Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. It is a growing city which has become a major U.S. financial center. Charlotte is also a major center in the US motorsports industry. It is also the future home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, expected to be open May 2010, a week prior to the Sprint All-Star Race.

The Uptown area of Charlotte offers tourists many museums, nightclubs, restaurants, parks, city and county government offices, theaters etc. Most of the bustle is centered around Tryon St., the "Main St." of the city. The NoDa district is known as the Historic Arts district. Here visitors can enjoy street level art galleries, several restaurants and other unique shops.

Things to See & Do

* Uptown area – Main St
* Mint Museum of Craft & Design
* NoDa – Historic Arts district
* Museums and historic sites
* Discovery Place – for children

General information

Cruise Season – May - October
Currency - United States Dollar (USD)
Language – English
Land Area – 627.5 km²
Population – 717,000 approx
Electricity – 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT minus five hours
International Country Telephone Code - 1

Port Location – There is a port located at Wilmington, NC., approximately 300 km’s from Charlotte.

Transport Links – Charlotte Douglas International Airport is on the west side of town near Billy Graham Parkway. The airport is a major domestic and international hub for Star Alliance member US Airways, and also receives flights from most other major airlines.

Charlotte is also accessible by Greyhound bus; the station is just northwest of Uptown Charlotte.

The Amtrak rail station is on North Tryon near Dalton, on bus route 11 (North Tryon). Amtrak provides daily passenger rail service to the North and South lines that access most of the United States.