There is a bus system, Wave Transit, which runs buses, shuttles, and a downtown motorized trolley, but service is limited. The base fare (as of January 2, 2006) for a one-way trip on any of the Wave Transit options is $1.00. There are a few other paid transportation methods in downtown Wilmington: you can ride on an authentic 3-tiered riverboat, the Henrietta III, or take a water taxi across the Cape Fear River to visit the WWII warship, Battleship North Carolina, but these are of extremely limited use in traveling around town.

By car

If you don't drive to Wilmington, it really is advisable to rent a car once you arrive, as travel in Wilmington is regrettably difficult without a car.

Car rental is available at the airport from these companies:

 • Avis, tel: (910) 763-1993
 • Hertz Rent-a-Car, tel: (910) 762-1010
 • National Car Rental, tel: (910) 762-8000
 • Thrifty Rent-a-Car, tel: (910) 343-1411

Traffic can be heavy in some parts of Wilmington (e.g., South College Rd., Market St.), but, on the whole, driving around town is relatively easy. For the most part, major thoroughfares radiate out from the historic downtown, and there are numerous streets that allow you to cut across these radiating thoroughfares.