Getting There

By Plane -- Kansas City International Airport (tel. 816/243-5237) is 25 minutes northwest of downtown. KCI Shuttle buses (tel. 816/243-5000) service more than 50 hotels for $16 (downtown) to $55 (outlying suburbs) one-way. The average taxi fare to downtown is $45. The Metro bus no. 129 travels weekdays between the airport and downtown (10th & Main Transit Plaza) for $1.25 (tel. 816/221-0660).

By Train -- Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL) provides daily service from Chicago (trip time: 8 hr.) and St. Louis (trip time: 5 1/2 hr.) to Kansas City's historic Union Station at 30 W. Pershing Rd. (tel. 816/842-4409). Take a taxi from the station to your hotel.

By Car -- Major routes into Kansas City are I-70 from the east (St. Louis) and west (Denver); I-35 from the north (Des Moines) and southwest (Wichita); and I-29 from the northwest (Omaha).

Visitor Information

The Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association is downtown at City Center Square, 1100 Main St., Suite 2200, Kansas City, MO 64105 (tel. 800/767-7700 or 816/221-5242), open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm. More convenient are the Visitor Information Centers at Country Club Plaza, 4709 Central, open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm; and at Union Station, Main and Pershing, open Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm.

Getting Around

A car is extremely useful in Kansas City; although the downtown is compact, attractions are located throughout the city. Main Street connects to many city attractions. Despite its name, The Metro (tel. 816/221-0660) is the city's public bus system, with many buses departing from downtown's 10th & Main Transit Plaza. Most convenient for sightseeing is the MAX (Metro Area Express), which runs daily 5am to 1am from City Market to Country Club Plaza and stops at downtown, the Crossroads Arts District, Union Station, Crown Center, and Westport. Fares start at $1.25; a day pass costs $3.

Fast Facts

For physician referrals and walk-in urgent care facilities in Kansas City, call tel. 816/751-3751. A major hospital is Saint Luke's Hospital, 4400 Wornall Rd. (tel. 816/932-2000). Walgreens is a 24-hour pharmacy located at 39th Street and Broadway (tel. 816/561-6980). Sales tax is 6%; the hotel tax is 7.5%.

Special Events

Around since 1899, the American Royal celebration in October or November (tel. 816/221-9800) features a livestock show, parades, horse shows, a rodeo, big-name entertainment, and the world's largest barbecue competition. The Kansas Speedway (tel. 913/328-3300) attracts NASCAR fans with races several times a year.