By Car in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Getting around the Twin Cities is easiest with a car and will allow you the farthest reach of activities. Avoid rush hour for optimal driving conditions (and four-wheel drive is a blessing in the winter snow). Both downtowns have ample parking garages and metered parking, but keep alert for the one-way streets. Note that the popular Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis's shopping and eating hub, is open only to buses and cabs, and use caution on Hennepin Avenue, another main artery in downtown Minneapolis that is one-way in some areas. The I-94 Lyndale/Hennepin exit to Uptown can also be tricky.