Bradley International Airport, located 12 miles north of the city in Windsor Locks, serves the Hartford area with most major American airlines. CT Transit bus line "N" (as well as shuttle buses and taxis) runs between the city and the airport. Phone: 203-525-9181. For further information about the airport, call 203-292-2000.

Explore the excellent galleries of the Wadsworth Atheneum, 600 Main Street, the collections of which cover more than 5000 years of art history. The Atheneum ranks high among Hartford's attractions -- and its a great value, too. Phone: 203-278-2670.

The Hartford Whalers play other National Hockey League teams at the Hartford Civic Center during their regular season, early October through mid-April. Tickets may be bought at the ticket window inside the Civic Center or by calling 800-942-5377. You'll get better seats if you call than if you go to the box office.

Because Hartford is a city, most of the chain hotels have a place in the area. The Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau will provide a free list of places to stay. To make reservations or to obtain more information about lodging in Connecticut, call 800-365-6928. Here are a few places: Chester Bulkley House Bed and Breakfast, 184 Main Street, Wethersfield. Located in the historic (and quaint) section of Old Wethersfield, it is a short drive south of Hartford. Near shops and vintage homes. Phone: 203-563-4236. Avon Old Farms Hotel, at the intersection of routes 10 and 44 in Avon, west of the city. Phone: 203-677-1651. Country Inn, 100 Weston St., Hartford, may be the most economical place to stay in the city, though it's nothing fancy. Phone: 800-367-2342.

There's certainly no shortage of good restaurants in Hartford, and the offerings are diverse: Italian restaurants in the city's South End, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants along Park Street and a variety of restaurants downtown.

A fun spot for music and drinks that often draws a diverse though younger crowd is the Municipal Cafe, 485 Main St. Phone: 203-527-5044. Beer drinkers might want to try the area's only brew pub, the Hartford Brewery, 35 Pearl Street. Phone: 203-246-BEER. An older, more sophisticated crowd gathers at Morgan's Piano Bar in the J.P. Morgan Hotel, One Haynes St., but it's probably not the cheapest place to languor. Phone: 203-246-7500.

There are many attractions within less than an hour's drive from Hartford, making it a good base for day trips to other locations in the region.

The Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1-800-446-7811 or 203-728-6789. To obtain a free Connecticut vacation guide, call 1-800-282-6863. See also the online edition of  The Hartford Courant .