Indiana

Travel Guide North America USA Midwestern United States Indiana

Introduction

Brown County State Park

Indiana the self proclaimed cross roads of America is a state that you must go through in order to go east or west. Many interstates and railroads cross the states and have fueled its economy for over a hundred years. That being said this is a state that is more then a drive through. The northern part of Indiana borders Lake Michigan and is home to stunning sand dunes and great beaches. The center of the state is home to Indianapolis and major city with a great night life and home to the Indy 500 auto race. In the south the scenery changes from flat plains to rolling hills and river valley's that offer cute towns with great bed breakfasts with plenty of country side to explore by foot or horse.

[edit]

Geography

Indiana is a state that stretches from the coast of the Great Lakes to the hills of the Ohio River Valley. The northern part of the state washes up on the shores of Lake Michigan and is mainly a flat topography, home to farm fields. The topography changes south Indianapolis and become undulating hills on top of limestone deposits. The limestone mined from this area went all over the country ranging from Chicago to Washington, D.C.. The beauty of southern Indiana is peaked by the orange fall leaves and explored in the underground caves.

[edit]

Cities

Anderson
Bloomington is home to the main branch of the Indiana University and is a fun funky small town.
Evansville
Fort Wayne, Indiana's second largest city.
Gary
Hammond
Indianapolis, the state capital and its largest city.
Lafayette
Muncie
South Bend
Terre Haute

[edit]

Sights and Activities

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is run by the USA Park Service and is a nice wilderness and beach area near Chicago in North Eastern Indiana. These large sand dunes drastically enter the lake and can be great fun for the whole family, especially if you need to escape the hot midwestern summer.

Other Sights and Activities

Blue Springs Caverns is an amazing cavern located in southern Indiana that can only be toured by boat! On the tour adventurers can see Blind Cave Crayfish and Bling fish. The boat is only guided by a small lantern giving the same feel that early explorers had of the caves. Phone: (812) 279-9471.

[edit]

Events and Festivals

The Indianpolis 500, usually called the Indy 500, is one of the most important auto races held every year in the USA. If your planning to attend this event make sure to have tickets and a hotel room far in advance.

[edit]

Weather

[edit]

Getting There

By Plane

Indianapolis International Airport (ND) is about 7 miles (11 kilometres) from the central business district of Indianapolis. It has a range of flight with destinations including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cancun, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Saint Louis, Tampa, Toronto and Washington D.C..

To/from the airport
Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) operates the Green Line Downtown/Airport Express daily from 5:00am to 9:00pm. From 5:00am to 9:00am and noon to 9pm the service runs every 15 minutes. From 9:00am to noon the service runs every 20 minutes. The express service costs US$7 per passenger. The boarding/debarking point is located at the the Ground Transportation Center, which is found on level 1 of the parking garage. IndyGo Route 8 bus also connects the airport with downtown Indianapolis. Unlike the Green Line Express, Route 8 bus is a slower & cheaper bus route that makes frequent stops along Washington St. The fare for Route 8 is currently US$1.75 for single ride.
At the Ground Transportation Center there are also services like taxis, limousines, car rental facilities and shuttles.

By Train

Several Amtrak trains operate to and from Indiana:

The Capitol Limited between Washington DC and Chicago, stopping in several places in the state.
The Cardinal/Hoosier State between New York and Chicago, stopping in several cities including Indianapolis.
The Lakeshore Limited between Boston/New York and Chicago.
The Michigan Services between Chicago and Michigan stops in a few places in Indiana.

By Car

By Bus

Greyhound has buses throughout the US.

By Boat

[edit]

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

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.

Indiana has a number of National Scenic Byways which offer a great way to explore the state crossing beautiful landscapes. Mostly, there are lots of national parks, state parks or monuments along the way and it's generally a better alternative than the faster but boring Interstate Highways.

By Bus

By Boat

[edit]

Eat

[edit]

Drink

[edit]

Sleep

Hotel and Motel Chains

There are dozens of hotel and motel chains, ranging from budget to top end. Allthough they are not the most charming accommodations, they usually have a very decent midrange service with good rooms and are generally good value. At least you know what to expect and in some cases they are either the only or the best option in the area. Some of them include: