Mississippi is the birthplace of the blues, a land of mighty rivers, antebellum mansions, and some of the most soulful cooking in America. From the cotton fields of the Delta where Elvis Presley was born and B.B. King learned to play, to the white-sand beaches of the Gulf Coast and the grand antebellum homes of Natchez, Mississippi offers visitors an authentic dive into Southern culture, music, and history.
Mississippi has very limited public transit — a personal car or rental vehicle is essential for visiting virtually all major attractions. The state's two main airports (Jackson and Gulfport-Biloxi) connect to Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, and Chicago hubs. The only intercity passenger train is the Amtrak City of New Orleans, which runs daily between Chicago and New Orleans, stopping in Jackson, Brookhaven, and Hazlehurst. Greyhound buses serve Jackson, Hattiesburg, Meridian, and Biloxi with limited schedules. Rideshare (Uber and Lyft) operates in Jackson, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, and Oxford.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Book rental cars at least 2-3 weeks before arrival, especially for summer and Ole Miss football season
Download offline Google Maps for your Mississippi routes — GPS signal can be weak on the Natchez Trace Parkway and in rural areas
The Natchez Trace Parkway prohibits commercial vehicles — passenger cars and motorcycles only; speed limit is 50 mph
US-61 (the Blues Highway) runs through the entire Mississippi Delta — a historic route from Natchez north to Memphis worth driving
Fill your gas tank before driving rural routes; gas stations can be 20-30 miles apart in the Delta
Biloxi casino resorts offer free parking and some have free shuttles between properties along Beach Blvd