Georgia's capital, Atlanta, is a big city with lots of Southern hospitality. Its history traces back to a railroad junction in the wilderness to a gateway to the future as the economic and cultural capital of the American South. With more than four million people calling Atlanta home, the city combines “homey”, small town Southern hospitality with all the glamour and sophistication of an international city.
Diverse and engaging, Atlanta was nearly destroyed by siege and was burnt to the ground during the American Civil War in the 1800s. Rising from the ashes, Atlanta survived to provide a home for major corporations like Coca-Cola, CNN and the Weather Channel as well as to play host to the 1996 Summer Olympics.
After stepping off your Atlanta flight visit one of the must-see attractions, the Underground Atlanta, where the old world Atlanta meets the new with shopping, dining, history and great special events.
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Spring and autumn are the best times to take a flight to Atlanta if you are concerned about the humid summer weather. Be forewarned, however, that thousands of college students gather for the start of a new school year in late August. Finding a hotel room can be tough during this time.
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Peak Season:
Atlanta's peak seasons are spring and autumn. Spring is the best time to book a flight to Atlanta.
Off Season:
During the summer, Atlanta can be very humid.
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Distance: 10 miles south of downtown
Drive time: 20 mins
There are lots of ways to get from the airport to downtown easily. The Ground Transportation Center (GTC) houses all Ground Transportation Services including buses, taxis, shuttles (shared-ride, car rental, off-site airport parking), limousines/sedans and City Trains/MARTA.
Transport is also available for persons with disabilities.
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The subway is a 15-minute ride to downtown. The subway and buses are run by Metropolitan Area Rapid Transit Authority. With Atlanta’s growth have come traffic headaches: Atlantans spend more time stuck in traffic, commuting to work than most others in the world so you may want to avoid driving in and around the city, if you can.
You can also enjoy biking 15 mile loop in Piedmont Park or hike through Fernbank Forest, a few miles northeast of Downtown.
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- The Atlanta Jazz Festival, the largest free jazz festival in the country, includes eight days of outdoor concerts in Piedmont Park.
- Visit the Georgia Aquarium – the Grand Opening of which took place on November 23, 2005. Located across Baker Street from Centennial Olympic Park, the Aquarium is sure to be a major attraction Downtown. It is the world's largest aquarium, with eight million gallons of water and 100,000 animals.
- Spend time in Sweet Auburn, considered the main African-American neighbourhood, east of Downtown and enjoy National Black Arts Festival, a biennial week-long celebration of African-American artistic contributions.
- Known as the Beverly Hills of the South, Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza stores include Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co. and Burberry. It is also the starting line for the yearly running of the Peachtree Road Race every Fourth of July, which ends in a spectacular fireworks display. Nearby Buckhead Village boasts 100 bars and clubs and the Roxy Theatre.
- Be sure to check the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) for the latest on Atlanta. The ACVB convention and meeting facilities, hotels and service organizations have helped to make Atlanta one of the top five convention destinations in the States.
- Learning about a painful period in America’s past in a city that’s reaching for the future can make a trip to Atlanta unique. One of the city's most famous attractions, the Atlanta Cyclorama, is a circular painting 109m around and 12m high depicting the 1864 Battle of Atlanta. Painted in 1886, it is the largest in the world and one of only three such Victorian-era circular paintings remaining in the USA.
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