Sightseeing in Atlanta Without Car- My experience

Recently I visited Atlanta along with my family for a vacation. Atlanta sightseeing was the main motive but I have a "Drive-O-Fobia"- if you know what I mean 😉
So my quest was Sightseeing in Atlanta on foot... well not really, it was more of using public transport.

Atlanta public transport system MARTA is a combination of Metro and bus which covers each and every part of Atlanta. 

Also, all the tourist attractions in Atlanta are near the public transport system. 
So, the questiong is "Do You Need A Car In Atlanta?" 

My answer is don’t bother! instead use public transport which is as cheap as driving your car if not more, and you get the freedom from driving.

Did I tell you that I do not believe in spending big bucks on traveling… well, I did just now.😇

So Here I was in Atlanta, with no car and no inclination to spend loads of money in Uber/Lyft/Taxies.

Why You Don’t Need A Car In Atlanta?

My friend in this journey was MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority). It has both metro and bus services and both were available with Breeze card at very cheap rates.

Atlanta, apart from being a beautiful city, is very well planned. Most of the Atlanta sights to see were near the MARTA Metro stations or MARTA bus stops.

So let me tell you about my Fun with no car in Atlanta.

We came from Memphis to Atlanta by Megabus, do read How I got $1 ticket for this travel.

Megabus dropped us at civic center MARTA metro station. It was the last stop.

We took the stairs to reach the Metro ticket vending machine. It was electronic machine dispensing tickets. There I got the Breeze card from the vending machine.

The machine is pretty intuitive to use, but may take some time for the first-timer.

How to buy Marta tickets?

There are two types of tickets one can buy, A paper ticket or a plastic card.

If you are planning to spend a few days in Atlanta and do all the sightseeing using public transport, buy a plastic card as it’s rechargeable.

Note: Plastic card extra $2, paper ticket extra $1

There are many options as well to save money like one-day pass, 3-day pass, etc. As per your sightseeing plan, you can opt for these options and save a lot of money.

My plan was to spend one full day at each spot, so I just loaded my card with the amount I calculated for my stay and paid per trip.

I even used it for my commute from Hotel to the Metro and then the Metro to my destination- without paying extra.😊

Once a ticket is activated by tapping it on the Metro entry slot or bus, it’s valid for 3hrs i.e you can get down from Metro, catch a bus or multiple buses for your destination at the same cost..provided its within 3 hrs and is not a return journey.

Attractions in Atlanta, Georgia

Following are my suggestions, but you can have your own list:

⇒ Georgia Aquarium
⇒ World of Coca Cola
⇒ CNN Studio tours
⇒ Atlanta Zoo
⇒ Martin Luther King Jr site
⇒ Centennial Olympic park
⇒ Sky View

Places near MARTA Metro:

Tourists in Atlanta, GA can visit many other places, check this video to have a sneak peek into what you are signing up for!!

Sightseeing tours in Atlanta

I am a big fan of getting on a tour when visiting a new city. This way the tour takes care of all the traveling and entry tickets etc while giving a good discount.

I highly recommend getting a Citypass. It covers all the attractions, gives you a huge discount and no time wasting in standing in queues!!

Things to do in Atlanta for free

There are many tourist attractions in Atlanta that you can enjoy without buying a ticket.

Centennial Olympic Park:

This is a huge park in the center of many paid attractions. The Olympic symbol and many other statues are worth taking pictures of. It’s near Peachtree Marta.

Martin Luther King Jr site:

This historic site will give you a glimpse of MLK’s life. It’s near King memorial Transit station.

Arabia Mountain:

A must-visit place for nature lovers. The farmlands, hiking trails, and mountains are impressive.

Atlanta Monetory Museum

See the history of money and the Federal reserve’s role in this self-guided tour. It’s near to Midtown station41

What’s happening in Atlanta this weekend

Atlanta is vibrant and full of life. It will make sense to check out what all is happening there on the weekend you plan to visit the city. This way you can catch up on any special attractions in Atlanta!!

check whats happening in Atlanta this weekend

What’s the weather like in Atlanta

It is very important to check the weather before you plan your travel especially if it’s a fun trip. You do not want to get stuck in extreme climates.

The best way to check is the weather site or just Google!!

The Don’ts of visiting Atlanta

Make sure not only to check the Do’s but also Don’ts of any city you are visiting to be on a safer side. Big cities have their ugly side as well which tourists to be aware of and stay clear of.

Watch this Don’t of Atlanta video

Where to stay in Atlanta While Traveling without a car?

If you are visiting Atlanta during weekdays (nonholidays), the hotel rates at downtown are pretty cheap. Most of the attractions are within walking distance from there.

In case your plan is over weekends, then look for any hotel near a MARTA.

MARTA frequency is very good, so just by spending an additional 10-15 min of travel time, you may end up saving a lot on hotel rooms at places away from downtown.

Conclusion:

Do you need a car for sightseeing in Atlanta? No, not at all… in fact using MARTA will give you a better understanding of people living in Atlanta isn’t that the actual fun of visiting a place?

Sights are good to see but people are the ones who make the cities worth visiting.

Click on the link to Check the list of other Must Visit Places in the USA