The cotton-trading capital of the Delta,
MEMPHIS
, perched above the Mississippi two hundred miles west of Nashville and three hundred south of St Louis, is one of the great destinations of the South. Visitors come from all over the world to celebrate the city that virtually invented blues, soul and rock 'n' roll, as well as to chow down in the unrivaled barbecue capital of the nation. A visit to Memphis, the home of the Sun and Stax record labels, with its frequent festivals and vigorous nightlife, feels like an invitation to share in a genuine and enduring local culture.
Arrival And Information : Memphis International Airport
is ten miles south of downtown - a long and complicated bus trip, but just fifteen minutes by the Yellow Cabs
limo/van
service ($10; tel 901/577-7777) or
taxi
($20-25). Greyhound
buses
stop at 203 Union Ave in downtown, while the Amtrak station at 545 S Main St is in a particularly seedy and unsafe area on the southern edge of downtown.
Slow and infrequent Memphis Area Transit Authority buses cover nearly all the city (tel 901/274-6282); more useful is the downtown
trolley
service (tel 901/274-6282) that runs along the Main Street Mall from the Pyramid to Beale Street and the Civil Rights Museum, until 6pm on Sundays and after midnight on all other days (60¢ flat fare; day pass $2.50).
NEXT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER / MEMPHIS Ideally located in the heart of downtown Memphis, the Memphis Marriott Downtown is Memphis' largest hotel with 600 guestrooms.
ON AIRPORT GROUNDS / MEMPHIS The Radisson Airport is a great hotel, conveniently located on the grounds of the Memphis International Airport and only 10 miles from Downtown Memphis.
Call toll free..
US and Canada: 1-800-780-5733
Europe: 00-800-11-20-11-40
Use discount code: 89865
