ARRIVING & DEPARTING By Air   Memphis International Airport (tel. 901/544-3495), served by American, Delta, Northwest, and Northwest Airlink, is 9 1/2 miles south of downtown.   BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND TOWN By Taxi Taxi fare to downtown Memphis is about $17; try Yellow Cab (tel. 901/577-7700). By Car Take I-240 to downtown. By Boat     The paddle wheel steamers Delta Queen, American Queen, and Mississippi Queen (Robin St. Wharf, New Orleans, LA 70130, tel. 800/543-1949) stop at Memphis. By Bus     Greyhound Bus Lines (203 Union Ave., across from Third St., tel. 800/231-2222) offers service throughout the region. By Car     From Memphis, which is encircled by I-240, I-55 leads north to St. Louis and south to Jackson, Mississippi; I-40 goes east to Nashville and Knoxville. By Train     Amtrak (545 S. Main St., tel. 901/526-0052 or 800/872-7245) operates the City of New Orleans, which stops in Memphis on the trip between New Orleans and Chicago.   GETTING AROUND By Bus     Memphis Area Transit Authority (tel. 901/274-6282) buses cover the city and immediate suburbs; they run weekdays 4:30 AM-11:15 PM, Saturday 5 AM-6:15 PM, Sunday 9-6:15 (fare $1.15, transfers 10 cents). There is short-hop service on designated buses between Front, Third, and Exchange streets from 9 AM to 3 PM and between downtown and the Medical Center complex from 7 AM to 6 PM (35 cents). A trolley runs between the north and south ends of downtown (50 cents). By Car     Memphis's streets are well marked, and there's plenty of parking, so the  city is easily explored by car.   CAR RENTAL  In the United States you must be 21 to rent a car; rates may be higher if you're under 25. You'll pay extra for child seats (about $3 per day), compulsory for children under four, and for additional drivers (about $2 per day). To pick up your reserved car you will need the reservation voucher, a passport, a driver's license, and a travel policy that covers each driver. The major car-rental companies represented in Memphis are Alamo (tel. 800/327-9633 or 0800/272-2000 in the U.K.); Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 or 800/879-2847 in Canada); Budget (tel. 800/527-0700 or 0800/181181 in the U.K.); Dollar (tel. 800/800-4000 or 0990/565656 in the U.K., where it is known as Eurodollar); Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131, 800/263-0600 in Canada, or 0345/555888 in the U.K.); and National InterRent (tel. 800/227-7368 or 0345/222525 in the U.K., where National is known as Europcar InterRent). You may also want to consider reserving your car online with AAA Rental Cars. AAA shops all of the major car rental companies for the best price.   RULES OF THE ROAD Drive on the right in the United States. The speed limit is usually 30 mph (50 kph) on urban roads and 55 mph (90 kph) or 65 mph (105 kph) on highways. Distances are always measured in miles. Tennessee requires passengers in the front seat to wear seatbelts, and children under age 4 must ride in child-safety seats. At traffic lights, it's legal to make a right turn even when the light is red, provided you first come to a full stop and no traffic is coming. Signs indicate when such a turn is not permitted. If in doubt, wait until the light turns green to make a right turn. At four-way intersections controlled by red stop signs, it's first-come first-go; when in doubt, yield to the right. Gas stations are open late or 24 hours. Many are self-service, meaning that you have to pump the gas yourself. The price of gas (petrol) in the United States is far cheaper than in almost any other country; expect to pay about $1.30 a gallon. The U.S. gallon is slightly smaller than the Imperial gallon. Approximately four liters equals a gallon. By Taxi     The fare in Memphis is $1.25 for the first 1/11 mile, $1.10 for each additional mile. There are stands at the airport and bus station.