Nashville Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The BNA crew card
| Fastest into town | WeGo Public Transit Route 18 Airport from the airport’s Ground Transportation Center: about 20 minutes on express trips, 35 to 45 minutes on local trips depending on traffic, for USD 2.00 each way |
|---|---|
| First and last bus | First departure from the airport is 5:35 a.m. on weekdays and 5:50 a.m. at weekends and holidays, and the last leaves at 11:47 p.m. every day. Coming the other way, the first bus to the airport leaves the downtown transit center at 5:15 a.m. every day, reaching the airport at 5:33 a.m. on weekdays and 5:46 a.m. at weekends and holidays, and the last one leaves downtown at 11:15 p.m. |
| Payments | Tap a QuickTicket card or app, a contactless debit or credit card, or a mobile wallet on the validator as you board, or pay exact cash. USD 2.00 buys two hours of unlimited rides, cash riders get no change and no transfers, and American Express is not accepted |
| Tap water | Safe to drink |
| Emergency | 911 (Nashville, Davidson County and BNA airport numbers) · non-emergency 615-862-8600 |
| Solo & at night | Every licensed taxi and every rideshare car picks up in one place, the Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of Terminal Garage 2, and the regulated taxi flat rate between the airport and downtown Nashville is USD 30.00 plus USD 2.00 for each extra passenger |
| Crew knows | Flat on the taxi rate means flat for the car, not for the crew: every extra passenger going to the same address adds USD 2.00, on the flat fares as well as on the meter. That is what one bus tap costs, and the tap card stops charging at USD 4.00 for the whole day however often you ride. |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · BNA crew card · Checked Sep 2026 · Next check Sep 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
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How do I get from Nashville Airport to downtown, and what does it cost?
One city bus does the work: WeGo Route 18 runs between the airport’s Ground Transportation Center and the downtown transit center for USD 2.00. Taxis and rideshare cars leave from the same building, which is where you end up once the bus stops for the night. Route 18 is on a detour at the downtown end until further notice. Buses leaving WeGo Central for the airport use a different street, so check the stop first.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus (WeGo Public Transit Route 18 Airport) | about 20 minutes on express trips, 35 to 45 minutes on local trips depending on traffic every 30 minutes, seven days a week between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., and every 40 minutes in the evenings |
USD 2.00 each way for adults | Board at the BNA Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of the Terminal 2 Garage, at the purple WeGo bus stop sign: exit baggage claim and follow the signs to Ground Transportation. The route runs to the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central in downtown Nashville and makes scheduled stops along the way. Luggage is allowed on the bus. Evening buses can be 40 minutes apart, so read the posted departure time at the stop before you commit to a return, and remember the last bus out of the airport is 11:47 p.m. |
| Taxi | flat USD 30.00 between the airport and downtown Nashville, flat USD 30.00 between the airport and Gaylord Opryland, and flat USD 35.00 between the airport and West End; anything else is metered, starting at USD 9.00 on departures from the airport, then USD 2.50 per mile with a time charge of USD 0.35 per minute or USD 21.00 per hour. Every extra passenger going to the same destination adds USD 2.00, on the flat rates as well as on the meter | Taxis pick up in the South Wing Pick-Up Area of the Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of Terminal Garage 2. Exit the Main Terminal on Level 1, turn right and follow the sidewalk under the pedestrian canopy toward Terminal Garage 2, guided by the overhead LIMO – TAXI signs. The USD 9.00 start is the city’s USD 5.00 meter pull plus a USD 4.00 airport departure surcharge, which does not apply to the flat-rate trips. The driver should switch the meter on unless it is a flat rate trip. The city code allows a waiting-time charge only for stops or delays the passenger causes or asks for, and not for delays from any other cause, so ask what a time charge covers if one appears on your fare. | |
| Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) | no fixed price, so check what the app quotes before you accept the ride | Rideshare cars use the same Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of Terminal Garage 2 as the taxis and the WeGo bus stop. Since June 3, 2025 all commercial operators pick up and drop off there. The airport states that most passengers reach the Grand Lobby from the Ground Transportation Center in approximately 5 minutes and that the path is ADA compliant. | |
| Rental car | All rental counters sit on Level 1 of the Main Terminal, reached by taking the escalators down from baggage claim. After checking in, exit the Main Terminal on Level 1, cross Terminal Drive at the crosswalk to Terminal Garage 1, and follow the rental car signs to the Consolidated Rental Car Facility beside that garage. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, SIXT and Thrifty are the companies the airport lists. |
Where should I go in Nashville if the layover is long enough?
Downtown and Lower Broadway: The honky tonk strip, the river and the main hotel block, all within a short walk of the transit center where the airport bus terminates.
The Gulch: Converted rail yard south of downtown, now the walkable restaurant and rooftop district, close enough to reach on foot from Broadway.
Germantown: Quiet brick streets north of the center with the slower dinner scene, the option when downtown is too loud for a crew night.
East Nashville: Across the river, the neighborhood side of the city: coffee, record shops and low-key bars rather than sightseeing.
Donelson and the airport belt: The hotel cluster along Elm Hill Pike and Donelson Pike, minutes from the terminal and built around early report times.
How much of Nashville fits in the hours I have?
Under 5 hours: Stay in the terminal. Airport Wi-Fi is free, and a downtown round trip plus a second pass through screening does not sit comfortably inside a short window.
5 to 9 hours: One clean move works: Route 18 to the downtown transit center, Broadway and the riverfront on foot, and the same route back. Fix your return bus in your head before you leave the platform, because the service is roughly half-hourly rather than constant.
9 hours plus: A full city run is realistic: downtown, one neighborhood beyond it such as the Gulch or East Nashville, and a proper meal, with a taxi or a rideshare as the fallback if the evening runs past the last bus.
What should I know before I leave Nashville Airport?
Paying for the bus: Only QuickTicket, a contactless credit or debit card or mobile wallet, or exact cash is accepted on WeGo’s fixed-route service, and American Express is not taken. Tapping USD 2.00 buys two hours of unlimited rides with no transfer needed, and the same card is capped at USD 4.00 a day and USD 65.00 a calendar month however much you ride. Paying cash costs the same USD 2.00 for a single ride, but drivers give no change and no transfers, so bring the exact coins. Children aged four and younger ride free.
Finding the bus stop at the airport: The stop is not on the terminal curb. Exit baggage claim, follow the signs to Ground Transportation, go to Level 1 of the Terminal 2 Garage and look for the purple WeGo bus stop sign. Since June 3, 2025 every commercial operator uses that same Ground Transportation Center, and the airport says most passengers walk between it and the Grand Lobby in about 5 minutes.
What a taxi should cost: Nashville regulates the fares, so the numbers are checkable. The flat rate between the airport and downtown is USD 30.00, the airport to Gaylord Opryland is also USD 30.00, and the airport to West End is USD 35.00; none of those carries the airport surcharge. Anything else is metered: USD 9.00 to start on departures from the airport, which is the USD 5.00 meter pull plus a USD 4.00 airport departure surcharge, then USD 2.50 per mile with a time charge of USD 0.35 per minute or USD 21.00 per hour. Every extra passenger going to the same destination adds USD 2.00, and that applies to the flat rates too, so three crew sharing the flat ride downtown pay USD 34.00 rather than USD 30.00.
Telling a licensed cab from an unlicensed one: The city lists what a legal Nashville taxi carries: a secured top light, professionally applied decals showing the cab number and company name, a meter tagged to show it was inspected and calibrated in the past year, the driver’s Transportation Licensing Commission permit on display inside the cab, and a rate card and passenger bill of rights in view of the passenger. Ask the driver to show the permit if you cannot see it. Since July 1, 2025 operating a taxicab without a Transportation Licensing Commission permit is a criminal offense in Tennessee.
Connectivity in the terminal: The airport offers free Wi-Fi with no ads. Enable Wi-Fi on your device and select the network named !BNA Free Wi-Fi. No speed is promised anywhere, so do not build a crew call or a large upload around it.
The last bus trap: Route 18 stops well before the airport does. The last departure from the airport is 11:47 p.m., and the last bus back toward the airport leaves the downtown transit center at 11:15 p.m., arriving at the airport at 11:44 p.m. on weekdays and 11:47 p.m. at weekends and holidays. Miss it and the only ways back are a taxi or a rideshare car from the Ground Transportation Center, at USD 30.00 flat by licensed taxi from downtown plus USD 2.00 for each extra passenger.
Which numbers do I call in Nashville if something goes wrong?
👉 Swipe sideways if the numbers do not fit
| Emergency (police, fire, medical, mental health) | 911 |
| Nashville International Airport emergency (inside the terminal or on airport grounds) | 615-275-1703 |
| Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, non-emergency | 615-862-8600 |
| hubNashville, non-emergency city services (dial 311 inside Nashville) | 615-862-5000 |
| United States country code (calling from abroad) | +1 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Nashville airport to downtown Nashville?
Take WeGo Public Transit Route 18 Airport. It boards at the BNA Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of the Terminal 2 Garage, at the purple WeGo bus stop sign, and runs to the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central downtown. Express trips take about 20 minutes and local trips 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. The fare is USD 2.00 each way for adults, and the bus runs every 30 minutes seven days a week between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and every 40 minutes in the evenings.
How much is the bus from Nashville airport to downtown?
USD 2.00 each way for adults. Tapping a QuickTicket card or app, a contactless debit or credit card, or a mobile wallet buys two hours of unlimited rides with no transfer needed, and the same card is capped at USD 4.00 a day and USD 65.00 a calendar month. Exact cash also costs USD 2.00 for a single ride, but you get no change and no transfer. American Express is not accepted, and children aged four and younger ride free.
Does the airport bus in Nashville run late at night?
Not all night. The last Route 18 bus leaves the airport at 11:47 p.m., and the last bus back toward the airport leaves the downtown transit center at 11:15 p.m. The first departure from the airport is 5:35 a.m. on weekdays and 5:50 a.m. at weekends and holidays, and the first bus toward the airport leaves downtown at 5:15 a.m. every day, reaching the terminal at 5:33 a.m. on weekdays and 5:46 a.m. at weekends and holidays. Outside those hours you need a taxi or a rideshare car from the Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of Terminal Garage 2.
How much is a taxi from Nashville airport to downtown?
There is a regulated flat rate of USD 30.00 between the airport and downtown Nashville, the same USD 30.00 to Gaylord Opryland and USD 35.00 to West End; none of those carries the airport surcharge. Every extra passenger going to the same destination adds USD 2.00, so two crew pay USD 32.00 and three pay USD 34.00 on the flat rate downtown. Any other trip is metered, starting at USD 9.00 on departures from the airport, which is a USD 5.00 meter pull plus a USD 4.00 airport departure surcharge, then USD 2.50 per mile with a time charge of USD 0.35 per minute or USD 21.00 per hour, and the same USD 2.00 for each extra passenger.
Is tap water safe to drink in Nashville?
Yes. Metro Water Services states that Nashville’s drinking water exceeds all federal and state standards and is safe to drink, and that the water from its R. L. Lawrence (Omohundro) and K. R. Harrington treatment plants is safe and healthful.
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