South - First-time Atlanta visit - need car?

DH and I will be in Atlanta for 3-1/2 days, includes a weekend. Staying near the Peachtree Station MARTA stop (Hyatt). Have spent alot of time looking for things to do, but am at a loss to completely fill the time. Plan on the aquarium, 1 or 2 parks, etc.

Should we rent a car for part of the time to explore beyond Atlanta -- any must-see or must-do destinations within a 2-3 hour drive?

Also, I couldn't find any bus tours in/out of Atlanta, if someone knows of any please let me know asap :)

Thanks in advance!

You can get to the downtown attractions without a car. Aquarium, baseball or football games, etc but that's about it. Our train system is pretty basic and buses work but do take a long time to get you places.

I can't find much to do here myself and I've lived here for 6 years. The High Museum is nice, we have some good shopping, etc but it's not a city with a ton of must see attractions. (IMO)

We don't have any bus tours that I know of. I've looked at one company that did bus tours to the wineries in the surrounding mountains which would be fun but the one I was looking at was something you have to book and arrange for a group.

Thanks MissJ! I appreciate your information and research :)

Do you have any suggestions for things to do within the 2-3 hour drive? I'm thinking this may be sort of a relaxing sort of trip (unlike when we have visited cities like Chicago and San Diego lol)

Thanks MissJ! I appreciate your information and research :)

Do you have any suggestions for things to do within the 2-3 hour drive? I'm thinking this may be sort of a relaxing sort of trip (unlike when we have visited cities like Chicago and San Diego lol)

Savannah is gorgeous if you haven't been there, I think it's well worth the drive.

Savannah is gorgeous. The drive is painfully boring though. But it's good once you get there.

What time of year are you coming? There are a lot of festivals in the southeast and events. Asheville is also worth a visit. There are some charming small mountain towns like Highlands, NC that have golf, shopping and some even have scenic railroads you can take a ride on. The wineries can be fun as well.

Since you are staying downtown, things to do downtown include:
1. Aquarium
2. World of Coca Cola
3. Tour of CNN
4. Centennial Park
5. Underground Atlanta (this really is not much any more - 30 minutes there usually does it!)
6. Tour the capital
7. Lots of restaurants. An interesting tourist experience is to eat in the revolving restaurant on the top floor of the Westin - it's the round high rise.

Take the train north to the North Ave Station:
1. Fox Theatre (try to get a tour - it is incredible)

Take the train another stop north
1. Tour the Federal Reserve (Monday - Friday only)

Walk (or take the train one more stop)
1. High Museum of Art
2. Museum of Design Atlanta (across street from High)
3. Take shuttle to Atlantic Station from Arts Center train station (Atlantic Station has shopping, dining, movie theatre, the Dialog in the Dark & Bodies exhibit)

Train also goes further north to Lenox, but that is just a regular mall - not what I would want to do on my vacation.

If you have a car and go north near Lenox, you can visit the Atlanta History Center and the Swan House.

From the 10th street station (near the Fed) you can walk east to Piedmont Park. Depending upon when you are in Atlanta, there are often events in the park. Otherwise, just a great place to walk. The Botanical Gardens are at the north end of the park.

About a mile east of the park (either alot of walking, and return downtown by cab, or if you have a car) is Virginia Highlands - lots of neighborhood restaurants & shops.

From downtown, you can walk just under a mile east to Ebenezer Baptist (both old and new) and the Martin Luther King Visitor Center. Tours of the birth home are well worth it.

From downtown, take the train to 5 points, then east to Decatur. There are lots of small shops and tons of restaurants in downtown Decatur. A great evening diversion. Downtown Decatur also often has festivals, etc.

If you do rent a car, about 40 minutes east of downtown is Stone Mountain Park. Climb the mountain if you are athletic (takes about 1 hour), or visit the amusement park or take a boat ride and stay for the laser show. Or you can walk AROUND the mountain. Costs about $8 to enter the park with a car. The amusements are priced either ala carte or a day ticket.

Also close to downtown but not on the train (there may be a bus) are the zoo and the cyclorama.

About 10 minutes from downtown via car or cab, also east, is Fernbank Museum of Natural History. It is about 1 mile from Emory University, also an interesting place if you have a car.

If you want interesting neighborhoods, Little 5 Points is east of downtown about 10 minutes by car, or if you want to walk, about 45 minutes from downtown on the very nice path (very safe in the day).

Also east of downtown near Little 5 Points if the Carter Presidential Center.

Your visit to many of these places will be enhanced by partaking the activities. So, for example, google the Carter Center to see if there are any events that interest you taking place there during your visit (check both the Carter Center site and the Carter Library site - they are next to each other but run separate programs).

Also check out the place that gives Segway tours of the city, check out the Atlanta Preservation Center walking tours (http://www.preserveatlanta.com/walking_tours_link) and google around to see if there are any neighborhood festivals during your visit.

Lots more to do, really depends upon your interests.

Impressive list there, cl_. You've given me some ideas for my next trip there ^

Don't get to excited...The attractions are not that fun. There is really little to do in this city...specially without a car.

Nice list, cl_!

I've walked to Little Five Points from the Edgewood/Candler Park MARTA station during daylight (it's about a mile through a not scary area).

Did you happen to hit up the Vortex? If you like burgers, theirs are favorites around here. There is one in midtown as well.

Just use the MARTA. However, I must emphasize that Atlanta isn't too safe being out and about at night.

:td:Don't get to excited...The attractions are not that fun. There is really little to do in this city...specially without a car.:td:

Atlanta is a great city! Not sure why you would say there is little to do??

We go every year for Dragon*Con, the 2nd largest and only fan led gaming convention in America. Last year, Dragon*Con welcomed 100,000 visitors, taking over the downtown hotels for 4 days. The 2012 edition will be on August 30 - September 3, 2012. Check it out!

Contrary to other FT advice, you do NOT need to rent a car to visit Altanta. MARTA offers same train service from Hartsfield to Peachtree Centre, and its a short walk from the stn. to the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and the Sheraton.

We ended up filling our time in some unusual ways lol Did see the Aquarium which is amazing and worth every penney paid -- they will stamp your ticket to come back later so we ate lunch out at a German restaurant just down the street which was very good. Also walked through Centennial Park a few times during our visit, beautiful both day and night.

We ended up taking MARTA one day to a mall (Northpoint?) to get some American Girl souvenies haha And one day it turns out there was a big event involving parades and football game in the Georgia Dome -- we even attended the pre-game festivities :)

Other than that, there are definitely alot of restaurants and bars and we visited some of them too :)

Now having been there, I would go back and plan to do some of the other activities mentioned by cl!!!

:td:


Contrary to other FT advice, you do NOT need to rent a car to visit Altanta. MARTA offers same train service from Hartsfield to Peachtree Centre, and its a short walk from the stn. to the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and the Sheraton.

Considering the fact that I live here, I think my opinion is based on what it's really like here. You can get to certain things in the area without a car, but you are missing a lot. Atlanta is a car based city, and that's a fact. The city during Dragon Con is an exception to the normal level of activity for the downtown area.


SharonLPK, glad you enjoyed your stay. You are quite industrious to get all the way to North Point via MARTA on your first visit. That's not a short trip by any means! I live minutes from downtown and that's a 20+ minute drive with absolutely no traffic. I'm impressed. I agree, the Aquarium is a nice place to visit.

SharonLPK, glad you enjoyed your stay. You are quite industrious to get all the way to North Point via MARTA on your first visit. That's not a short trip by any means! I live minutes from downtown and that's a 20+ minute drive with absolutely no traffic. I'm impressed. I agree, the Aquarium is a nice place to visit.


It was pretty easy actually! Took the MARTA from Peachtree Station to a transfer station (above ground) where many busses came in/out. Workers were very helpful. The bus dropped us off on the street of the mall, just had to walk across the parking lot :) I like trying the public transportation in cities I visit -- it's nice to take in the scenery (unless underground haha) without the hassle of driving/parking and, once tried, it gives me a broader planning area for the next trip!

All that being said, if we had stayed more than 3.5 days, I may have opted to rent a car for a while too to reach the many non-MARTA-accessible destinations!

Traveling to Atlanta with wife by car for Global Entry interview near airport. Thought we would spend a Friday night at a local hotel and see the city. Thanks to ci for suggestions on local attractions. Any hotel suggestions for a nice ATL experience with spouse?

Check out Buckhead

Traveling to Atlanta with wife by car for Global Entry interview near airport. Thought we would spend a Friday night at a local hotel and see the city. Thanks to ci for suggestions on local attractions. Any hotel suggestions for a nice ATL experience with spouse?

Depends on budget and your hotel brand preference. We have a number of nice properties.... Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Intercontinental in Buckhead. Other than budget, it depends on what activities interest you and if you are going to walk around to explore or drive.

I guess I am surprised at how dead midtown is at night

I'm here for a conference which is the hyatt but I am staying at the marriott spring street

went to the hawks game last night but there is absolutely nothing else to do around here

my only memory of centennial park will be the thugs trying to talk to you all in hopes of selling you something or getting money

Having fun the next two evenings will be a challenge.

What type of activity are you looking for?

Did you take MARTA to midtown or walk around just your hotel? Your hotel is downtown and downtown is a place where people work and that's just about it. I rarely go down there and only to to go the Dome, Phillips, Aquarium, etc but rarely to go to dinner or go out for a drink.

What type of activity are you looking for?

Did you take MARTA to midtown or walk around just your hotel? Your hotel is downtown and downtown is a place where people work and that's just about it. I rarely go down there and only to to go the Dome, Phillips, Aquarium, etc but rarely to go to dinner or go out for a drink.

I presume you are responding to me, I hope so lol

I did take MARTA from the airport, for $3.50 (had to buy a breeze card for a $1 :rolleyes: ya know) and that was a good deal

I've walked around the hotel the DT area, the Centenial park area, and today I piggy backed with a fellow conference goer and jumped in his car and we went to see the Cyclorama - the civil war 360 degree mural in 3D which was awesome. Wish we could have stayed for the zoo but one of the guys had to get back.. so that was nice

the pollen is ridiculous here, everything has that film of yellow on it

off to the Westin rotating bar on the top of the hotel now

Well let me know if you need any more suggestions. You might want to at least get up to Buckhead once. It's the busy part of the city. Plenty of restaurants, shopping, etc. The Aquarium is the largest in the world as well. Plenty to do here for a first time visitor. :D