No matter where you decide to go on vacation, there will always be a few details you didn’t think of. You forgot to carry cash with you and now you need to find an ATM, or you didn’t realize that you didn’t need to pay for parking on weekends and now you wasted money on parking meters.
If this is your first time coming to Nashville, there are many things you should be aware of before you visit, but don’t fret — we’ve got you covered with this informative guide!
If you’re staying within the Nashville city limits, there’s really no need to rent a car, and if you’re planning on drinking, why not play it safe?
Nashville has many affordable transportation options for getting around including rideshares, local taxis, scooter rentals , and the bus system. It also has many ways that you can travel in style from place to place, such as pedal bars , limo rentals, or even horse drawn carriage !
Nashville is one of the most popular travel destinations in the country which means, unfortunately, you’ll be dealing with lots of crowds. This often results in long waits at restaurants or activities such as ziplining or tours. If you want to bypass the wait, always check to see if making a reservation is possible. This will save you hours of valuable vacation time!
Nashville is a very walkable city, especially if you’re planning on hitting the popular sites downtown. The Country Music Hall of Fame is just a short walk to the Ryman Auditorium or the Johnny Cash Museum, and dozens of popular honkytonks and bars. It can be easy to overlook the fact that you’ll likely be doing a lot of walking each day, which means you’ll need some comfortable shoes.
If you’ve got the comfortable shoes taken care of, the next thing you’ll need to consider doing is bringing along a water bottle, or at the very least, making sure that you’re drinking plenty of water.
Not only will you be burning lots of calories walking up and down Broadway , but you’ll also likely be in warm weather, and it’s probably safe to say that you might be drinking (it is Nashville after all).
Steady hydration during a night out is the best cure for a hangover that you might suffer the next day. Don’t waste valuable vacation time in the hotel room!
If you do decide to drive in Nashville, it’s important to understand local parking requirements. Here are a few of the most important ones:
• You can only park on the street for up to two hours.
• If you want to park longer than two hours, you’ll need to find a parking garage. The good news is that there are plenty throughout the city. We suggest the Library Parking Garage which offers a $20 day pass, or a $10 evening pass.
• Most meters are typically enforced 24 hours a day. Outside of the Central Business District, they are enforced 6 am to 12 am. If you park in a space with an older meter, your parking will be free after 6 pm and all day Sunday. Check out a map of all metered spaces here.
• Parking typically ranges between $1.75 and $2.75 depending on where you park. You can pay in quarters, by card, or through the city’s parking app.
While you’ll need to factor transportation and parking costs into your vacation, there are plenty of free or cheap attractions throughout the city to take advantage of including museums, parks, botanical gardens, wine tastings, dancing, and more! This is a great way to cut back on spending but still get an authentic Music City experience.
Even though Nashville is far from being the most dangerous city in America, The Music City still ranks above the national median when it comes to crime rates. That means you should be cautious about which areas of the city you visit alone, on foot, or after dark.
In general, the downtown areas tend to be safer than other more residential areas such as the Antioch, Glencliff, and West Meade neighborhoods. If visiting these areas is a must, consider taking a ride service or going with a friend.
It’s no secret that hundreds of thousands of people come to Nashville every year to explore the city’s famed bars and honkytonks. If you’re one of them, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that not only are most of the drinking establishments fairly affordable.
But most also have happy hours scheduled daily or weekly with unbelievable deals such as the $5-$8 cocktails, $3 fries, $5 crudite, and $1.75 oysters offered at Cafe Roze, or the $10 craft cocktails, $5 draft beers, and $8 select wine pours offered at Henely.
One of the many reasons people visit Nashville is to see a variety of music from live performers, including many of our street musicians (or buskers). If you’re aiming to play on one of Nashville’s lively street corners, there are regulations concerning street performers. Here are a few things you should know:
• Busking is allowed with no permit as long as you’re not selling any merchandise and you stay within the downtown area.
• Don’t completely block the sidewalk or walkways so that no people can pass you. This includes entrances to buildings, fire hydrants, driveways, and parking meters.
• No amplification or any other equipment that might offend noise regulations.
• Pick up all trash, and be polite to locals.
Nashville is a massive urban area, but that doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice time in the great outdoors when you come to visit.
In fact, Nashville is surrounded by state parks, lakes, and rivers, and there are thousands of acres of nature reserves right within the city limits. Meaning, that you can easily take a bus or Uber to hiking, kayaking, biking, and birdwatching opportunities within minutes!
Nashville is one of the top vacation destinations in the country and because of this reason, many places actively try and draw in tourists. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re looking for a more authentic Nashville experience, there are plenty of other places to spend your vacation time and money throughout the city and surrounding areas.
As you may have guessed, Nashville is a big party town and typically when evening falls, you’ll be pressed to find sights and kid-friendly activities, especially within the downtown area.
However, that doesn’t mean that you should leave the kids at home on your trip to Nashville! There are still plenty of ways to make your vacation to Music City appeal to teens or young children so that the entire family can have fun!
If you’re planning on purchasing alcohol while on vacation in Nashville, you’ll want to read up on local alcohol laws . While they aren’t super rigid within Nashville, the surrounding areas are considered “moist” counties, along with a few dry counties.
Additionally, if you’re visiting Nashville during Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter, you won’t be able to drink anywhere except at the bar.
If you’re planning on investing a lot of money into your trip to Nashville, it might be worth looking at travel insurance options. You could pay as little as $50 for your travel insurance and still be covered for thousands of dollars worth of airline tickets, baggage loss, hotel reservations, and even some medical emergencies.
At the very least, consider insuring the more expensive and unreliable parts of your trip such as transportation.
Keeping your vacation strictly within Nashville city limits is perfectly fine, but if you’re willing to drive a short distance to the surrounding areas, there is plenty to see and do. A few great destinations within a 20-minute drive are:
• Percy Priest Lake
• Radnor State Park
• Long Hunter State Park
• Adventure Park Ziplining
• Willie Nelson and Friends Museum
• Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
It’s always worth noting that while Nashville is the #1 destination for seeing live music and experiencing music history, the musicians themselves are real people who are trying their best to make a life for themselves here in The Music City while working in a competitive and challenging career field.
Though it may be exciting to have hundreds of performances to choose from on a given night, or even spot the occasional celebrity, try to keep your interactions respectful, and if possible consider tipping or buying some merch if you enjoyed the show.
