Charlotte

Introduction

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) is one of the busiest airports in the USA and in the top 25 worldwide. It has numerous domestic connections and quite a few international flights as well.

To/from the airport

• Bus: Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)'s Sprinter Enhanced Bus Service connects the airport to the downtown Charlotte Transportation Center and it arrives and departs in front of Zone D Baggage Claim in the commercial lanes. The service operates from the airport every 20 minutes Monday-Friday from 5:50am to 7:00pm. After 7:00pm, service is offered every 30 minutes until 12:02am. On Saturday and Sunday, Sprinter operates from the airport every hour from 6:00am to 8:00am, every half hour from 8:00am to 9:00pm, and every hour from 9:00pm to 1:00am. It takes about 20 minutes and the one-way fare is $1.75.
• Taxis, hotel shuttles and rental cars are all available at the airport as well.

By Train

Charlotte is served by two Amtrak trains. These include:

• The Carolinian/Piedmont between Charlotte and New York, also stopping in Washington DC and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
• The Crescent between New York and New Orleans, stopping in Charlotte.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are hundreds of big and small post offices in Charlotte. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.