Community Center near Dodge Blvd. and River Road. Both routes generally run every 30 minutes from 5:30am to 10:30pm weekdays, and every 60 minutes from 6am to 7pm on weekends and holidays.

BY CAR

I-10, the main east-west interstate across the southern United States, passes through Tucson and connects to Phoenix. I-19 connects Tucson with the Mexican border at Nogales. Ariz. 86 links Tucson with the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation to the southwest, while Ariz. 77 links with Globe, Holbrook, and the Hopi and Navajo reservations to the north.

If you’re headed downtown, take the Congress Street exit off I-10. If you’re going to one of the foothills resorts north of downtown, you’ll probably want to take the Orange Grove or Ina Road exit off I-10.

BY TRAIN

Tucson is served by Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245) passenger rail service. The Sunset Limited, which runs between New Orleans and Los Angeles, stops in Tucson, as does the Texas Eagle, which runs between Los Angeles and Chicago. The train station is at 400 N. Toole Ave., in the heart of downtown. You’ll see taxis waiting to meet the train.

BY BUS

Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222 or 520/792-3475) connects Tucson to the rest of the United States through its extensive system. The bus station is at 801 E. 12th St.