Nashville Travel Guide

There are many universities and colleges in the Nashville area, but the main ones are Vanderbilt University, on West End Ave. (tel. 615/322-7311), a private four-year research-oriented university; Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. (tel. 615/963-5000), a public four-year university; Belmont University, 1900 Belmont Blvd. (tel. 615/460-6000), a Baptist liberal arts university; and Fisk University, 1000 17th Ave. N. (tel. 615/329-8500), a private four-year African-American university.

There are about a dozen major colleges and universities in the Memphis area. The most prominent are Rhodes College, 2000 North Pkwy. (tel. 901/726-3000), which has a Gothic-style campus located opposite Overton Park; and the University of Memphis, on Central Avenue between Highland and Goodlett streets (tel. 901/678-2000), located on a large campus in midtown Memphis.

The International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) (www.istc.org) was formed in 1949 to make travel around the world more affordable for students. Check out its website for comprehensive travel services information and details on how to get an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), which qualifies students for substantial savings on rail passes, plane tickets, entrance fees, and more. It also provides students with basic health and life insurance and a 24-hour helpline. The card is valid for a maximum of 18 months. You can apply for the card online or in person at STA Travel (tel. 800/781-4040 in North America; www.statravel.com), the biggest student travel agency in the world; check out the website to locate STA Travel offices worldwide. If you're no longer a student but are still under 26, you can get from the same people an International Youth Travel Card (IYTC), which entitles you to some discounts. Travel CUTS (tel. 800/592-2887; www.travelcuts.com) offers similar services for both Canadians and U.S. residents. Irish students may prefer to turn to USIT (tel. 01/602-1904; www.usit.ie), an Ireland-based specialist in student, youth, and independent travel.