Charlotte is situated in the delightful southern foothills of North Carolina where you’ll find an exciting mix of beautiful scenery, motorsports and the urban sophistication of city itself. If you have hired a car at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, you’ve got plenty of enjoyable options all around you.

All the things to see and do in the area are easily accessible too, as Charlotte Douglas is conveniently sited next to the local road network. The airport access road leads right from our pick-up location to the Wilkinson Boulevard State Route and the I-85, which can take you east into the city itself – it's about a six-mile drive. The I-485 beltway ring road runs right past the airport too. This is a handy route for skirting right round the city perimeter and linking with arterial routes, like the I-77 south to Columbia and the I-85 north to Salisbury.

Generally you’ll find the Charlotte road system is easy to follow. Traffic is usually relaxed and the central area (‘Uptown’) has a neat grid pattern of interlocking straight streets, so it’s simple to find your way around.

You’ll find the driving rules for North Carolina are very similar to the rest of the USA. For the full details you can download the state driver’s handbook here. The things to watch out for include the Fender Bender Law: you must move to the side of the road following a minor collision; and the Move Over Law: you must change lanes if possible to pass stopped emergency vehicles.

The fast-growing and booming commercial centre of Charlotte has helped make it a prosperous and exciting place to visit. The location of the airport means it opens up the whole of the “The Queens City” to you - as well as the surrounding area and the glorious Carolina countryside. Note that the border with South Carolina is just a few miles to the south of the city.

The Tar Heel State

Often known as ‘The Tar Heel State’, you’ll find that North Carolina is an intriguing mix of the old traditional south, and the new world of banking and technology. So if you drive around between the inspiring Appalachian Mountains and sandy barrier islands along the Atlantic coast, you’ll find acres of farms not far from high-tech companies and financial headquarters. The mountains are about 100 miles to the north and west, the seashore is about 150 miles to the east.

Cultivating Charlotte

At the heart of the forest of skyscrapers that forms Charlotte’s central ‘Uptown’ district, you’ll find Tryon Street. This is the busy main north-south boulevard lined by banks, hotels, restaurants and museums.

As for special sights, they’re an eclectic bunch. You can find out about the life of the locally born evangelist through the interactive displays at the Billy Graham Library or enjoy how American car circuit racing evolved at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which includes races simulators and pit crew challenges.

Elsewhere you can study the history of America’s ethnic communities at the Harvey B. Gantt Center and learn about how America’s south has grown at the Levine Museum of the New South. Head to the Discovery Place science attraction to play with the hands-on science exhibits.

Outside the city

Head into wider North Carolina, and you'll find there's a whole host more on offer in this fantastic state. There’s an opportunity to experience an extreme waterpark at the US National Whitewater Centre on the Catawba River, west of Charlotte. Here you can enjoy mountain biking, rafting and geocaching, and the Centre also offers one of the world’s largest outdoor climbing centres.

Not far away is North Carolina’s largest man-made lake, Lake Norman. This tree-lined beauty spot is now a State Park and give you the chance to try more sedate outdoor activities, like fishing, walking or picnicking. There’s even a long man-made beach for swimming and enjoy the Carolina sunshine.

About 12 miles to the north is a very different type of day out. Concord Mills is a 1.4 million square foot shopping mall featuring around 200 shops and outlets. The mix of bargains and eateries under one roof has made the Mills the state’s largest tourist attraction.

Charlotte Douglas Airport can open up a wide range of activities and places to see, both in the city of Charlotte itself or the wider area of the North Carolina state.