Introduction
What to do
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting a car

Charlottesville travel guide

Charlottesville Tourism | Charlottesville Guide

You're Going to Love Charlottesville

With a population of 43,475, Charlottesville is a must-see destination in Virginia, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Charlottesville deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Article

Where to Eat in Charlottesville

North Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Charlottesville. These include popular favorites such as C&O (515 E Water St), Fleurie (108 3rd St NE) and Ten (120 B. East Main Street). If you’re looking for affordable options, Public Fish & Oyster (513 W. Main St) and Black Cow Chophouse (420 W Main St) are great picks.

When to visit Charlottesville

Charlottesville in December
Estimated hotel price
$134
1 night at 3-star hotel
Charlottesville in December
Estimated hotel price
$134
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Charlottesville in July, when the average temperature is 75.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 86 °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 September, when precipitation is around 4.5″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Charlottesville, with an average rainfall of 2.7″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Charlottesville

Plane

When flying to Charlottesville, you’ll arrive at Charlottesville Albemarle (CHO), which is located 8 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Charlottesville include American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Charlottesville departs from Boston and takes around 3h 26m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Charlottesville. The train journey from Charlottesville to Philadelphia takes 5h 09m and costs around $148 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Boston, expect to pay about $130 for a 11h 16m trip. The train station in Charlottesville is called Charlottesville, and is located 0.7 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Charlottesville is to pick up a car rental from Washington, D.C., which is about 99 miles from Charlottesville. You’ll find branches of Turo and Movly, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

You can travel by bus to Charlottesville using FlixBus or Greyhound. The most popular bus station is Charlottesville Barracks Road Shopping Center, located 1.9 miles from downtown Charlottesville. Charlottesville Campbells Travel - 310 W Main St is also a commonly used station, and is 0.3 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Charlottesville, you’ll arrive at Charlottesville Albemarle (CHO), which is located 8 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Charlottesville include American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Charlottesville departs from Boston and takes around 3h 26m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Charlottesville. The train journey from Charlottesville to Philadelphia takes 5h 09m and costs around $148 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Boston, expect to pay about $130 for a 11h 16m trip. The train station in Charlottesville is called Charlottesville, and is located 0.7 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Charlottesville is to pick up a car rental from Washington, D.C., which is about 99 miles from Charlottesville. You’ll find branches of Turo and Movly, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

You can travel by bus to Charlottesville using FlixBus or Greyhound. The most popular bus station is Charlottesville Barracks Road Shopping Center, located 1.9 miles from downtown Charlottesville. Charlottesville Campbells Travel - 310 W Main St is also a commonly used station, and is 0.3 miles from the city center.

Airports near Charlottesville

CHOCharlottesville Albemarle
RICRichmond Byrd Intl

Airlines serving Charlottesville

KLM
Good (1,437 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,709 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,665 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,039 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,161 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,084 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,150 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,714 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,520 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,464 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (890 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,618 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,646 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,369 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,130 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,168 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,347 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Good (11,697 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (380 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,116 reviews)
Show more
Find flights to Charlottesville

Where to stay in Charlottesville

If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Holiday Inn Express & Suites Charlottesville, an IHG Hotel and Affordable Suites Charlottesville. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Charlottesville, with prices from $28 to $800 per night. North Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Charlottesville are about 137% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Charlottesville

Most booked hotels in Charlottesville

See all
Kimpton The Forum Hotel By IHG
4 stars
Excellent (9.4, 176 reviews)
$178+
View
Keswick Hall
5 stars
Excellent (9.8, 34 reviews)
$618+
View
Omni Charlottesville Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 618 reviews)
$163+
View
Boar's Head Resort
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 314 reviews)
$186+
View
The English Inn of Charlottesville
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 1854 reviews)
$96+
View
DoubleTree by Hilton Charlottesville
4 stars
Excellent (8, 933 reviews)
$99+
View

Renting a car in Charlottesville

Renting a car in Charlottesville costs $69 per day, on average, or $138 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Budget, Avis and Enterprise Rent-A-Car are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Charlottesville is the Dollar branch at 100 Bowen Loop, which is 8 miles from the city center.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 3% more expensive than at Charlottesville Albemarle.

Expect to pay $3.14 per gallon in Charlottesville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $37.70 and $50.27. Compact (Nissan Sentra or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Charlottesville, while also 53% cheaper than other types, on average.

Renting a car in Charlottesville costs $69 per day, on average, or $138 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Budget, Avis and Enterprise Rent-A-Car are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Charlottesville is the Dollar branch at 100 Bowen Loop, which is 8 miles from the city center.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 3% more expensive than at Charlottesville Albemarle.

Expect to pay $3.14 per gallon in Charlottesville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $37.70 and $50.27. Compact (Nissan Sentra or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Charlottesville, while also 53% cheaper than other types, on average.

Best car rental deals in Charlottesville

Supplier choice

5 Adults, 5 Bags

$29/day

Supplier choice

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$30/day

Economy
Find car rentals in Charlottesville