Charlotte transit system is well developed. The public transportation system in Charlotte is regulated by
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and
LYNX light rail. The Charlotte Area Transit System serves the Mecklenburg County and a few nearby counties while the LYNX light rail is the best way to get around Uptown. Charlotte has many transportation options to help you get around anywhere in the city.
Image by Bocanegra.carlos via Wikimedia Commons
Getting to Charlotte by Air
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT) is the biggest airport in Charlotte and is located 7 miles west of Charlotte. The airport is served by the following airlines:
American Airlines,
Continental Airlines,
Lufthansa,
Air Canada,
US Airways,
Delta,
Delta Comair and Delts ASA,
United Airlines,
Northwest Airlines. The CLT airport has many onsite shops and restaurants.
Address: 5501 Josh Birmingham Parkway, Charlotte, North Carolina 28208, United States
Phone: 1 704 359 4013
Website: www.charlotteairport.com
Traveling To and From Airport
Sprinter, a special bus line operates regularly between the Uptown and the airport. This bus service is managed and operated by the
Charlotte Area Transit System. The fare for the bus service- Sprinter is $2, and are available from outside Zone D. You can rent a car or take a taxi from the airport. Taxis are easily available from outside the terminal of the baggage reclaim area. Taxis from the CLT airport to Uptown charge $25.
Some of the car rental companies operating in Charlotte from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport are:
Alamo National Enterprise
Travel to Charlotte by Train
The Amtrak service goes to Atlanta, Washington DC through Charlotte. The station is on the bus route 11, North Tryon near Dalton.
Website: www.amtrak.com
Travel to Charlotte by Car
You can get to Charlotte by car. The interstate highways through Charlotte are:
I-85 from northwest-southwest and takes you to Greensboro and Burlington.
I-77 from north-south
I-40 is a main east-west highway
Travel to Charlotte by Bus
Greyhound: It is served by bus no. 34- Freedom Dr, bus 7- Beatties Ford, and bus 8-Tuckaseegee. It offers regular service to Charlotte. The Greyhound station is situated in the north-west of Uptown.
Address: 601 W Trade St, Charlotte, United States
Website: www.greyhound.comMegabus: Megabus services are available from Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Richmond and Durham to Charlotte. The mega buses leave along the S Breveard Street, outside the Charlotte Transportation Center. The fare is $1 and above per person.
Get Around Charlotte
The best and easiest means of transport to travel around Charlotte is Car.
Getting Around Charlotte by Foot
You can get around Charlotte by foot. Most of the attractions can be easily reached by foot. Some of the districts are pedestrian-friendly, such as
Dilworth and
NoDa.
Getting Around Charlotte by Car
The easiest way to get around Charlotte is Car. The streets are numbered so it is easy to navigate. Also, there are many car services operating in Charlotte, such as
Lyft and
Uber. Fares vary depending on the route distance, start point and destination.
Getting Around Charlotte by Taxi
Taxis are easily available in Charlotte. There are many taxi companies operating in Charlotte. If the taxi is vacant, the sign on the roof of the car will be lit up, and if passengers are in the taxi, the sign will be off.
In Charlotte, the city regulates the cab fares, and is same for all the cab service companies. The pickup cost or initial fare is $2.50 and each one-fifth mile rate is $0.50. At the time of rush hours (7:00am-9:00am; and 4:00pm-6:00pm) in weekdays, the rate is $0.50 for every minute spent in stopped traffic.
Some of the popular taxi companies operating in Charlotte:Crown Cab Charlotte Diamond Cab Yellow Cab of Charlotte
Explore the best things to do when you're in Charlotte!
Traveling Around Charlotte by Light Rail
Image by Justin Ruckman via Wikimedia CommonsLYNX Blue Line light rail corridor is fast and efficient mode of transport in order to travel from Uptown to South Charlotte. It travels through south end and along the South Boulevard all the way down to Interstate 485 and halts at major Uptown destination- the Convention Center, Time Warner Cable Arena. During weekdays, it travels every 7-10 minutes and on weekend, every 20-30 minutes.
Website: http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/lynx/Pages/default.aspxOperating hours: 5:30am-1:30am
Fare: One-way ticket costs $1.75; day pass is for $4.50.
Passes can be taken online or at
different locations in Charlotte. One-way tickets can be taken from ticket vending machine at each platform station.
Getting Around Charlotte by Bus
The bus system in Charlotte is regulated by
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). It runs over 40 routes throughout Charlotte, with stops in Uptown near some of the top attractions. You can pay for the bus ride with the pass or exact fare. For one-leg or two-leg trip, the rate is $1.75, for express bus the fare is $2, and for a shuttle service the rate is $0.60.
Getting Around Charlotte by Trolley
Charlotte Trolley runs on the LYNX line between the Uptown and the South End. It stops at LYNX light rail stations in South End, Uptown, and at Tremont, Ninth Street and Atherton Mill. The fare for Charlotte Trolley is $1.75.
Getting Around by Bicycle
You can get around Charlotte by bicycle. Many areas in Charlotte are bicycle-friendly., mainly the south-central area. Bicycles have the same traffic laws as cars.
Charlotte Taxi/Cab Services
Crown Cab IncAddress: 1541 St George St, Charlotte, NC 28205, United States
Phone: 1 704-334-6666
Website:
www.crowncabinc.comProfessional Cab of CharlotteAddress: Charlotte, NC, United States
Phone: 1 704-525-3000
Royal CabAddress: 2000 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28206, United States
Phone: 1 704-222-2222
Website:
www.royalcab.com
Diamond Cab CompanyAddress: 456 Atando Ave, Charlotte, NC 28206, United States
Phone: 1 704-333-3030
Website:
www.charlottediamondcab.com
City Cab LLCAddress: Charlotte, NC, United States
Phone: 1 704-333-3327
Website:
www.citycabofcharlotte.comCharlotte Taxi CabAddress: Mainline Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203, United States
Phone: 1 704-325-9999
Website:
www.clttaxicab.com
Ladycabbie's Taxi ServiceAddress: 8530 E Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28227, United States
Phone: 1 704-975-6666
Gloria's Transportation ServiceAddress: Charlotte, NC, United States
Phone: 1 704-713-9682
Website:
www.gloriatransportationservice.com
United Cab OF CharlotteAddress: 3547 N Sharon Amity Rd, Charlotte, NC 28205, United States
Phone: 1 704-594-7187
Affordable Charlotte ShuttleAddress: 5501 R C Josh Birmingham Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28208, United States
Phone: 1 704-238-3204
Website:
www.affordablecharlotteshuttle.com
All City Transportation Co.Address: 3910 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211, United States
Phone: 1 704-907-3995
Website:
www.allcitytransportation.com
A Map Guide on Getting In and Around Charlotte