Getting Around Charlotte

Transportation for visitors to Charlotte is made easy due to the lay out of the municipal area and the variety of public transportation options. The city planners followed a grid pattern, producing city blocks that are painless to navigate.

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Bus Service runs from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. Their Sprinter service offers a direct connection from the airport to Center City every 20 minutes during the weekdays and every half hour on nights and weekends. Additionally, more than 40 bus line routes through out the county allow the curious visitor access to just about every venue in the Charlotte area.

LYNX Blue Line Light Rail is the rapid transit system for North Carolina. It connects South Charlotte with Center City museums, nightlife, sporting events and entertainment. The service runs ten miles south to I77 and South Boulevard, operates 7 days a week from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., and makes 15 stops at stations along the way.

For a bit slower pace and for and trip down memory lane, the Charlotte Trolley presents an educational tour of the city. Take one of three vintage trolleys on a two-mile journey that runs on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check the online schedule to find a time when a docent is on board, or take a self guided tour by using the Trolley’s History On Call, a free cell phone based tour that highlights some of the people and places of the city’s rich history. Stop by the Powerhouse Museum to find out more about the colorful history of the trolleys and the city.

Finally, the Gold Rush line provides transportation in rubber-wheeled trolleys that resemble historic streetcars and provide service that runs north and south along Tryon Street and west along Trade Street. It stops at marked bus stops at eight and fifteen minute intervals from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays.