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Essential Info

Population: 1.9 million (metropolitan) Language: English Time zone: GMT-5 (Nov–mar GMT-6) International dialling code: +1 Visas: Not required by UK citizens for stays of up to 90 days. But you will need a valid ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which can be applied for online (esta.cbp.dhs.gov; $14/£10). Currency: US dollars ($), currently $1.39 to the UK£. Highest viewpoint: The top-floor lounges of the Renaissance and The Westin hotels overlook the city’s downtown music icons. ■ Where to Stay For a short stay, downtown makes the most sense; you’ll be able to walk to the museums, honky tonks and central parks. Top end: Art Deco gem Noelle ( pictured; (noelle-nashville.com) re-opened on 4th Avenue at the end of 2017. Terrazzo floors, wooden ceilings with geometric carvings, bespoke prints by local artists and a cocktail bar and coffee shop make it a treat; doubles from $389pn (£285). Mid-price: Quality Inn Downtown-stadium (choicehotels.com) lies off Interstate Drive Health issues: None to speak of. Recommended guidebooks: Both the Insiders’ Guide (2016) and Moon (2018) handbooks are useful guides. Getting around: Free electric Music City Circuit buses (nashvillemta.org) run along two central routes (6/7am–11pm). Ridesharing apps Lyft and Uber are popular but the centre is very walkable. Web resources: Try visitmusiccity.com and tennessean.com (local news) Climate: It’s cool in winter, but summer temperatures typically top 30ºc and can hit the low 40s. It also gets very humid. and has decent complimentary breakfasts, clean rooms, free shuttles into downtown and – most importantly – a guitar-shaped swimming pool from which to dream of stardom; doubles from $149pn (£109). Budget: Nashville Downtown Hostel (nashvilledowntownhostel.com) is set within a handsome riverside building. It is basic but ideally located for local sights and live venues. Doubles go from $100pn (£75) but mixed gender dorms are much cheaper – as little as $32 (£23) per person. ■ F i r s t D a y ’ s To u r Start at the 5th Avenue branch of Frothy Monkey (frothymonkey.com), which does great coffee and doughy biscuits (savoury scones) covered in dripping-infused gravy. Fill up before strolling to the corner to see the statue of iconic guitarist Chet Atkins. Wander past the neon signs of Printers Alley (once home to dailies, now a bustling bar area) to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. This is a great spot to gain an overview of Nashville’s music scene, as is the nearby Ryman Auditorium ( pictured) which hosted the original Grand Ole Opry (country music showcase) and was the venue for Johnny ■ St a y o r G o? Stay! Nashville deserves a few days before setting off on a typical Tennessee road trip. The essential stops include downtown and Sobro (South of Broadway), the Johnny Cash Museum, Cumberland River, Frist Art Museum ( pictured) and Victory Park. Broadway in particular is the home of honky tonks. By day it’s busy, by nights boozy; but while it does throng with tourists, many local musicians find their feet here, with Nudie’s Honky Tonk (nudieshonkytonk.com) worth a look-in. Cash’s TV shows. Spend an hour touring this old theatre, spying the guitars and rhinestone-decorated shirts on display.

Next, hop on a free electric bus to The Gulch, a newly jazzed-up area. Tuck into the ‘meat and three (greens)’ at Arnold’s Country Kitchen (+1 615 256 4455) on 8th Avenue – a local classic – then stretch your legs with a stroll down Music Row, stopping at the legendary RCA Studio B (where Elvis recorded most of his hits).

Finish with a gig at 3rd and Lindsley (3rdandlindsley.com), The Station Inn (stationinn.com) or The Listening Room Café (listeningroomcafe.com). The music here is better than the usual boozy honky tonks; grab a burger and enjoy the show.

East Nashville – especially Five Points – is great for dining, and if you can get a ticket, catch a gig at the tiny Bluebird Café (bluebirdcafe.com) in the south of the city; this venue hosts some intimate sessions.

Beyond Nashville, the top Tennessee spots are Graceland, Memphis – a cradle of American music and Elvis Presley’s old home – and the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg. Finish among the wilds of the Great Smoky Mountains NP, soaking up the scenery that inspired the music.