Hartsfield Atlanta International ( website: www.atlanta-airport.com), 15 km south of the city, has the largest passenger terminal in the world, handling 80m passengers a year, making it the world’s second busiest airport. Flight time from London is 9 hrs 15 mins. Duty Free can be found on Level 2 of the International Terminal, which is Concourse E. Banking facilities and currency exchange are available at Thomas Cook, open daily 0700-2000. There’s a restaurant on the eastern connecting bridge between the two terminals. Snack shops, a business centre, smoking lounge, several retail shops and a cocktail lounge are situated at the centre of the concourse. All told, the airport has over 200 restaurants and shops.

Take the high-speed train to the main terminal after you clear customs and immigration to collect your luggage. The average walk between each of the five concourses takes eight mins, but the train whisks you to baggage claim in no time.

Airport to City Centre

The journey into Downtown takes about 20 mins by car. Taxis wait outside the North and South terminals and charge a flat rate of $18 per person, $20 for two and $24 for three or more. Trips to Buckhead are about $28; or $18 to the downtown Convention Zone. If traveling light, the public transport system is cheap and efficient. The Atlanta Airport Shuttle runs a transit service every 20-30 mins to the main downtown hotels, Emory University and Lenox Square ($17-24 round trip). MARTA ( website: www.itsmarta.com) trains run regular services Downtown. The journey takes 10-15 mins, costing $1.75.

Orientation

Atlanta proper is encircled by Interstate 285. It is crossed east-west by Interstate 20, and north-south by Interstates 75 and 85. Downtown lies slightly to the west of the conurbation, off the Lakewood Freeway. Turner Field, originally constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games, lies to the south off I-85. The major residential and entertainment area is Buckhead, six miles north of Downtown. It is a modern area of prestigious estates and handsome tree-lined avenues where the city’s well-heeled live. Buckhead and Downtown are linked by Interstate 75 or, for slower traffic, Peachtree St, one of the city’s major shopping and restaurant districts. The area between Buckhead and Downtown is called Midtown. Its horizontal streets are ‘number’ streets (ie 1st, 2nd etc), while its main north-south arteries are named: Piedmont Ave, Peachtree St and W Peachtree St, all just to the east of I-75, the city’s major bypass. 1.5 km to the west of Downtown are the CNN complex, Georgia World Congress Center, Philips Arena and Georgia. MARTA links the area with Downtown in a matter of minutes. The Metropolitan Atlanta Area has a population of 3.6m, around 600,000 of whom live in the city proper.

Excursions                   - boka flygstol -             Queensway Travel
Hire a car and head north-east from the city for 30-odd miles to the resort of Lake Lanier Islands, situated off the I-85. This resort is set around a giant man-made lake with hundreds of miles of shoreline. There are also a thousand acres of hills and forestry to explore, plus tennis, golf, horse riding, hiking, camping, sailing. You can rent a houseboat or stay at the excellent Pine Isle Resort Hotel. Callaway Gardens, just 70 mins south of Atlanta, is further away but infinitely more complex and picturesque, offering 14,000 acres of woodland with native azaleas, Appalachian wild plants, beautiful horticultural displays and a butterfly garden with a unique collection.

Getting Around

Taxis are registered to the city and metered. They can be ordered or picked up at ranks outside the airport, major hotels and bus terminals. Trips within the downtown area or Buckhead cost a flat $5 plus 7% sales tax.

The MARTA public transport system runs efficiently with trains, buses and a 45-station system. It covers 90 km and divides into two main lines, the east-west line and the north-south. The east-west line includes the system’s main hub, Five Points. All journeys, including out to the airport, cost $1.75. The trains link up with bus routes and transfers are free but must be paid for at the start of the journey. Trains run from 0500-1230 Mon-Sat and 0600-2400 on Sun. Maps for both systems can be purchased at bookshops, tourist centers or Five Points station.

What to see

CNN Center: The tour includes a look around the headquarters of Ted Turner’s media empire including CNN, Headline News and CNN International studios. There are also several restaurants, the CNN Cinema Center and The Omni Hotel, which has recently undergone extensive renovation to coincide with the opening of the spectacular new Philips arena – Home of the Atlanta Thrashers NHL Team and the Atlanta Hawks NBA Team. 1 CNN Center, Marietta St at Techwood Dr, Downtown. 

Stone Mountain Park: 3,200 acre park featuring the southern equivalent of Mt Rushmore – a massive lump of granite carved with the figures of Confederate heroes Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E Lee. The park also has a cable car, steam train, lake, golf course, restaurants and motels. The park’s attractions operate on a variety of schedules that change seasonally. Park gates are open from 0600 till midnight daily and it is best to call the park’s automated information line above to find out what attractions are operat ing and their schedule. Sixteen miles north-east of Atlanta on Rte 78. Free entrance for pedestrians, parking permit ($6 a day) required for all vehicles.

High Museum of Art: Award-winning building designed by Richard Meier housing a permanent collection of European and American painting and sculpture, modern and contemporary art, decorative arts and photography. Considered one of the finest collections in the country. In the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St (website: www.high.org). Open Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700. Admission fee $6.

Underground Atlanta: An underground city in the heart of Downtown, comprising 100 shops, restaurants, clubs and fast food outlets. Pushcarts and wagon vendors line the brick-paved ‘streets’ selling all manner of local and regional merchandise. There are numerous entrances, exits and elevators up to proper street levels. Peachtree St at Upper Alabama St. Stores open Mon-Sat 1000-2130, Sun 1200-1800. Later hours for restaurants and bars. Admission free.

World Of Coca-Cola: Shrine to the famous soft drink which started life in Atlanta. A giant Coca-Cola globe hangs above the main pavilion which houses a thousand separate exhibitions of the Coca-Cola Company. Open Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1200-1800, admission $6. Next to Underground Atlanta, Downtown.

Zoo Atlanta: Recently celebrated, the addition of two giant pandas from Beijing, one of only three zoos in the US to have these rare animals. Lun Lun and Yang Yang can be seen daily in their new $7 million habitat. This small, but lovely zoo also has a variety of other exotic animals. Hours are from 0930 to 1630, admission $12. NOTE: Willy B died two years ago.

Shopping                   biljett - lågprisflyg -     Queensway Travel
The major shopping areas are Peachtree Rd in Buckhead and in Midtown. Macy’s, the famous department store, has ten branches including Cumberland Mall, Lenox Square and South Lake Mall. Rich’s, Sears and Marshall’s also have branches throughout the city. If you’re pushed for time, make for Lenox Square. It is the biggest shopping centre in the South-East and a landmark of 30 years’ standing. Neiman Marcus, Benetton, Burberry’s and Dunhill are all represented, plus many other designer labels. Just opposite at the Buckhead Loop is Phipps Plaza, the main fashion mecca. Gucci, Saks and Tiffany are all here, together with other trendy boutiques and fun restaurants. If marooned downtown, check out the mall in the gigantic Peachtree Center which has some 80 restaurants and shops in a climatically controlled atmosphere.

For antiques, Bennett St (off 23rd St in S Buckhead) has many dealers and a charming antique mall with a little café. The enormous Buckhead Design Center at 2133 Piedmont Rd, houses 60 private dealerships and some furniture showrooms. The old section of Chamblee, 35 mins by cab, offers serious antiquing possibilities, including an antique mall at 5360 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Another good location for art and antiques is Miami Circle, in Buckhead, which showcases over 70 speciality shops just off Piedmont Rd.

Where to walk

Atlanta’s temperate climate and the abundance of natural and architectural beauty, both in the city centre and its surrounds, make it a walkers’ paradise. A great place to sit or stroll while soaking up the local sights and sounds is Centennial Olympic Park. This 21-acre park, adjacent to the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome and CNN Center, is the largest city centre park developed in the US in 20 years and has many entertainment and family activities. The dancing waters of the Fountain of Rings are a popular reminder of the 1996 Olympic Games, with four daily musical water shows featuring a stunning choreographed programme of music, light and water. Show times are 1230, 1530, 1830 and 2130. New features include the Quilt Plazas and Water Gardens, telling the story of the Centennial Olympic Games. Other features include a natural amphitheatre, the court of 24 flags and a six-acre great lawn. You can access forthcoming events at www.gwcc.com.

For those keen to explore Atlanta’s African-American roots, try a walking tour of the Sweet Auburn district. Auburn Ave was the centre of African-American nightlife in Atlanta’s racially oppressive past. Today, the Avenue has been extensively renovated as the showcase for Atlanta’s African-American history. Visit the Martin Luther King Jr Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the Martin Luther King National Park Service Visitors Center, King’s birth home and Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King and his father preached. For more information contact The Atlanta Preservation Center.

Atlanta’s Southern roots can be further explored at the Atlanta History Center, lying in 50 acres of elegant Buckhead, just off Peachtree Rd. From cotton fields to railroads, the Civil War to civil rights, you’ll find Atlanta’s past laid bare here. Take MARTA to Lenox or Buckhead/Financial Center Station, then bus No 23 south to Peachtree Rd and West Paces Ferry Rd. Walk three blocks west. Tel: 404 814 4000 Open Mon-Sat 1000-1730, Sun 1200-1730. Ticket sales end at 1630 daily. General admission (includes museum and gardens) $10. For more information, visit the Atlanta History Center’s website at www.atlhist.org.