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The advice rendered on this page is accurate to the best of my belief; however, no liability is accepted for loss, damage or injury arising from any use of this information. No royalties or commissions have been received for inclusion of links on this page and no personal recommendation of linked sites should be assumed unless stated; links are listed in alphabetic order where appropriate. |
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Downtown from Music Row |
1. Plan Early Going to Fan Fair next June? When should you start planning? Try December the previous year! Really. The first thing you're going to need is a Fan Fair reservation. If you live in the USA, go to the CMA Official FanFair website to find out how to register for more details. If you're in Europe, try the CMA's European offices in London. They can be e-mailed by clicking here.
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2. Flights You might think that getting a flight to the USA is going to be a piece of cake. You'd be right. But getting a flight to Nashville itself may not be that simple. You'll be on the same internal flights as thousands of Americans travelling to Nashville too, so it's best to book reasonably early to make sure that you get the flight you want at the right price. Start monitoring the flight prices early in the New Year. The transatlantic airfare market is very competitive and there are some bargains to be had if you shop around. British travellers should watch ITV's Teletext. It's also worth remembering that you don't have to book your flight from the country of departure: it's perfectly legal to buy a flight to America from an American company. If you're definitely going to Fan Fair and you're absolutely certain of when you're going and coming back, you can save serious money by buying fixed, non-refundable tickets rather than flexible, returnable ones. On the Internet, these sites might be of help to you: 3. Hire Cars Most of the major hire car companies are represented in Nashville and here's one area where you don't need to worry too much about inflated prices. Cars have wheels (yes - it's true!) and they're easily shipped in to meet demand. The best advice for European travellers is to book a hire car before you leave for the USA. Pay all your taxes and insurance extras in advance, as they'll cost you more at the airport. Basic rental costs will include only third party insurance up to the minimum requirements of Tennessee; you'd be well advised to buy additional insurance cover. A Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) package covers you for damage caused to your vehicle. A Liability Insurance Supplement (LIS) will provide coverage for other liabilities (like third parties) above the state minimum. These may be expensive, but they're cheap compared to a million dollar lawsuit. Oh, and don't forget, Brits, they drive on the wrong side of the road over there.... On the Internet, these sites might be of help to you: Apex Internet Car Rentals - Nashville Website 4. Hotels Hotels rooms are snapped up pretty quickly in advance of Fan Fair, so you need to give consideration to what type of accommodation you want and how far you're prepared to travel to Fan Fair. Downtown hotels are about 3 to 4 miles from the Fairgrounds, but are obviously convenient for city centre activities. Opryland hotels are a good 8 miles from Fan fair, but again, they're very convenient for The Opry and the like. There are also numerous hotels around the airport and in Murfreesboro and the surrounding districts, as well as at virtually every intersection of the Interstates that envelop Nashville. Be warned: most hotel rates are advertised exclusive of state taxes, which, in 1999, stood at 13%. On the Internet, these sites might be of help to you: 5. Personal Safety You've all seen NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues. Well, Nashville's not exactly a hotbed of crime, but common sense is the best defence against being a victim of crime. Don't leave your valuables unattended in your hotel room: put them in the hotel safe or your room safe, if it has one. I have been told that it is state law in Tennessee that hotels must provide safe space, but some seem to only make a token gesture. Don't carry all your money around with you in a really visible manner: just keep enough money on you for your current needs, or try to use credit cards as much as possible. Don't go wandering down dark alleys alone in the dark. You are also advised to avoid 4th Avenue south of Broadway after dark. If you're driving around, keep your car doors locked and your windows wound up (use the car's air-conditioning to combat the heat). 6. Other Practicalities It's not just crime that you need to take precautions against: to those not used to it, the heat can be a serious problem. The daytime temperature can reach into the 90s, and the baking sun will soon turn pasty white Europeans into burnt offerings. Take plenty of sun block. Don't just cover your arms and legs: cover your neck, your face, your ears - everything that's exposed. If you don't you'll find out why Southerners are known as "rednecks"... Wear a hat. It doesn't have to be a stetson (although you'll have no trouble buying one); a baseball cap will do the job just as well. Carry around plenty of bottled water. At the Fairgrounds, you can buy iced bottles of water, although that'll work out quite expensive over the week. My advice is to go to the nearest drug store or "gas" station to your hotel and buy bottled water at much cheaper rates and stand the bottles on, or infront of, your hotel room's air-conditioning over night. No matter what you do, you'll find that bottled water doesn't stay cold for long out in the sun... 7. Other Useful Web Addresses Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau Website The Tennessean Newspaper Website Yahoo! Travel: Nashville Pages
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