I'm planning a family holiday in the Great Smokies for 2003. I would be grateful for any advise on good holiday parks or B&B's suitable for a family of four. Also any suggestions for any sights that aren't among those traditionally listed as 'must see' would be appreciated. We'll be flying in from England and I expect that Charlotte, NC would be the best arrival airport. How much should I expect to pay for car hire per week? Many thanks for any replies.

I'm thinking that the Great Smokies are mainly in Tennessee. From Charlotte you could pick up I-40 to get you there. Western NC is in the Blue Ridge area of mountains, which is also nice, but I think you'd like the Smokies better; beautiful hiking trails. Go to Gatlinburg.com to request a brochure listing all lodging, including B&B's.

Flying from Charlotte to Asheville is usual under 45 minutes compared to a 2.5 hour drive so you may want to factor that in to your plans.

I've been very successful in using Priceline.com for cheap auto rentals. Most of them should be unlimited mileage.

If you visit Asheville, then you must see the Biltmore House. It should make you feel at home when you compare it to the castles in England.

There are many B&B around the Smokies so you'll need to give us more information before we can recommend one. Do you want to be near a large city or do you want to be in the country? Do you plan to visit the traditional tourist (traps sites like the Cherokee Indian Reservation and Gatlinburg in Tennessee or would you prefer to go where the locals go?

Mike Honeycutt

I continue to be amazed at people who still think flying is the way to go for trips under 2 hrs. flying time: Hey! Mike! By the time you check in 2 hrs. early for security checks, deal with possible weather or equipment delays, and the added 30-45 minutes to get your baggage, you could have driven and gotten settled into your room. Even if you are "only" talking about a connection, the number of flights isn't so great that there might not be considerable connection time. And in any case, you would have seen some very pretty scenery on the road along the way had you driven.

Car rentals depend entirely (usually) on whether you will be able to return the car to the place you picked it up. You may spend anywhere from $250-$600 (or more) per week, depending on whether you can handle a smallish car for all 4 of you or you want to rent a small van, and whether you will have to pay a "drop-off" fee to return the car to a place far from your point of origin.

I agree that Charlotte will be your "gateway". It is a 2 hour drive to Asheville where you might like to spend the night and see Biltmore as suggested above. I also agree about bidding on Priceline for a car rental or Hotwire (you know the price but don't have to accept it). PLEASE don't stay in Gatlnburg!! In Bryson City, NC there is a wonderful old style country inn--the Fryemont Inn. It is on the edge of the Park and also within a few miles of Cherokee (there is an authentic Indian village exhibit there as well as the tacky one) and another entrance to the Park.
If you go to google.com and enter Bryson City NC you will find several B&B's (including Fryemont) plus other sites for cabins near there. It is a lovely corner of NC with easy access to the Park. Bryson City is about 2 hours from Asheville to give you an idea of distance.
There will be several opportunities for you to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a beautiful road with scenic overlooks. If you are a trout fisherman Bryson City area or the Cherokee reservation will give you some good opportunity. On the reservation you pay only $3/day to fish--no license required as it is an enterprise of the Indian reservation. Heavily stocked!!

If you stay in Bryson City (much better than Cherokee) take a white water rafting trip. There are several outfitters in the area, but I went with the Nantahala Outdoor Center and enjoyed the trip. They focused on having a good, SAFE trip.

On the Blue Ridge Parkway north from Asheville is Mt. Mitchell. It is the tallest spot east of the Mississippi in the USA. You can drive most of the way up and then take a short walk to the top.

There is a scenic road I think called the Chero??? or Nanta??? that goes from NC into TN that has been designated some type of National Scenic Byway. If I find anything else on it I'll let you know.

I-40 doesn't go through Charlotte. I suggest taking Hwy 74 west to I-26 or go north on I-77 to I-40.

Enjoy your trip.