| Lesson Two: Planning a Trip to the CMA Music Festival | |
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Updated 03/03/08
Driving or Flying
By Car
If you live in the surrounding states, or just like to drive, you'll find Nashville very easy-to-find destination. Built as a hub city, it is intersected by three interstate highways. I-65 runs north to Lexington, KY and south to Birmingham, AL. I-40 runs east to Knoxville and west to Memphis. I-24 runs northwest to St. Louis, MO and southeast to Atlanta, GA.
| Driving distances to Nashville | |
|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | 241 |
| Atlanta, GA | 213 |
| Birmingham, AL | 183 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 240 |
| Greenville, SC | 265 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 251 |
| St. Louis, MO | 255 |
By Air
Nashville is a hub city for Southwest Airlines, with over 87 daily flights out of the city. Other major airlines that fly into Nashville include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and U.S. Airways.
By Bus
Greyhound offers service to Nashville from destinations across the country.
Airport to Hotel Shuttles
If you are flying, and need transportation to your hotel, many hotels offer free shuttle service to/from the airport. Here is a list of the hotels participating, as well as the shuttle schedule and hotel phone number to call for the shuttle.
If you didn't bring your own car, you'll have to consider if you want to rent a car. Included in your the CMA Music Festival ticket is access to the free shuttles between the various venues, but there are other things in Nashville that you may want to see.
Below is a list of Car Rental Agencies in Nashville.
Parking
In downtown Nashville, there are many parking lots which range from $3.00 - $10.00 per day. You drop your money into the self-service machine in the parking lot. There are also many parking garages and municipal lots as well.
When parking on the street, be sure to check the time limit on the parking meter. Also, certain areas don't allow parking during rush hour (from 4:00 - 5:30 pm), so make sure you aren't parked in one of these "no parking" areas, or your car may be ticketed and towed.
For parking at LP Field, where the nightly shows are held during the CMA Music Festival, you will need to have a parking pass. These can be purchased by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378). There are NO EXCEPTIONS. Parking Passes are: $28.00 for Car, $60.00 for Van/Shuttle, $120.00 for RV/Motorcoach.
The parking pass is good for four days (no overnight parking) and spaces are limited. There are also more than 20,000 public parking spaces in the greater Downtown area.
the CMA Music Festival Shuttles
Included in your the CMA Music Festival ticket is access to the free shuttles between LP Field, The Convention Center, Riverfront Park, and the Family Zone/Hall of Fame Park. These shuttles do NOT stop at any hotels.
Shuttles run from 7:30 am to 11:30 pm daily, June 8-11, and run in a continuous loop every 5-10 minutes, so if you just missed a bus, it's a short wait for the next one. The service is FREE to CMA Music Festival four-day ticket holders. Accessible shuttle buses are available with attendants to offer assistance.
Stops include:
- LP Field
Northeast Corner at Gates 2 and 3 (Titans MTA stop).
Event site for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field and CMA Music Festival Sports Zone. - NASHVILLE CONVENTION CENTER
On Broadway near the corner of Fifth Avenue North.
Event site for the autograph sessions at the Wrangler® the CMA Music Festival (Exhibit Hall) located in the Nashville Convention Center. - HALL OF FAME PARK
On Demonbruen at the corner of Fifth Avenue South.
Event site for the Bush's® Baked Beans Family Zone. - 2ND AVE AND BROADWAY
Curbside at the corner of Second Avenue North and Broadway.
Event site for the Fun Zone.
Information above on the shuttles is from the 2006 CMA Music Festival website.
NOTE:
My first day at the CMA Music Festival in 2004, I was unsure what the shuttles looked like. I thought they might have had the Festival Logo on them, or maybe they'd be trolleys or something. It turns out that the shuttles are regular-sized Gray Line buses. There are also special buses for disabled visitors. For specific information, ask the attendant at the bus stop for assistance. If you have additional questions in advance of CMA Music Festival , please contact the Box Office by calling 1- 800-CMA-FEST . Also, if you have suggestions on how we may improve your experience at CMA Music Festival, please stop at a CMA Music Festival Information Booth to complete a Comment Card. Your input is valued.
Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge
During your visit to the 2006 CMA Music Festival, be sure to take advantage of Nashville's new Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge, which connects the Downtown activities to the all-new Sports Zone and Carnival on LP Field grounds, as well as the nightly shows taking place in LP Field.
Ample paid surface lots and parking garages are available in Downtown Nashville, and this new pedestrian bridge will make it easy for you to move back and forth from the Downtown activities to those taking place on LP Field property, all the while enjoying the walk over the beautiful Cumberland River.
Gray Line Shuttle Service
If you haven't rented a car, you might want to use this form of transportation, especially if your hotel is in an outlying area of town.
Stops include:
- Music Valley Drive at Music Valley Village (Suite 161) with handicapped accessible parking and transportation.
- Opry Mills (Entry 4 at the Food Court).
Shuttle service from outlying areas of Nashville to the CMA Music Festival events Downtown will be available from several park-and-ride locations with unlimited access on the "Gray Line Satellite Shuttle"-the CMA Music Festival's official Satellite Shuttle service! You will need to purchase a separate pass to ride the Satellite Shuttle.
Cost for the Gray Line Satellite Shuttle service is $35 for a five-day pass (Wednesday-Sunday) and $30 for a four-day pass (Thursday-Sunday). One-day passes are available ON SITE ONLY for $10. We encourage registrants to make your reservations in advance. For advance Gray Line Satellite Shuttle reservations, call (800) 251-1864 or (615) 883-5555.
NOTE:
Prices and information about Gray Line Shuttle Service is from the 2004 CMA Music Festival website. If the prices or any other information changes for 2007, I will update this page with the corrected information when I receive it.
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