Car Hire Raleigh - Mini guide to Raleigh

The capital of North Carolina, and the state's most dynamic city, Raleigh boasts traditional southern tree-lined streets and a modern downtown shopping district, as well as an imposing Grecian Doric capital building. The city is a wonderful and fascinating place to visit.

The State Capital is a stunning building, featuring a glittering 29.5-metre copper dome and a gigantic marble statue of George Washington; more curious are the scuff marks on the floor from the rolling of whiskey barrels in and out during the riotous legislative sessions immediately after the Civil War.

Two great museums in Raleigh are the North Carolina Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of History. The Museum of Art displays works by great masters like Raphael, van Dyck, Homer and Monet. Alternatively, the Museum of History covers the history of North Carolina from the times of the Native American Indians to the history of slavery, the Civil War and on into the 20th century.

Daytrips can be made to the university towns of Chapel Hill and Durham, which both offer some wild and exciting nightlife. Across North Carolina from Raleigh is ultra-modern Charlotte, which is home to several amazing new skyscrapers and the Mint Museum, a fine building designed by William Strickland and hosting one of the South's premier art collections.

US 64 and US 70 run east and west from Raleigh; while US 1 runs north and south, joining I-85, which runs northeast. I-85 connects with I-95, which runs north and south through Boston, New York, Baltimore, Washington DC and south all the way to Miami. Just off I-40, Raleigh/Durham International Airport is 24kms west of the city. Amtrak offers service through Raleigh on its New York-Miami run.

The major suburbs in Raleigh are: Asbury, Brentwood, Caraleigh, Cary, Garner, Glenwood Village, Method, Parkland, Rhamkatte and Tysonville.