Phoenix & the Valley of the Sun - American Southwest - page 403

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streets are to be found on the east side of the city, while north-to-south numbered avenues
will be found on the west. For the most part, street numbers advance by 100 with each
block. Odd-numbered addresses are on the south and east sides of streets, while even-
numbered addresses are on the north and west sides of streets.
For example, if you're looking for 4454 E. Camelback Rd., you'll find it 44 blocks east
of Central Avenue between 44th and 45th streets on the north side of the street. If you're
looking for 2905 N. 35th Ave., you'll find it 35 blocks west of Central Avenue and 29
blocks north of Washington Street, on the east side of the street. Just for general refer-
ence, Camelback Road marks the 5000 block north. Also, whenever you're getting direc-
tions, ask for the cross street closest to where you're going.

2 GETTING AROUND

BY CAR
Phoenix and the surrounding cities that together make up the Valley of the Sun sprawl
across more than 400 square miles, so if you want to make the best use of your time, it's
essential to have a car. Outside downtown Phoenix, there's almost always plenty of free
parking wherever you go (although finding a parking space can be time-consuming in
Old Scottsdale and at some of the more popular malls and shopping plazas). If you want
to feel like a local, opt for the ubiquitous valet parking (just be sure to keep plenty of
small bills on hand for tipping the parking attendants).
Because Phoenix is a major tourist destination, good car-rental rates are often avail-
able. However, taxes and surcharges on rentals at Sky Harbor Airport now run 50% or
more, which pretty much negates any deal you might get on your rate. Expect to pay
anywhere from $160 to $250 per week ($240-$375 with taxes) for a compact car in the
high season. See chapter 3 for general tips on car rentals.
All major rental-car companies have desks at Sky Harbor Airport's Rental Car Center,
which is separate from the airport terminals and is served by a free shuttle bus. Be sure
to leave time in your schedule to get from the Rental Car Center to the correct terminal
for your flight. There are also plenty of other car-rental offices in Phoenix and Scottsdale.
Rental-car companies at the airport include the following: Advantage ( & 800/777-5500
or 602/244-0450), Alamo ( & 800/462-5266 or 602/244-0897), Avis ( & 800/331-
1212 or 602/261-5900), Budget ( & 800/527-0700 or 602/261-5950), Dollar ( & 800/
800-3665 or 866/434-2226), Enterprise ( & 800/261-7331 or 602/225-0588), Fox
( & 800/225-4369 or 602/275-9700), Hertz ( & 800/654-3131 or 602/267-8822),
National ( & 800/227-7368 or 602/275-4771), Payless ( & 800/729-5377 or 602/681-
9589), and Thrifty ( & 800/847-4389 or 602/244-0311).
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The free Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) provides bus service within the downtown
area Monday through Friday from 6:30am to 6:30pm. These buses serve regular stops
every 12 minutes; they're primarily for downtown workers, but attractions along the
route include the state capitol and Heritage and Science Park. In Tempe, FLASH buses
provide a similar service on a loop around Arizona State University, including Mill Ave-
nue and Sun Devil Stadium, from Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm; another
loop operates Monday through Thursday from 7am to 1am and Friday from 7am to
10pm. For information on both DASH and FLASH, call & 602/253-5000.

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