Getting Here and Around

From the east and west, the main route to Asheville is Interstate 40. Interstate 26 brings you from the Ohio Valley in the north or the coast of South Carolina in the south. The most scenic route to Asheville is via the Blue Ridge Parkway, which meanders between Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina. Interstate 240 forms a freeway perimeter around Asheville, and Pack Square is the center of the city.

Although a car is virtually a necessity to explore Asheville thoroughly, the city does have a metropolitan bus system with nearly 20 routes radiating from the Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) Center downtown. Asheville also has a hop-on, hop-off, sightseeing trolley service and other tour services; tickets are available at the Asheville Visitor Center. The city is highly walkable, and the best way to see downtown is on foot.