Alabama
Known as the Heart of Dixie, Alabama offers a true taste of the American South, sandwiched between Georgia and Mississippi and facing onto the Gulf of Mexico. With an Alabama car hire package from National you can discover the beauty and charm of the Yellowhammer State, from Mobile and the Gulf Coast in the south to Huntsville and the Appalachian Mountains in the north. You'll find National representatives at Birmingham International Airport, Huntsville International Airport, Mobile Regional Airport or Montgomery Regional Airport, ready and waiting to supply your Alabama car rental and see you off on your southern vacation.
The Gulf Coast
The sparkling white sand beaches at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are made up of quartz grains washed down from the Appalachian Mountains thousands of years ago, and are an increasingly popular tourist destination. You can visit historic Fort Morgan at Mobile Bay, and take a tour of the battleship the USS Alabama, and then catch the ferry eight miles out to Dauphin Island and Fort Gaines, another important Civil War site open to tourists and enthusiasts. Dauphin Island also offers more fine beaches, golf courses and a bird sanctuary.
Birmingham
In Birmingham, Alabama's largest city right in the heart of the state, you can visit the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Barber Vintage Motor Sports Museum, among many other attractions. Alabama was on the front line of the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s, and the city of Birmingham was at the centre of this troubled time in American history. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a direct result of the protests in the city, and this is commemorated at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, as well at the sobering Civil Rights Memorial in nearby Montgomery.
Driving north-east out of Birmingham to Gadsden, you can find the 250-acre Noccula Falls Park, home to the spectacular 90 foot waterfall as well as a botanical garden and opportunities for hiking, camping and picnics.
Northern Alabama
Huntsville in Madison County is a fascinating and attractive city built around the Big Spring natural spring. It includes several historic districts and is home to the US Space and Rocket Centre, a museum dedicated to the history of space exploration. There are also many parks, golf courses and local festivals. It's a short drive south-east along Route 72 to Woodville and the famous Cathedral Caverns, home of the world's largest stalagmite and a great day out, exploring such underground attractions as Big Rock Canyon and Mystery River.