Phoenix Transportation

Phoenix: Getting There

Air

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) +1 602 273 3300 http://www.phxskyharbor.com

PHX is located three miles from downtown and services the following airlines:

Aero Mexico (+ 1 800 237 6639 / http://www.aeromexico.com) Air Canada (+1 800 776 3000 / http://www.aircanada.ca) Alaskan Airlines (+1 800 252 7522 / http://www.alaskaair.com) America West (+1 800 235 9292 / http://www.americawest.com) American Airline (+1 800 433 7300 / http://www.aa.com) British Airways (+1 800 247 9297 / http://www.british-airways.com) Continental (+1 800 525 0280 / http://www.continental.com) Delta (+1 800 221 1212 / http://www.delta.com) Frontier Airlines (+1 800 432 1359 / http://www.frontierairlines.com) Hawaiian Air (+1 800 367 5320 / http://www.hawaiianair.com) Lufthansa (+1 800 645 3880 / http://www.lufthansa.com) Northwest (+1 800 225 2525 / http://www.nwa.com) Southwest (+1 800 435 9792 / http://www.iflyswa.com) United (+1 800 241 6522 / http://www.ual.com) US Airways (+1 800 428 4322 / http://www.usairways.com) PCA (+1 800 763 6895 / http://www.pnfnetwork.com/) PCA

From the Airport

Shuttle: Super Shuttle (+1 800 258 3826 / http://www.supershuttle.com) provides daily, around the clock service into downtown and beyond. Between 9a-9p shuttles exit every 15 minutes. Rides to downtown average USD7-USD10, and USD16 to Scottsdale.

Taxi: AAA Taxi (+1 602 437 4000), Allstate Cab (+1 602 329 1017), and Discount Cab (+1 602 266 1110) are the only three taxi companies licensed to pick-up passengers at the airport. Downtown metered fares average USD9, while rides to Scottsdale generally fall between USD25-USD40.

Bus: Valley Metro (+1 602 253 5000 / http://www.valleymetro.org) provides cheap (USD1.25) bus transportation into downtown via its Red Line. Buses conveniently exit from Terminals 2, 3, and 4 every 30 minutes and rides take approximately 20 minutes.

Car Rental: Advantage (+1 877 5500 / http://www.arac.com) Alamo (+1 800 327 9633 / http://www.alamo.com) Avis (+1 800 831 2847 / http://www.avis.com) Budget (+1 800 527 0700 / http://www.budget.com) Dollar (+1 800 4000 / http://www.dollar.com) Enterprise (+1 800 325 8007 / http://www.enterprise.com Hertz (+1 800 654 3131 / http://www.hertz.com National (+1 800 227 7368 / http://www.nationalcar.com) Payless (+1 800 729 5377 / http://www.paylesscarrental.com) Thrifty (+1 800 367 2277 / http://www.thrifty.com)

Train

Currently there is no direct rail service into Phoenix. Amtrak (+1 800 872 7245 / http://www.amtrak.com) services Flagstaff 138 miles to the north and Tucson 114 miles to the south and then transfers passengers into Phoenix via bus. It is a nightmarish process heavy with inconvenience that only comes recommended as a last travel option behind riding a llama.

Car

Interstate 10 bisects Phoenix in a southeast/west direction, coming from Tucson in the southeast and California in the west. Interstate 17 drops down from the north after branching off of Interstate 40 in Flagstaff.

Getting Around

Public Transit

Valley Metro (+1 602 253 5000 / http://www.valleymetro.org) services all of downtown and the surrounding suburbs as far north as Peoria and as far south as Chandler. Renewed Sunday service and 96 new buses have considerably upgraded this travel option. One-way fares cost USD1.25 and exact change is needed. For route information obtain "The Bus Book" from any tourist information desk.

DASH (Downtown Area Shuttle) is also operated by Valley Metro and exclusively services the downtown area during weekdays from 6:30a-5:30p. Stops include the State Capitol building and Heritage Square. Rides are free.

Train

Rail service is currently in the planning stage.

Taxi

Taxis are easy to track down, but due to Phoenix's sprawl and scattered attractions fares can run high. Metered fares charge USD3 for the first mile and USD1.50 thereafter. Some of the more noted companies include:

AAA Cab (+1 602 437 4000) Alpha Cab (+1 602 232 2000) Cactus Cab (+1 602 994 8778) Checker/Yellow Cab (+1 602 252 5252) Citywide Cab (+1 602 277 7100)

Car

Since many of Phoenix's main attractions, including the Phoenix Zoo, the Desert Botanical Gardens, and Scottsdale's world class golf courses are far from downtown possessing a car is a bonus rather than a hindrance. Most of the thoroughfares are laid out in a north/south, east/west direction making it easy to navigate when compared to other major cities. If possible try to avoid the downtown Interstates during morning and late afternoon rush hours.

Bike

With 495 miles of designated bike ways Phoenix is extremely bike-friendly. Most of the routes and paths stretch out over level terrain and feature underpasses at most major intersections.

Traffic Information:

To find out city traffic information go to: http://www.traffic.com

If traveling overseas, take the safety precaution of registering your trip at https://travelregistration.state.gov and for helpful, practical advice about traveling technicalities and safety standards check out http://travel.state.gov/

Scottsdale: Getting There

Air

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) +1 602 273 330 http://www.phxskyharbor.com

PHX is located 10 miles southwest of downtown Scottsdale and houses the following airlines:

AeroMexico (+1 800 237 6639/ http://www.aeromexico.com) Air Canada (+1 888 247 2262/ http://www.aircanada.ca) Alaska Airlines (+1 800 426 0333/ http://www.alaskaair.com) American (+1 800 433 7300/ http://www.aa.com) American Trans Air (+1 800 225 2995/ http://www.ata.com) Arizona Express (+1 866 435 9872/ http://www.azxpress.com) British Airways (+1 800 247 9297/ http://www.british-airways.com) Continental (+1 800 525 0280/ http://www.continental.com) Delta (+1 800 221 1212/ http://www.delta-air.com) Frontier (+1 800 432 1359/ http://www.frontierairlines.com) Great Lakes (+1 800 554 5111/ http://www.greatlakesav.com) Hawaiian Airlines (+1 800 367 5320/ http://www.hawaiianair.com) JetBlue (+1 800 538 2583/ http://www.jetblue.com) Midwest (+1 800 452 2022/ http://www.midwestairlines.com) Northwest (+1 800 225 2525/ http://www.nwa.com) Southwest (+1 800 435 9792/ http://www.southwest.com) Sun Country (+1 800 359 6786/ http://www.suncountry.com) TED (+1 800 225 5833/ http://www.flyted.com) United (+1 800 241 6522/ http://www.ual.com) US Airways (+1 800 428 4322/ http://www.usairways.com) WestJet (+1 888 937 8538/ http://www.westjet.com)

From the Airport

Shuttle: SuperShuttle offers airport-to-door service with vans departing every 15 minutes.

Taxi: AAA Cab (+1 602 437 4000) Allstate (+1 602 275 8888) Discount (+1 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} 602 200 2000 )

Car Rental: Advantage (+1 800 777 5500/ http://www.arac.com) Alamo (+1 800 327 9633/ http://www.goalamo.com) Avis (+1 800 831 2847/ http://www.avis.com) Budget (+1 800 527 0700/ http://www.budget.com) Dollar (+1 800 800 4000/ http://www.dollar.com) Enterprise (+1 800 736 8222/ http://www.enterprise.com) Hertz (+1 800 654 3131/ http://www.hertz.com) National (+1 800 227 7368/ http://www.nationalcar.com) Thrifty (+1 800 847 4389/ http://www.thrifty.com)

Train

Amtrak (+1 800 872 7245/ http://www.amtrak.com) has three stops in Phoenix: Phoenix Greyhound station, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Metro Center Transit Station. Amtrak provides service to Phoenix from several major cities around the country.

Bus

Greyhound (+1 800 231 2222/ http://www.greyhound.com) accesses Phoenix, about 10 miles from Scottsdale. The Phoenix bus station (+1 602 389 4200), located at 2115 E Buckeye Road, is open 24 hours daily.

Car

Interstate 101 runs through Scottsdale traveling north or south. From the west, take Interstate 10 and Hwy 202 from the east to 101 North to approach the city.

Getting Around

Trolley

The Scottsdale Trolley (+1 800 782 1117) is a free downtown shuttle that operates mid-November to the end of May. The Trolley runs every 10 minutes M-W, Fr-Sa from 11a-6p and Th to 9p. The Shopping Express Trolley stops at ten resorts and four shopping destinations.

Metro

The Valley Metro (+1 602 253 5000/ http://www.valleymetro.org) services Scottsdale and neighboring communities.

Limo

ARideAmerica Transportation Group (+1 866 421 7433/ http://www.ride-america.com) Arizona Limousines (+1 800 678 0033/ http://www.arizonalimos.com) Desert Knights Sedans & Limousines (+1 800 994 2494/ http://www.desertknights.com) SuperShuttle/ExecuCar/Premiere (+1 800 258 3826/ http://www.supershuttle.com)

Foot

Scottsdale is a great city for walking and bicycling with many hiking and nature trails in the area. There are a total of 58 miles of bike paths and 40 miles of riding and hiking trails. Take a hike or bike through such places as La Mirada Park, McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Pinnacle Peak Park and Scottsdale Ranch Park.

If traveling overseas, take the safety precaution of registering your trip at https://travelregistration.state.gov and for helpful, practical advice about traveling technicalities and safety standards check out http://travel.state.gov/

Florence is a walking city. You can leisurely stroll between the two top sights, the Duomo and the Uffizi, in less than 5 minutes. The hike from the most northerly sights, San Marco with its Fra' Angelico frescoes and the Accademia with Michelangelo's David, to the most southerly, the Pitti Palace across the Arno, should take no more than 30 minutes. From Santa Maria Novella across town to Santa Croce is an easy 20- to 30-minute walk.

Most of the streets, however, were designed to handle the moderate pedestrian traffic and occasional horse-drawn cart of a medieval city. Sidewalks, where they exist, are narrow -- often less than .5m (2 ft.) wide. Though much of the centro storico is closed to traffic, this doesn't include taxis, residents with parking permits, people without permits who drive there anyway, and the endless swarm of noisy Vespas and motorini (scooters).

In high season, especially July and August, the cars and their pollution (catalytic converters aren't yet standard), massive pedestrian and tourist traffic, maniac moped drivers, and stifling heat can wear you down. On some days Florence can feel like a minor circle of Dante's Inferno. Evenings tend to be cool year-round, bringing residents and visitors alike out for the traditional before-dinner passeggiata (stroll) up and down Via Calzaiuoli and down Via Roma and its continuations across the Ponte Vecchio.

A Walking Warning -- Florentine streets are mainly cobbled or flagstone, as are the sidewalks, and thus they can be rough on soles, feet, and joints after a while. Florence may be one of the world's greatest shoe-shopping cities, but a sensible pair of quality walking shoes or sneakers is highly recommended over loafers or pumps. In dress shoes or heels, forget it -- unless you are an experienced stone walker.

By Bus

You'll rarely need to use Florence's efficient ATAF bus system (tel. 055-565-0222; www.ataf.net) since the city is so wonderfully compact. Many visitors accustomed to such big cities as Rome step off their arriving train and onto a city bus out of habit, thinking to reach the center; within 5 minutes they find themselves in the suburbs. The cathedral is a mere 5- to 7-minute walk from the train station.

Bus tickets cost 1€ ($1.30) and are good for an hour. A four-pack (biglietto multiplo) is 3.90€ ($5.10), a 24-hour pass 4.50€ ($5.85), a 2-day pass 7.60€ ($9.90), a 3-day pass 9.60€ ($12), and a 7-day pass 16€ ($21). Tickets are sold at tabacchi (tobacconists), bars, and most newsstands. Once on board, validate your ticket in the box near the rear door to avoid a steep fine. If you intend to use the bus system, you should pick up a bus map at a tourist office. Since traffic is limited in most of the historic center, buses make runs on principal streets only, save four tiny electric buses that trundle about the centro storico.

By Taxi

Taxis aren't cheap, and with the city so small and the one-way system forcing drivers to take convoluted routes, they aren't an economical way to get about town. Taxis are most useful to get you and your bags between the train station and your hotel in the virtually busless centro storico. The standard rate is .80€ ($1.05) per kilometer (slightly more than a half-mile), with a whopping minimum fare of 2.40€ ($3.10) to start the meter (that rises to 4.05€/$5.25 on Sun; 5.15€/$6.70 10pm-6am), plus .60€ (80¢) per bag. There's a taxi stand outside the train station; otherwise, you have to call Radio Taxi at tel. 055-4242, 055-4798, 055-4390, or 055-4499.

By Bicycle & Scooter

In an effort to provide an alternative to driving in the city center, the city offers free bikes (well, in past years there has been a nominal .50€/65¢ fee). Firenze Parcheggi, the public garage authority (tel. 055-500-0453; www.firenzeparcheggi.it), has set up temporary sites about town (look for stands at the train station, Piazza Strozzi, Via della Nina along the south side of Palazzo Vecchio, and in the large public parking lots) where bikes are furnished free from 8am to 7:30pm; you return the bike to any of the sites.

If no bikes are left, you'll have to pay for them at a shop such as Alinari, Via Guelfa 85r (tel. 055-280-500; www.alinarirental.com), which rents bikes (2.50€/$3.25 per hour; 12€/$16 per day) and mountain bikes (3€/$3.90 per hour; 18€/$23 per day). It also rents 50cc scooters (8€/$10 per hour; 28€/$36 per day) and 100cc mopeds (10€/$13 per hour; 47€/$61 per day). Another renter with the same basic prices is Florence by Bike, Via San Zanobi 120-122r (tel. 055-488-992; www.florencebybike.it)

Illegally parked bicycles have become such an issue in Florence that authorities have begun "towing" them -- that is, breaking the locks and impounding them. Make sure you park your bike at a rack or where it won't interfere with pedestrian traffic, which is heavy in the tourist season.

By Car

Trying to drive in the centro storico is a frustrating, useless exercise. Florence is a maze of one-way streets and pedestrian zones, and it takes an old hand to know which laws to break in order to get where you need to go -- plus you need a permit to do anything beyond dropping off and picking up bags at your hotel. Park your vehicle in one of the huge underground lots on the center's periphery and pound the pavement.

By Guided Tour

American Express teams with venerable CAF Tours, Via Roma 4 (tel. 055-283-200; www.caftours.com), to offer two half-day bus tours of town (39€/$51), including visits to the Uffizi, the Medici Chapels, and Piazzale Michelangiolo. They also offer several walking tours for 23€ to 26€ ($30-$34); day trips to Pisa, Siena/San Gimignano, the Chianti, Lucca, or Medici villas for 35€ to 69€ ($46-$90); and farther afield to Venice, Rome, or Perugia/Assisi for 82€ to 105€ ($107-$137). You can book similar tours through most other travel agencies around town.

Walking Tours of Florence (tel. 055-264-5033; www.artviva.com) offers a basic 3-hour tour daily at 9:45am for 25€ ($33) adults, 20€ ($26) students under 26, or 10€ ($13) children aged 6 to 12. Meet at their office on the mezzanine level of Piazza Santa Stefano 2, a pocket-size piazza hidden off Via Por Santa Maria, between Via Lambertesca and the Ponte Vecchio. They provide many other thematic tours as well as private guides.

Call I Bike Italy (tel. 055-234-237, or 772-321-0267 in the U.S.; www.ibikeitaly.com) to sign up for 1-day rides in Fiesole for 65€ ($90), or 2 days to Siena for 203€ ($280). (This is a Florida-based company, and prearranged trips can be paid by checks made out in U.S. dollars.) A shuttle bus picks you up at 9am at the Ponte delle Grazie and drives you to the outskirts of town, and an enjoyable lunch in a local trattoria is included. You're back in town by 5pm. It might stretch your budget, but you should get out of this tourist-trodden stone city for a glimpse of the incomparable Tuscan countryside. They also offer a summertime, 2-day trip (Tues-Wed) to Siena for 203€ ($280).