Tucson - American Southwest - page 350

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520/294-1494), Budget ( & 800/527-0700 or 520/889-8800), Dollar ( & 800/800-
3665 or 866/434-2226), Enterprise ( & 800/261-7331 or 520/573-5250), Hertz ( & 800/
654-3131 or 520/573-5201), National ( & 800/227-7368 or 520/573-8050), and
Thrifty ( & 800/847-4389 or 877/283-0898).
Downtown Tucson is still a relatively easy place to find a parking space, and parking
fees are low. There are two huge parking lots on the south side of the Tucson Convention
Center, a couple of small lots on either side of the Tucson Museum of Art (one at Main
Ave. and Paseo Redondo, south of El Presidio Historic District, and one at the corner of
Council St. and Court Ave.), and parking garages beneath the main library (101 N.
Stone Ave.) and El Presidio Park (on Alameda St.). You'll find plenty of metered parking
on the smaller downtown streets. Almost all Tucson hotels and resorts provide free park-
ing.
Lanes on several major avenues in Tucson change direction at rush hour to facilitate
traffic flow, so pay attention to signs that tell you the time and direction of traffic.
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
BY BUS Covering much of the Tucson metropolitan area, Sun Tran ( & 520/792-
9222; www.suntran.com) public buses are $1 for adults and students, 40¢ for seniors,
and free for children 5 and under. Day passes are available on buses for $2.
The Ronstadt Transit Center, 215 E. Congress St., is served by about 30 regular and
express bus routes to all parts of Tucson. The bus system does not extend to such tourist
attractions as the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Old Tucson, Saguaro National Park,
or the foothills resorts, and thus is of limited use to visitors. However, Sun Tran does
provide a shuttle for sports games and special events. Call the above phone number for
information.
BY TROLLEY Although they don't go very far, the restored electric streetcars of Old
Pueblo Trolley ( & 520/792-1802; www.oldpueblotrolley.org) are a fun way to get from
the Fourth Avenue shopping district to the University of Arizona. The trolleys operate
on Friday from 6 to 10pm, Saturday from noon to midnight, and Sunday from noon to
6pm. The fare is $1 for adults and 50¢ for children 6 to 12. The fare on Sunday is only
25¢ for all riders. Friday and Saturday all-day passes are $2.50 for adults and $1.25 for
children.
BY TAXI
If you need a taxi, you'll have to phone for one. Yellow Cab ( & 520/624-6611; www.
yellowcabtucson.com) and Discount Cab ( & 520/388-9000; www.discountcab.com)
provide service throughout the city. The flag-drop rate is between $2.50 and $2.95, and
after that it's $1.95 to $2 per mile. Although distances in Tucson are not as great as those
in Phoenix, it's still a good 10 or more miles from the foothills resorts to downtown
Tucson, so expect to pay at least $10 or $12 for a taxi. Most resorts have shuttle vans or
can arrange taxi service to major attractions.

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ON FOOT
Downtown Tucson is compact and easily explored on foot, and many old streets in the
downtown historic neighborhoods are narrow and much easier to appreciate if you leave
your car in a parking lot. Also, although several major attractions—including the Ari-
zona-Sonora Desert Museum, Old Tucson Studios, Saguaro National Park, and Sabino
Canyon—can be reached only by car, they require quite a bit of walking once you arrive.