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Your readers should call 1-800-916-0040 (USA and Canada) or 1-314-421-1023 for a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitors Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis online at www.explorestlouis.com

  
 

 

GETTING AROUND ST. LOUIS

MetroLink Light Rail:
St. Louis' light rail system, MetroLink, has been called one of the best mass transit systems in the country. The clean, efficient trains are a big hit with visitors and locals alike who want to see many of St. Louis' attractions without a car. The system - which begins at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and covers 46 miles - ends in suburban Belleville, Illinois, and stops at 37 Missouri and Illinois stations in between.

MetroLink's trains pull into stations near many of St. Louis' visitor attractions. These stations, listed in bold, are near the following attractions: Delmar Loop - Loop neighborhood via buses #91, 97, 60 or 16; Forest Park - Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center; Central West End - Central West End neighborhood, restaurants, Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis; Grand - Saint Louis University, Cupples House, Saint Louis University Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, Grand Center Entertainment District Theaters via buses #57, #70, #92, #15 or #42; Union Station - Union Station festival marketplace, restaurants, entertainment, hotels; Civic Center - Scottrade Center arena, City Hall, hotels; Stadium - Busch Stadium, hotels; 8th & Pine - Central downtown, restaurants, Kiener Plaza, Old Courthouse, hotels; Convention Center - America's Center convention complex, Edward Jones Dome, hotels; Arch-Laclede's Landing - Laclede's Landing Historic District, entertainment, Lumiere Place Casino, President Casino, restaurants, Gateway Arch, Gateway Riverboat Cruises, hotels; East Riverfront - Casino Queen.

A one-way ride on MetroLink costs $2.25. Tickets may be purchased and validated at each station. Trains from the airport station to downtown St. Louis cost $3.75. Day passes for MetroLink and MetroBuses are $7.50. Trains run every 10 minutes during the day. For schedule information, log on to http://www.metrostlouis.org/  or dial (314) 231-2345 in Missouri and (618) 271-2345 in Illinois. TTY: (314) 982-1555 - MO, (618) 875-1200 - IL.

Buses:
MetroBus, (314) 231-2345 in MO or (618) 271-2345 in IL. TTY:  (314) 982-1555 - MO, (618) 875-1200 - IL; MetroRide Store, Seventh St. and Washington Avenue, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. MetroBuses generally run from 4 a.m. - 2 a.m., and the fare is $2.00. Metro has developed a single route (93 Midtown) to help visitors visit more of St. Louis' attractions. The route serves primary downtown hotels and connects many of the city's most popular tourist attractions, including Soulard, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, City Museum, Grand Center arts and entertainment district, the Central West End, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, along with The Hill neighborhood and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Three MetroBus routes can take visitors from MetroLink stations to even more attractions. 

  • From the Forest Park Station, the #90 Hampton MetroBus serves the Forest Park attractions.
  • The #13 Union Garden MetroBus runs on weekdays only to the Botanical Garden and Tower Grove Park from Central West End Station.
  • The #58 Clayton-Ballas MetroBus leaves from the Forest Park Station for Washington University, the Clayton Neighborhood and the Galleria Shopping Mall.

Greyhound Bus Lines, (314) 231-4485 or (800) 231-2222 operates from 1450 N. 13th Street. 

St. Louis by Car:
An easy-to-use network of interstate highways runs through St. Louis making it a short drive to attractions. From the east, I-70, I-64 and I-55 head west across the Poplar Street Bridge and into downtown St. Louis. I-70 swings through downtown, past the airport and west through Missouri. I-55 turns south past the Anheuser-Busch brewery and continues through southeastern Missouri. I-64, which the locals call Highway 40, continues west through St. Louis, past Forest Park and to the Missouri River. I-44 begins in St. Louis and runs southwest along the former path of Route 66 to Springfield and Branson, Missouri.

Downtown St. Louis streets are laid out on a grid pattern with alternating one-way north and southbound streets. Abundant parking is available in high-rise garages run by Central/Allright Parking (314) 421-4063 and St. Louis Parking (314) 241-7777 and on surface lots throughout downtown. Parking meters on the street generally have a two-hour time limit which is strictly enforced.

Auto Rentals:
The following companies rent cars at the airport and other locations across St. Louis. Avis, airport (314) 426-7766 or (800) 331-1212; Budget (314) 423-3000 or (800) 527-0700; Enterprise Rent-A-Car, downtown (314) 436-7100, Midtown (314) 534-4440, airport (314) 427-7757 or toll-free (800) RENTACAR; Payless Airport Parking & Car Rental, St. Louis, (314) 423-1259.

Ground Transportation:
TransExpress, (314) 428-7799 or (800) 844-1985, provides roundtrip service from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to downtown and area hotels for $15 one-way and $25 round trip.

Taxis:
For taxi service, telephone the following recommended companies or locate one of their cabs at stands near most major hotels and the convention center:  County Cab Company, Yellow Cab of St. Louis, (314) 991-5544; Harris & Eagle Para Lift Service, (314) 535-5087; Laclede Cab, (314) 652-3456.

Limousines:
For limo service call:  A-VIP Limo & Car Service, (314) 576-5211 or (888) 318-0523; AAL Transportation, (314) 741-6550, (618) 462-3313 or (800) 946-0103; BEST Transportation of St. Louis, (314) 989-1500 or (866) 272-1200; Callico's Formal Limousine, (618) 234-9911; GEM Transportation, (314) 731-1707 or (800) 369-0769; LeCompte, a National Limousine (314) 830-1986; Primo Sedan and Limousine Service, (314) 298-0408 or (888) 298-0408; or Style Limousine, Inc. (314) 521-6506 or (800) 789-5311.

Trains:
Amtrak (800) 872-7245, 430 S. 15th Street, two blocks east of Union Station in downtown St. Louis 314-331-3309, provides daily rail service to St. Louis.

                                                                                                 January 1, 2009

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MEDIA NOTE: For more information or photography of St. Louis, send an e-mail to pr@explorestlouis.com or call Becky Sharp at 1-314-992-0652. For up-to-date information about St. Louis, your readers should call the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 1-800-916-0040 or check out our website at www.explorestlouis.com. This news release is also available in electronic form. To obtain an electronic version, e-mail your request to pr@explorestlouis.com or go to St. Louis’ online media center at www.explorestlouis.com/media.