Cheap Flights To Memphis

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Cheap Flights To Memphis

Overview
When to Go
Airport Information
Weather
Things to Do
Local Attractions
Must See Sights
Insider Tips
Getting Around

Overview
Memphis is Tennessee’s largest city and has spawned several of the 20th century’s major musical forms. The southern metropolis birthed the blues, rock ‘n’ roll and soul music. Music is the backbone of any trip to Memphis, but there are many other reasons to visit. World famous barbecue, fried catfish and a melting pot of cultural, musical, historical and economic influences are all part of the city’s Southern charm.

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When to Go
High Season
Summer is peak tourism season, with Elvis Week in August bringing the most visitors to the city. Hotels and restaurants are heavily booked throughout summer. The best month to visit Memphis is May, when weather is fresh and mild and the city’s “Memphis in May” annual celebration is held. Fall is also a good time to visit, when the city holds its Memphis Music and Heritage Festival over Labor Day weekend.

Low Season
Mid-November to February is low season, when weather turns cold with daytime temperatures below freezing. Most major festivals and events are held in the spring and fall, so travelers will find less crowds and better prices during the winter months.

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Airport Information
Memphis International Airport (MEM)
Distance: 13 miles south of downtown Memphis
Drive time: 15 minutes without traffic

Memphis International is the world’s busiest cargo airport and services about nine million passengers per year. Airport facilities include banks, ATMs, travel agencies, restaurants and duty free shops. TennCo Express provides hourly shuttle services from the airport to many downtown hotels. Tickets cost $15 one-way and $25 round trip.

Rental car service is also available at the airport courtesy of Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and Enterprise. Taxis are also available outside the terminal, and rides can range from 30 to 60 minutes downtown depending on traffic. The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) offers an hourly public bus service via the lower level near Terminal C to the city.

Alternative Airports
Little Rock National Airport (LIT) -130 miles from Memphis

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Weather
During July and August, temperatures average 100 degrees with an added dose of very high humidity. Spring and fall are far less muggy and days are often warm with cool nights. Winters can be cold with daytime temperatures below freezing. Heavy rains can hit anytime of the year, so bring a wide variety of clothes.

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Things to Do
Visit Sun Studio
Elvis recorded his first hit, “That’s All Right,” here. Sun Studio is where dozens of blues, country and rock musicians recorded during the 1950s. Founded by Sam Phillips in 1950, the studio became the heart of Memphis sound. Take a tour and see exhibits related to the artists who recorded here, including Johnny Cash and Ray Orbison.

Elmwood Cemetery Tour
Elmwood Cemetery is the resting place of 70,000 ordinary citizens, prominent leaders and musicians. One hour audio guides highlight well-known figures buried in the cemetery.

Local Attractions
Memphis Zoo and Aquarium
The Memphis Zoo houses over 3,000 types of animal species on 70 acres, including giant pandas, bears, lions and elephants. Stroll through the five-acre primate habitat, the nocturnal animal exhibit and extensive “big cat” grounds, among other exciting areas.

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Local Attractions
Memphis Zoo and Aquarium
The Memphis Zoo houses over 3,000 types of animal species on 70 acres, including giant pandas, bears, lions and elephants. Stroll through the five-acre primate habitat, the nocturnal animal exhibit and extensive “big cat” grounds, among other exciting areas.

Beale Street
Beale Street, home of the blues, is the most famous street in Memphis. Catch live music, visit dozens of nightclubs and restaurants, or enjoy authentic soul food. This street of restored buildings is family-friendly during the day and transforms into a pedestrian-heavy hub of nightlife after dusk.

Pink Palace Museum
This pink museum is housed in the Georgian marble home of Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain owner Clarence Sanders. Before Sanders finished building his Pink Palace he went bankrupt, and the home was acquired by the city for use as a museum of cultural and national history. Exhibits include a full-scale replica of the first Piggly Wiggly market, an old-fashioned pharmacy, the evolution of medical research and life-sized dinosaurs. Be sure to also visit the Sharpe Planetarium and IMAX Theater while there.

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Must See Sights
National Civil Rights Museum
Built on the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, the National Civil Rights Museum serves as a memorial to the Civil Rights movement. Exhibits chronicle the struggle of African Americans from the time of slavery to the present.

Graceland
Visit the King’s most famous home, Graceland, and tour the mansion grounds with an audio guide. The automobile museum features 33 cars, including Elvis’s Pink Cadillac, several motorcycles and his MG from Blue Hawaii. Graceland is Memphis’ biggest attraction and is the second most visited home in America.

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Insider Tips

• Visit the Peabody Hotel fountain to view the parade of ducks marching to the sounds of John Philip Sousa’s “King Cotton March” each morning. At night the ceremony is reversed and the ducks go back to their home via the elevator to the roof.
• Head to Chef Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous restaurant for a taste of authentic Memphis pork barbeque. Open since 1948, it has been featured in numerous movies and books and includes a beer hall upstairs. Before you go, make sure to know the difference between “wet” (cooked with liquid sauce) and “dry” (rubbed with a dry blend) ribs.
• Walk through the Cooper-Young neighborhood in midtown and shop at the specialty boutiques or peek inside the House of Mews, a storefront converted into a sanctuary for stray cats.
• True Elvis fans can stay where the King once lived with his parents at Lauderdale Courts, now transformed into Uptown Square. Tourists can rent this apartment, including a 1950s stage kitchen, for $250 a night.

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Getting Around
Driving is the easiest way to get around Memphis. Downtown parking is plentiful. If traveling by bus, the MATA operates dozens of buses that travel through the greater Memphis area. MATA also runs a streetcar service—the Main Street Trolley. Vintage trolley cars run two miles along Main Street. Another line runs two miles east on Madison Avenue. Trolleys run approximately every 10 minutes and fares are $1 each way. Sun Studio also runs a free shuttle bus between Sun Studio, the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum on Beale Street and Graceland. The black van holds 12 passengers and is free.

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