Phoenix in United States of America

Despite being a nice vacation destination, Phoenix does contain a fair amount of violent crime. Some parts of the city should be avoided at night. Downtown is safe during the day, but does have a problem with transients. If visiting downtown at night (such as a Diamondbacks or Suns game), always go with a group. South Phoenix has a gang problem and can be unsafe in some areas (though there is not much to see anyway). Maryvale, in the west valley, should be avoided at almost all times unless there is a specific reason to go there. Most of the suburban areas are safe during day and night. Parts of Mesa and Glendale can be dangerous at night. The Sunnyslope area (north central Phoenix) has some issues and should be avoided at night. The town of Guadalupe is unsafe at night, but is an incredibly interesting hispanic community to visit during the day. Just use common sense and be aware of your surroundings.

Phoenix/Downtown

This area spans approximately two to three square miles, with main arteries running along Central Avenue (Soon to have light rail) and Washington/Jefferson Streets respectively. Three out of the five tallest skyscrapers in Arizona are in Downtown Phoenix proper.

Phoenix/Midtown

There are a handful of officially recognized and protected historic neighborhoods and a variety of cultural, performance, and sporting venues in this area of town.

Phoenix/West Phoenix

Includes Maryvale and Estrella, this area has seen its better days and is suffering urban decline. However, a highlight in the area includes the Cricket Pavilion which is a great place to see a concert.

Phoenix/North

Includes Deer Valley, Desert View, North Mountain, North Gateway, and New Village. The Phoenix Mountains are located here and offer a plethora of hiking and outdoor activities.

Phoenix/Camelback East

A very upscale area of town which contains the famous Biltmore Hotel, Papago Park, the Phoenix Zoo, and world class resorts. The surrounding area is also known to feature expensive office space, upscale stores, and luxury homes.

Phoenix/South

Includes Laveen.

Phoenix/Ahwatukee

An upscale neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona bordered on the north by South Mountain Regional Park, on the east by I-10 and the cities of Chandler (Arizona)

See also Greater Phoenix for destinations in the sprawling Phoenix metropolitan area.

By plane

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (602) 275-4958 http://phoenix.gov/AVIATION/

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the main gateway to Phoenix. It is located in East Phoenix 3 miles from downtown. All major U.S. carriers serve Phoenix Sky Harbor with extensive flights to major cities across the country. It also serves as a hub for Southwest Airlines http://www.iflyswa.com and US Airways http://www.usairways.com/.

Alternative Airports

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport 480-988-7600 http://www.phxmesagateway.org/

Located east of Phoenix, in neighboring Mesa. It is served mainly by Allegiant Air http://www.allegiantair.com/aaIndex.php, although Vision Airlines http://www.visionairlines.com/ also offers service from North Las Vegas. Currently, this is a smaller sized airport but is in the process of being redeveloped into a major regional airport.

Phoenix Deer Valley Airport 623-869-0975 http://phoenix.gov/deervalleyairport/

Located just 15 miles North of Downtown Phoenix, this is the busiest general aviation airport in the United States.

By train

Due to a dispute among the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Union Pacific Railroad, and Amtrak, passenger train service to Phoenix has been discontinued. Amtrak passengers may disembark at Maricopa, Arizona (25 miles south of Phoenix) and arrange their own travel into the city. No regular shuttle service currently exists. (Alternative: they may disembark at Flagstaff instead and take a bus into Phoenix from there. The Maricopa-Phoenix route, which uses taxi services, takes about an hour but one likely has to wait for the taxi after calling; the Flagstaff-Phoenix route takes three hours.)

By car

Interstate 10 enters Phoenix from the south and west, and Interstate 17 comes in from the north. US Route 60 is also a major route into Phoenix from the east. Arizona State Route 87 comes in south from Payson.

By bus

Amtrak http://www.amtrak.com/ sells tickets to and from Flagstaff. Arizona Shuttle http://www.arizonashuttle.com/ offers shuttle service between Sky Harbor and Tucson. GotoBus http://www.gotobus.com/ sells tickets to and from Los Angeles, California. Greyhound Bus Lines, 2115 E. Buckeye Rd., +1 602-389-4200, http://www.greyhound.com/. This is a large bus terminal adjacent to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. MaricopaXpress http://www.maricopa-az.gov/web/news/MaX.php, a commuter service offering two morning inbound trips from the town of Maricopa and two afternoon outbound trips. Fares are $3.00 and under. TUFESA Bus Lines, Bus service to/from Mexico.

Renting a car like a local The new Car Rental Facility for the Phoenix Airport is just west of the airport itself. National polls have shown that Phoenix is the 4th highest city in terms of surcharges in the nation. Car rental companies are required to add 29% (no decimal point, that's twenty nine percent!) to your bill to pay for this state of the art building. Take a cab to a local office of a car rental company. Do not tell them you are flying in. That way you are a local rental and do not have to pay some of the surcharges that are automatic if you rent at the car rental building at the airport. The surcharges finance everything from the local jails to the new Cardinals Stadium. The cab will likely be $25, but the surcharges for a $499 weekly rental will take your bill upwards of $650 and more. That cab looks a little cheaper now, doesn't it?

Alternatively, if you're doing a tour of the Southwest, consider flying into Las Vegas and renting your car there — the taxes are much lower and doing a one-way drop off to Phoenix is generally not a problem.

Due to the high level of suburban sprawl in the city, getting anywhere on foot is almost an impossibility. The limited options for public transportation mean that using a car will be a necessity in Phoenix.

Valley Metro http://www.valleymetro.org/. Extensive metropolitan bus system, soon to be supplemented by a light rail system.

Freeways. Extensive network of freeways, most built since 1987. Caution: Heavy construction on some segments and interchanges continues. Check construction schedules and closures in the local media.

Car rental is the most convenient form of transportation for visitors, with local companies offering better prices but national chains offering more convenience vis-a-vis return policies and times. Unless you plan to stay downtown or in a single location elsewhere, you will find that a car is very convenient in Phoenix. Surface roads in Phoenix are usually easy to navigate. The area's roads are designed around a grid system, where most roads are numbered based on their distance from the city center. Addresses also conform to the numbering of the roads around them.