Orientation

Located in the southeastern region of the US, Atlanta is in the northwestern quadrant of the state of Georgia (of which it is the capital). It's about 320km (200mi) northwest of the Atlantic and about 440km (275mi) north of the Gulf of Mexico.

The sprawling Atlanta metropolitan area is criss-crossed by I-20 and I-75/85, with I-285 forming the 'Perimeter' (as locals call it). Peachtree St is the main north-south artery, but be aware that some 40 other streets, avenues, roads and lanes are also called Peachtree.

The centre of the city is Five Points, the star-shaped intersection formed by several major streets. East of downtown, Sweet Auburn is the city's main African-American neighbourhood. East of Sweet Auburn is Little Five Points, the centre of Atlanta's college and boho set. North of downtown, Midtown is an upmarket entertainment and nightlife area. The West End, west of downtown, is Atlanta's oldest neighbourhood. The Olympic stadium and Grant Park are respectively south and southeast of downtown.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is 19km (12mi) south of downtown. The Greyhound terminal is next to the Garnett MARTA station, just south of downtown. The Amtrak station is 5km (3mi) north of downtown.

Getting There, Getting Around

Getting There

Atlanta's huge Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL; tel:404 209 1700; www.atlanta-airport.com), 19km (12mi) south of downtown, is a major regional hub and an international gateway. With nearly 80 million visitors a year, it is the busiest airport in the world in overall passenger traffic. The Greyhound terminal (tel:404 584 1728; 232 Forsyth St) is next to the Marta Garnett station. Some journey times include Nashville, TN (five hours), New Orleans, LA (10 hours), New York (19 hours), Miami, FL (16 hours) and Savannah, GA (six hours). The Amtrak station (tel:404 881 3062, 800 872 7245; 1688 Peachtree St NW at Deering Rd) is 4.8km (3mi) north of downtown. Take bus No 23 for about 0.8 miles from the Marta Arts Center station.

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Getting Around

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (Marta; tel:404 848 4711; www.itsmarta.com) rail line travels to/from the airport to downtown, along with a few less-useful routes used mostly by commuters. The Atlanta Airport Shuttle (tel:404 524 3400, 800 842 2770) also transports passengers to hotels all over the city in a minibus. You will find that all the major car-rental agencies have desks in the airport at the baggage-claim level. Driving in Atlanta can be infuriating and confusing. You'll often find yourself sitting in traffic jams, and it's easy to get disoriented - a road map is invaluable.

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