Best Time to Travel
With its mild climate, Atlanta is a year-round destination. Summer sees the city’s parks really come to life, with long, balmy evenings providing the perfect conditions for alfresco gigs and festivals. Spring and fall are the best seasons to go hiking, biking or golfing in the nature parks around Atlanta, while in winter, you can cozy up and enjoy the myriad indoor attractions, or put your skates on and hit the city’s ice rink. The theme parks are open year-round, with special events each season.
Not to Miss
Want a sneak preview of Broadway shows? Many top productions hit Atlanta’s Alliance Theater before they reach New York, with a healthy number of world premieres launching here. For an all-singing, all-dancing night of entertainment, you can’t beat it. One thing you won’t miss is the city’s Centennial Olympic Park; it links many of the city’s main attractions. Whether you just pause for a picnic lunch, splash about in the Fountain of Rings, or come here for a major event, it will be at the center of your Atlanta experience.
Getting around
Being home to one of the world's busiest airports makes Atlanta a pretty easy place to get to. Flights arrive from all over the globe, and there are hundreds of daily connections between cities across the US. The airport is located 8 miles south of Atlanta’s downtown. Trains leave the airport very regularly, and it’s a 15-minute journey to downtown. It’s also a great way of easily getting around to all the attractions. Taxis, buses, and hire cars are all in plentiful supply at the airport too.
Cuisine
With a deep love for its Southern cuisine, Atlanta has a diverse array of homegrown restaurants, from lip-smacking smokehouses to eco-conscious organic cafés. Fried chicken, sticky ribs, and grits are essential Southern tastes, but there’s a whole lot more besides. Up in trendy Buckhead, you’ll find the best boutique bakeries and fusion dining. To ring the changes, there’s also a good selection of international restaurants, so you can feast on Japanese, Mexican and Italian dishes, depending on how the mood takes you.
Customs and etiquette
Atlanta is an easygoing city, and in most of the main tourist areas, people are more than happy to help. There’s even a force of Ambassadors stationed on Peachtree Street, who patrol downtown to provide advice to visitors so there’s not too much you need to worry about. As with the rest of the US, tipping around 10 to 15% in restaurants and bars is the norm, and for the excellent, personal service you’re likely to encounter at least a few times in Atlanta, it's always good to tip accordingly. Fast Facts
• Population: 448000
• Spoken languages: English
• Electrical: The USA runs on 120V, 60 Hz current
• Phone Calling Code: +31 404/678/770911
