By Plane

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (tel. 404/768-4100; www.atlanta-airport.com), 10 miles south of downtown, is the world's largest and busiest passenger airport and transfer hub, accommodating 78 million passengers a year. It serves 186 U.S. cities with nonstop service.

Delta Air Lines (tel. 800/221-1212 or www.delta.com for reservations and flight information), which is based at Hartsfield-Jackson, is the major carrier to Atlanta, connecting the city to pretty much the entire country as well as 62 countries internationally. It carries 80% of the air passengers who come into Atlanta and serves over 350 international cities.

Other major carriers include Airtran (tel. 800/247-8726; www.airtran.com), America West (tel. 800/235-9292; www.americawest.com), American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297; www.british-airways.com), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.flycontinental.com), Japan Airlines (tel. 800/525-3663; www.jal.com), KLM (tel. 800/374-7747; www.nwa.com), Lufthansa (tel. 800/645-3880; www.lufthansa-usa.com), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), United Airlines (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com), and USAirways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com).

Getting Into Town From The Airport

Those flying into Atlanta have several options for getting from the airport to the downtown area. Most large hotels offer shuttle service to their guests, accessible through a courtesy phone located near the baggage claim area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Other options include taxi, MARTA rapid-rail or bus service, and rental cars.

By Car

Three major interstate highways (I-20, I-75, and I-85) converge near the center of downtown Atlanta.

Below is a list of approximate mileages from other major cities in the region:

Birmingham, AL: 148

Charleston, SC: 320

Charlotte, NC: 240

Jacksonville, FL: 346

Louisville, KY: 417

Nashville, TN: 244

New Orleans, LA: 473

Norfolk, VA: 555

Orlando, FL: 441

Savannah, GA: 252

Tampa, FL: 458

By Train

Amtrak operates the Crescent daily between Atlanta and New York, with stops in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and other intermediate points. Travel time between New York and Atlanta is approximately 18 1/2 hours. The Crescent also goes beyond Atlanta to many points south each day, terminating in New Orleans. And other Amtrak trains connect with most of the country. To find out if your city connects via rail with Atlanta, call tel. 800/USA-RAIL or check the company's website at www.amtrak.com.

Like airlines, Amtrak offers discount fares, and though not all are based on advance purchase, you may decrease the amount that you pay by reserving early. At this writing, full round-trip coach fares and discount fares are as follows between Atlanta and these cities:

Boston-Atlanta $214

Chicago-Atlanta $214

Los Angeles-Atlanta $420

Miami-Atlanta $356

New Orleans-Atlanta $96

New York-Atlanta $202

Call Amtrak Vacations (tel. 800/321-8684; www.amtrak.com) to inquire about money-saving packages that include hotel accommodations and attraction tickets with your train fare. Amtrak trains arrive in Atlanta at 1688 Peachtree St., just off I-85. From this central location, you can take a taxi to your hotel or to the nearest MARTA station (Arts Center). For information, call tel. 800/USA-RAIL or 404/881-3060.

By Bus

Greyhound buses (tel. 800/231-2222 for reservations and information; www.greyhound.com) connect the entire country with Atlanta. The bus terminal is located at 232 Forsyth St., at the Garnett Street MARTA station, one stop south of Five Points, the main MARTA station downtown. Taxis are available, but it's convenient and inexpensive to take MARTA into the central city.

The fare structure on buses is complex and not always based on distance traveled. The good news is that when you call Greyhound, they'll always give you the lowest-fare options. Once again, advance-purchase fares booked 3 to 21 days prior to travel can garner big savings.