Atlanta - Transportation Advice?
 

We always seem to present weird situations, but how would you advise answering this problem: <BR> <BR>We pick up a car at the airport but have to return it to Avis at 143 Courtland St. NE in order to go to the Amtrak station, 1688 Peachtree St. NW. <BR> <BR>What's the best transportation? Any choice for a cab? Can we use e-mail to get approximate costs? About how far is it? <BR> <BR>Didn't we say "weird"?

Why aren't you taking the car back to the airport? Doubt that you can e-mail a taxi company to find out the cost to get from Courtland to Peachtree, but if you are staying at the hotel, the front desk should call for you. Have fun.

Sorry. We fly from Dallas to Atlanta. <BR>We get a car to drive 50 miles. Spend a couple of days and pick up a granddaughter and her friend. Return to an Avis branch in Atlanta nearest to the Amtrak station We (four of us) then take the train to New York. Yes, it's a crazy plan, but we're stuck with it.

143 Courtland Street is Downtown. The Amtrack station is right where Midtown and Buckhead meet (where Peachtree Street crosses over I-85). Public transport whould require a train and a bus - not a good solution. <BR> <BR>It's about a 5 mile drive so I would think that it would cost less than $20. Not sure how you'll get a cab. Maybe Avis will call you one, or you may have to walk up to a downtown hotel (Atlanta is not much of a hail a cab kind of town). And most cabs are nasty - but it should be a short trip.

In Interlaken, we once rented from Avis at a non airport site. The Avis agent sent someone to get us at the train station. Last summer, when we returned an Avis car, the boss drove us to the station and dropped us off. Perhaps you could persuade the Atlanta office to match the foreign courtesy. If not, perhaps they would drive you up there in your Avis car for a price. It will not hurt to ask. <BR>I don't think it would cost any more than one of those horrid Atlanta cabs. <BR> <BR>Amtrak officials wonder why more people don't ride their trains. Well, now you know. There is no way in the world you can get to that Amtrak station in Atlanta via public transportation. <BR>Contrast that situation with some European airports where a major train terminal is co-located with the airport. In Zurich, the station is on the lowest level of one of the terminal buildings. You can walk there without going outside. <BR>

Actually Bob Brown's point begs the question that I've always wondered. Why does it tend to be the case in some cities (particularly in the South: Atlanta, Richmond, Miami come to mind) that the train stations are NOT located centrally? I know Amtrak only owns the tracks between DC and Boston as well as a few tracks in Michigan. I find in the northeast uniformly the train stations are ideally situated (Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Trenton, Newark, New York, New Haven, Providence, Boston).

Simple solution: ask Avis to call you a taxi, or you phone the taxi in advance and have it meet you at the Avis office downtown. Then have the taxi hop on the Expressway, or get on Peachtree, and take you to the train station on Peachtree above the Interstate ... maybe 10 minutes max. It will not be a problem ... Atlanta is still miles ahead of other places in tersm of smiles and nice treatment, even by taxis.

Danielwilliams re why train stations are not centrally located in Atl or Richmond. Don't you remember. You burned them down during the Civil War

Nace, you obviously know nothing about Richmond or Atlanta .. for example, your stated ignorance about their post-Civil War train stations is quite outstanding. Ciao

sorry, I do know. I live in Atl and the train station is 10-12 miles from central area.

At least I don't recollect burning down anything...:)My ancestors, majority of whom are Southern or late 1800s immigrants weren't with Sherman's (and other's) troops to my knowledge. Anyhow, I hope that Atlanta and Richmond move their train stations to a more central location in the future.

For General info regarding Amtrak stations in the "West" <BR>Seattle=southern part of town and taxi s meet every train(not a part of town you would want to walk around at night) However, if day time hours (and you can handle a suitcase)you can walk across the street and get FREE bus to downtown area OR <BR>cheap Trolly thru Pioneer Square and down along the waterfront. <BR>Portland (Or.)=close to downtown and taxis available <BR>Sacramento=very close to downtown area <BR>Oakland (Ca)=located at Jack London Square-taxis close as well as some good resturants. <BR>San Luis Obispo (Ca) eastern side of town but too far to walk to motels or downtown. Taxis available and most of the local motels will come get you. <BR>These are the only ones I have personally used, all with good experience..

Daniel you are right about your post re train stations. Seriously, the Atl train station is at the intersection of I-75 and I-85. There could not be a better location for locals but I do agree not good for travelors.

My advice for Atlanta travel has always been don't. Go somewhere else.

Care to share your beef against Atlanta?

Atlanta is a city with an inferiority complex. They have a need to follow the latest trend with no regard to their history. They'll tear down anything in sight to put the newest, glitziest and ultimately shallow building in its place, only to have that building deemed obsolete and replaced with something even newer and glitzier. It's a city with all shine with no substance. It's not a city for tourists, it's a city for conventioneers. Where's the Omni, Rich's department store downtown, the theatre where Gone With The Wind debuted? Where's the Great Southeast Music Hall? All gone. Where is Atlanta Fulton County Stadium? Deemed a "cookie cutter" stadium and blown up. Hank Aaron hits 715 home runs and is relegated to a piece of fence in the parking lot, and who's the new model cookie cutter ballpark named after? Ted Turner! Go figure. Why has Underground Atlanta become a shopping mall instead of, say, a museum? Why must the citizens always brag about their city being #1 in this, or #4 in that? Because they have a complex. They're so proud of their Braves, the Buffalo Bills of baseball. They thought the Olympics would FINALLY make them a "world class" city and they screwed that up too. And now apparently their beloved MARTA can't get someone from Courtland to the Amtrak Station. Nice. Form without function once again. The fact is, people don't care who has the Olympics or the Super Bowl. It's fun while it lasts but when it's over it's over, and what's left? Just a bunch of shiny hotels and office buildings, and a population duped into thinking there's actually something going on.<BR><BR>

Your thoughts have some credence. Atlanta does have its problems. It may not be the most tourist-friendly place in the world. I don't think Atlanta ever believed it would ever grow beyond its small reputation from the 60s. It certainly has its growing pains. Not to mention an identity crisis.<BR><BR>But you can't overlook the fact that it is the fastest growing city in the south. We have jobs and a booming economy. People are moving here in droves and staying. <BR><BR>While the building frenzy and traffic give us plenty to gripe about, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I like mild winters and being able to get to the beach or the mountains within a few hours. I've lived here since I was five years old when nobody wanted to live here and I hope to stay here for years to come.

Those of us from Atlanta know Atlanta has never suffered from an identity crisis, nor is it correct to believe that Atlanta did not anticipate its phenomenol growth. Its first expresway went into service in the winter of 1951. The N-S link using 75 and 85 goes right through Atlanta. Banking, insurance, transportation ... the list goes on. It was always Atlanta's goal to outpace the Charlottes and other progressive cities of the south. It was with that idea, that Atlanta was a town meant to grow, do business and build, that integration was achieved though a late night meeting of leading business leaders. Tomorrow there will be no more segregation. The old Fulton Country Stadium was put up in a record 51 weeks, merely lure the braves and start the Falcons. It served its purpose ... why keep it? Why treat Underground like more than it was ... its primary purpose: to provide a means for provisioning stores. Atlanta was in effect a city built upon a platform. I think you underestimate Atlanta. Certainly the GWTW theatre is gone, but so what ... it was just an ordinary movie theatre downtown. Atlanta still has the Fox, and it has been refurbished. I could go on and on. You are overlooking the quality of Atlanta and its history and importance in the south. That is still the case today. How many cities in the US match and surpass Atlanta? Where does Hartsfield stand in the world? It is funny how people constantly underestimate the south, and certainly Atlanta. Ciao

I, too, believe Atlanta has an inferiority complex. Like RButler said, Atlantans love to see their city listed in rankings just so they can say to themselves, "we have the busiest, tallest, newest, largest, etc." Who cares!?! In the end, Atlanta is still a Dallas or wanna-be and that's nothing to be proud of either!

I mean Dallas wanna-be....sorry