Nashville International Airport is 15 kilometres south-east of Downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Utilised as both a public and military airport, it accommodates almost 13 million passengers each year. The airport’s proximity and easy access to the sights and sounds of Nashville make it a perfect location for visitors wishing to use this area as their vacation base.

Although there are shops, bars and restaurants within Nashville International Airport’s terminal building, the most exciting venues to explore are outside. Visitors can remain on the east side of the Cumberland River and discover Opry Mills shopping complex. It has over 200 of America’s favourite high street and designer outlet stores, plus a selection of restaurants, fast food joints and cinemas. Country music fans will enjoy a trip to the Grand Ole Opry nearby. This building is sacred to country music artists, and a venue for many concerts and radio shows. Venturing a little further into Downtown Nashville, tourists will find an array of fascinating museums, parks, shops, live music bars and restaurants. Highlights in Nashville include Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Music Row, the hip and trendy Gulch neighbourhood for live music and Music City Walk of Fame Park. Those seeking a more tranquil, laid back day out have two wonderful parks to enjoy. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park is close to all of the downtown music venues. It’s a 16-hectare plaza which displays the history of Tennessee through a variety of plaques, monuments and water fountains. Alternatively, step into ancient Athens, with a visit to a replica of The Parthenon located in Centennial Park, to the west of the centre.

Many visitors to the United States hire a car, as landmarks are well signposted, and roads are easy to navigate. However, to explore the big-ticket attractions of Nashville, a car is not a necessity. Many accommodations offer shuttle buses to and from the airport. Taxis and Uber are also available on arrival. The Nashville MTA bus services run between the airport and Downtown Nashville. The buses operate from early morning until late evening. There is also a Gray Line Nashville Airport Express with shuttles operating to downtown and West End Nashville every 15 minutes. The journey time takes approximately 20 minutes.

Berry Field Air National Guard Base is situated in Nashville International Airport close to the modern terminal buildings. This burgeoning airport is served by 12 airlines and operates approximately 450 daily flights. These incorporate mainly domestic, Central American and Caribbean flights. In 2016, the airport accommodated a record number of passengers, making clear that the city of Nashville is more popular than ever.