My best friend and I are travelling to New Orleans and would like to make a stop in Nashville - how cold does it get in late January? We won't have a car,can we go around Nashville just using public transportation?

Thanks

It can be pretty darn cold here in January. You would be looking at average highs in the high 30's, maybe low 40's. If you stay downtown you can walk to all the attractions in that area (honky tonks, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame). There is decent bus service but I am not really familiar with routes or timing.

It could be in the 30s or 40s, but more likely it will be in the 50s and could possibly get into the 60s. If you are truly a yankeetraveller I am sure you will have a coat with you so you should be fine walking around downtown Nashville.

Agreed. Late January can be frigid but is often in the 40s or 50s. You can see downtown without a car, but for a stay longer than 1-2 days or to see much else, I would rent a car. Public transportation here is not great, but there are bus routes. If there's something in particular you want to see, mention it and we may be able to help. There are a few areas (Hillsboro Village, the Gulch/12South) that might be too far to walk from downtown, but are a very quick and inexpensive cab ride away.

I've been to Nashville and was able to get around on foot and by bus with no problems. It's not as fast as having a car, of course, but it can certainly be done reasonably.

A few attractions, mostly on the outskirts, can't be reached via bus (Cheekwood, Traveller's Rest, Jack Daniel's Distillery, Belle Meade Plantation, The Hermitage), but most can be. Also note that Gray Line offers tours that go to some of these spots if you don't have a car (Belle Meade, Hermitage, Jack Daniel's).

Thank you for all your comments, we are in the "scouting phase" of our trip we are quite undecided on Mamphis vs Nashville. Any thoughts?

Depends. They're similar in some ways (lots of focus on music in both towns, for example) but very different in others. What are you interested in doing? Would you be here more for history, music things, bars/clubs? What sorts of music do you like?