Sandy Springs

Hartsfield-Jackson airport is also the terminus of the southern branch of the MARTA rail system (see 'Get around' below), and for travelers going to locations in downtown, midtown or northern Atlanta this forms a convenient, and at $2.50 per one-way ticket, economic way of getting there. Most MARTA stations have taxi stations to aid completion of the journey, and some hotels have free shuttles which will collect from either the airport or nearest MARTA station on telephone request.

Being so close to Atlanta, visitors are welcome to travel by train via Amtrak ☏ +1-800-872-7245. Amtrak's Crescent train runs daily and serves New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans (and vice-versa). Southbound, the train leaves New York just before 3PM, calls at Atlanta at around 9AM and reaches New Orleans by 8PM. Northbound, the train leaves New Orleans at around 7AM, calls at Atlanta at around 8PM and reaches New York by 2PM.

In Atlanta, the Amtrak station is located at 1688 Peachtree St. N.W., which is several miles north of the airport and downtown. Unfortunately, there are no direct connections between the MARTA trains and Amtrak. However, MARTA Bus routes 23 and 110, which can be transferred at the Buckhead Station and the Arts Center Station, stop in front of the Amtrak Station.

Greyhound Bus Lines, ☏ +1-800-229-9424, provides bus service to Atlanta from many locations throughout the United States. Buses arrive at and depart from the Greyhound terminal at 232 Forsyth Street, located in a less affluent neighborhood on the southern edge of the downtown area and directly beneath MARTA's Garnett Station (see 'Get around' below).

Atlanta is linked to the rest of the US by the interstate highway network. The principal interstates serving the city are I-75 (serving traffic from Detroit to Florida), I-85 (connecting the Mid-Atlantic to New Orleans) and I-20 (connecting Texas to South Carolina), all of which cross through Downtown.

I-285 (commonly called the Perimeter by Atlantans, and the Atlanta Bypass on overhead signs) circles the city at a distance of about 10 miles out, crossing and connecting with all the above freeways as well as the airport.

Sandy Springs is served by MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority), ☏ +1 404-848-4711, which operates both rapid rail and bus networks in the counties of Fulton and Dekalb.

For out-of-town visitors, MARTA is a convenient way to travel from the airport to all stations on its network. Those who need to travel alone at night, however, may be better served by taking taxis, hotel buses, or renting a car, as the system often becomes empty or rowdy at nighttime, and travel may feel unsafe to those who do not know the city. Most destination stations have Taxi service available for local trips.

The rail network is comprised of two principal lines making up a cross. One line runs north-south across the city, while the other runs east-west. The north-south line runs from a southern terminus at Hartsfield-Jackson airport through downtown and midtown Atlanta, before splitting into two branches running north, one which terminates in Sandy Springs at the North Springs station and the other which terminates at the Doraville station. The east-west line runs from a western terminal at Hamilton E. Holmes to an eastern terminal at Indian Creek. The Five Points station in downtown Atlanta is the only station where passengers may change trains between the north-south and east-west lines. Trains run from 5AM until 1AM Monday-Friday, and from 5AM until 12:30AM on weekends and holidays. Trains run on all lines every 10 minutes during peak periods, reducing to every 20 minutes on Sundays.

The bus network comprises over one hundred different bus routes, with many routes operating approximately every 20 minutes. Bus service on some lines (generally including the most popular tourist areas) runs from 5AM until 1:30AM Monday-Friday and from 5AM until 1AM on the weekends and holidays.

A single ride on MARTA costs $2.50. The fare includes transfers. Single use Breeze Cards are sold in vending machines at all rail stations or at RideStores at Airport. When starting the journey by bus, swipe the card at the fare post next to the driver. When starting the journey by train, swipe the car at the fare gate, your now cash depleted card will act as your transfer. When transferring to a bus, give the operator your breeze card. When transferring to a train, swipe the transfer ticket through the reader on the turnstile.

Note for Weekend Travel: MARTA has a tendency to run slower on the weekends. Typical wait times are 30 minutes for trains and up to an hour for buses. Be sure to accommodate for this.

If MARTA Rail does not service all the areas you need, cars are the most popular form of transport in order to get around the city to experience various shopping, events and more. Renting a car is recommended. Rush hour runs almost continuously but peaks 6-10AM and 3-7PM on weekdays and often results in congestion when traveling intown in the mornings and outbound in the afternoons. Downtown/Midtown and major shopping districts such as Buckhead will also get crowded on weekends. Most restaurants and shops in the area offer complimentary or low-cost valet services ($1-3 tip expected) and on the rare occasion where parking is scarce, public lots are usually nearby for a fee. Free road maps are available at [9].

Car rental companies:

• Alamo Rent A Car ☏ +1-800-462-5266
• Avis Rent A Car ☏ +1-800-331-1212
• Budget Rent A Car ☏ +1-800-527-0700
• Dollar Rent A Car ☏ +1-800-800-3665
• E-Z Rent-A-Car ☏ +1-800-277-5171
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car ☏ +1-800-261-7331
• Hertz Car Rental ☏ +1-800-654-3131
• Thrifty ☏ +1-800-847-4389