A stay centred on Beale Street can work without a car, but Memphis’s sights are spread beyond downtown. The University of Memphis, Graceland and Memphis International Airport need separate journeys, so choose your accommodation and evening plans with those trips in mind.
Walking downtown and choosing a ride
| Mode | Useful journeys | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Downtown visits | Heat, rain, luggage |
| MATA buses | University and airport | Gaps and changes |
| Main Street service | South Main–Beale area | Downtown corridor only |
| Groove | Trips within coverage districts | Shared ride, limited area |
| Taxi or ride-hail | Graceland, luggage, late returns | Traffic and variable prices |
| Shared bikes or scooters | Short rides, park outings | Traffic confidence, designated returns |
Walking is the default around Beale Street, South Main and the riverfront. A downtown-centred car-free stay works well if you group visits here, rather than treating the University of Memphis or Graceland as part of the same walking circuit. Heat, heavy rain, bags or a late return may change your choice.
South Main links the National Civil Rights Museum, at the Lorraine Motel, with the Central Station building on South Main Street. Beale Street’s music venues sit farther north, while Tom Lee Park gives you a riverfront destination.
| Walking link | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Beale Street–National Civil Rights Museum | — | — |
| National Civil Rights Museum–Central Station building | about 0.7 miles | about 17 minutes |
Thomas R Machnitzki · CC BY 3.0 · Edited
MATA buses and airport connections
| Line | Board → alight | Direction / serves |
|---|---|---|
| 50 Poplar | William Hudson Transit Center → University of Memphis | Eastbound / university |
| 28 Airport | Memphis International Airport → Airways Transit Center | Inbound / airport connection |
| 04 | Airways Transit Center → William Hudson Transit Center | Downtown / onward connection |
Route 50 from William Hudson Transit Center to the University of Memphis takes about 33 minutes over about 7.3 miles. The university is a labelled stop on the Poplar route.
- Name
- William Hudson Transit Center
- Location
- Downtown Memphis Maps
- Essential fact
- A MATA bus interchange in downtown Memphis.
From Memphis International Airport, Route 28 to Airways Transit Center takes about 6 minutes over about 2.1 miles. Change there for Route 04 towards Hudson, about an hour over about 15 miles. Allow separately for the connection wait and your onward journey from Hudson.
- Name
- Airways Transit Center
- Location
- Airways area, Memphis Maps
- Essential fact
- A MATA bus interchange in the Airways area of Memphis.
Thomas R Machnitzki ( thomas machnitzki.com ) · CC BY 3.0 · Edited
| Line / departure point | Days | Departures / intervals |
|---|---|---|
| 50 / Hudson | Mon–Fri | 4:15am–9:45pm |
| 50 / Hudson | Weekday daytime | Usually 30 minutes, some 60-minute gaps |
| 50 / Hudson | Weekday evening | 7:15pm, 7:45pm, 8:45pm, 9:45pm |
| 50 | Sat–Sun | Operates |
| 28 / Hudson outbound | Mon–Fri | 5:15am, 7:15am, 9:15am, 1:15pm, 3:15pm |
| 28 / Hudson inbound | Mon–Fri | 6:02am, 8:02am, 10:02am, 2:02pm, 4:02pm |
| 28 / Hudson outbound | Sat | 8am–3:30pm / 75 minutes |
| 28 / Hudson inbound | Sat | 8:38am–2:38pm / 120 minutes |
| 04 / Downtown outbound | Mon–Fri | 4:15am–5:15pm / 60 minutes |
| 04 / inbound to Downtown | Mon–Fri | 5:12am–6:12pm / 60 minutes |
| 04 / Downtown outbound | Sat–Sun | 8:15am–5:15pm / 60 minutes |
| 04 / inbound to Downtown | Sat–Sun | 9:12am–4:12pm / 60 minutes |
Main Street service
Main Street service covers short downtown journeys between the South Main and Beale Street areas. It lets you keep some energy for museum visits rather than spending it all between sights. The trolley-style bus has a heritage appearance, but it is a road vehicle, not a rail trolley. Look for the Main Street service when boarding, rather than assuming every MATA bus follows this corridor.
ElToAn123 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Groove On-Demand
- Coverage
- Downtown, Medical District, South City, New Chicago
- Hours
- Daily, 6am–10pm, holiday hours vary
- Request
- Groove On-Demand app or 901-763-8422
Groove On-Demand is a shared ride, not a private car or a fixed-route bus. Pickup and drop-off addresses can be anywhere within its service district. It extends your reach beyond the downtown walking cluster to places such as the Medical District, but coverage does not include every Memphis attraction.
- Create an account in the Groove On-Demand app.
- Enter your pickup and destination addresses.
- Select an available ride and tap “Book This Ride”.
Taxis and ride-hail
Taxis and Uber or Lyft provide direct journeys to Graceland and across Memphis. Budget roughly $25–$45 one way from downtown to Graceland, with heavier traffic or high ride-hail demand pushing the price up.
In a ride-hail app, enter the pickup point and destination before requesting the car. Match its registration and driver to your booking before getting in. For the return, allow for collection as well as traffic, especially if you have another appointment afterwards.
Ranjit Pradhan · Pexels License · Edited
Shared bikes and scooters
- Explore access
- Wake dock with button, release e-bike with BCycle
- Explore return
- Station with an open dock
- Full station
- BCycle extension: 15 minutes to another station
- Veo eligibility
- Age 18 or older
- Veo access
- Scan handlebar QR code or enter vehicle ID
- Veo return
- Approved parking within service area
Explore Bike Share is available to visitors, with stations downtown, in Midtown, in parks and at Big River Crossing, the Mississippi River crossing for pedestrians and cyclists. When the dock flashes green and beeps twice, pull the bike out promptly with both hands.
Veo scooters are also available for visitor hires. Park upright without blocking pavements, crossings, transit stops or accessible ramps. Choose a short ride only if you are comfortable in road traffic. For fuller bicycle choices for a park outing or repeated hires, see Memphis bicycle hire options and riding rules.
Richard REVEL · Pexels License · Edited
Fares and boarding
Bus journeys, requested rides and shared hires have different boarding and return routines. Use the charges below to judge the cost before setting off.
Fares and hire charges
| Product | Charge | Allowance / condition |
|---|---|---|
| MATA bus single ride | Free | Extended zero-fare pilot |
| Main Street service | Free | Same pilot |
| Groove individual ride | $1.25 | Per ride |
| Groove additional passenger | $0.75 | Each |
| Explore E-Bike Pass | $5 + $1 unlock | 20-minute ride |
| Explore extra time | $0.30 | Per additional minute |
| Explore authorisation hold | $15 | New passes, automatically refunded |
| Veo Cosmo | $1 unlock + $0.39/minute | Standard hire |
| Airport-origin taxi | $10 minimum + $4 surcharge | Surcharge added to all fares |
MATA’s zero-fare pilot began on 16 November 2025 and has been extended. You need no payment to board fixed-route buses or the operating Main Street trolley-style service, and changing buses requires no paid transfer. FastPass sales are on hold, so you do not need a visitor pass for MATA travel.
For paid shared hires, the charging unit matters: extra cycling time adds to the initial pass charge, while scooter time is charged from the start. Finish the hire properly rather than simply leaving the vehicle.
Boarding and ending a hire
Keep the route number and your destination handy on a bus so you can ask the driver about the stop before setting off.
Do
- Confirm the bus line and destination before boarding.
- Request your alighting stop in time.
- Match a requested car to your booking.
- Confirm the app shows your shared hire has ended.
Don’t
- Assume every downtown bus goes to the university.
- Wait until you have passed your stop to signal.
- Enter a car that does not match the booking.
- Leave a hired vehicle outside its permitted return location.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: fares and charges, as well as services.
- Downtown Memphis Commission — service
- Groove On-Demand | On-Demand Rideshare in Memphis
- Route 50 — Poplar
- Route 28 Airport timetable
- Route 4 schedule
- Fares
- Zero Fare Pilot Program
- Transit Centers and Hotline
- Explore Bike Share — fares and charges
- Veo Micromobility — fares and charges
- City of Memphis — fares and charges
- Explore Bike Share — service
- Memphis | Veo Micromobility
- FAQ | Veo Micromobility
