Salem travel guide

Salem Tourism | Salem Guide

You're Going to Love Salem

With a population of 24.802, Salem is a must-see destination in Virginia, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Salem deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

When to visit Salem

Salem in February
Estimated hotel price
$91
1 night at 3-star hotel
Salem in February
Estimated hotel price
$91
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Salem in July, when the average temperature is 73.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 84.2 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 26.6 °F, with an average temperature of 35.6 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in August, when precipitation is around 4.4″. In contrast, November is usually the driest month of the year in Salem, with an average rainfall of 2.7″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Salem

Plane

When flying to Salem, you’ll arrive at Roanoke (ROA), which is located 8 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Salem include Delta, Emirates and Lufthansa. The shortest domestic flight to Salem departs from Washington, D.C. and takes around 1h 07m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Salem. The train journey from Salem to Alexandria takes 4h 38m and costs around $23 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Philadelphia, expect to pay about $81 for a 7h 46m trip.

Car

Another option to get to Salem is to pick up a car rental from Washington, D.C., which is about 319 km from Salem. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Sixt, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

You can travel by bus to Salem using Megabus or FlixBus. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Salem takes 499 km and will cost you around $98. From Nashville, the ticket costs about $106 for a journey of 893 km. Salem’s bus station is located 2.6 km from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Salem, you’ll arrive at Roanoke (ROA), which is located 8 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Salem include Delta, Emirates and Lufthansa. The shortest domestic flight to Salem departs from Washington, D.C. and takes around 1h 07m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Salem. The train journey from Salem to Alexandria takes 4h 38m and costs around $23 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Philadelphia, expect to pay about $81 for a 7h 46m trip.

Car

Another option to get to Salem is to pick up a car rental from Washington, D.C., which is about 319 km from Salem. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Sixt, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

You can travel by bus to Salem using Megabus or FlixBus. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Salem takes 499 km and will cost you around $98. From Nashville, the ticket costs about $106 for a journey of 893 km. Salem’s bus station is located 2.6 km from the city center.

Airlines serving Salem

Lufthansa
Good (4,612 reviews)
KLM
Good (848 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,454 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,598 reviews)
Air France
Good (973 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,929 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,124 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,478 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,730 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (228 reviews)
Finnair
Good (878 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (832 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,518 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (775 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (462 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (956 reviews)
Avianca
Good (1,325 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (815 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (537 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (5,772 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in popular areas of Salem

Most booked hotels in Salem

Hampton Inn Salem East - Electric Road
3 stars
Excellent (8.9, 228 reviews)
$135+
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Roanoke, VA
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 4084 reviews)
$114+
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Salem
2 stars
Excellent (8.6, 524 reviews)
$117+
Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center,Curio Collection by Hilton
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, 510 reviews)
$219+
La Quinta Inn and Suites by Wyndham Roanoke Salem
2 stars
Excellent (8.4, 744 reviews)
$93+
Home2 Suites by Hilton Roanoke
3 stars
Good (7.9, 1004 reviews)
$134+

Renting a car in Salem

Renting a car in Salem costs $56 per day, on average, or $112 if you want to rent if for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 12% cheaper than airport locations in Salem.

Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Salem (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Salem is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Kia Rio or similar) are, on average, 53% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Salem costs $56 per day, on average, or $112 if you want to rent if for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 12% cheaper than airport locations in Salem.

Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Salem (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Salem is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Kia Rio or similar) are, on average, 53% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.