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.

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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 January
Estimated hotel price
$143
1 night at 3-star hotel
Charlottesville in January
Estimated hotel price
$143
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 12 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Charlottesville include American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta. The shortest domestic flight to Charlottesville departs from Nashville and takes around 3h 33m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Charlottesville. The train journey from Charlottesville to Baltimore takes 4h 10m and costs around $754 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New York, expect to pay about $167 for a 6h 54m trip. The train station in Charlottesville is called Charlottesville, and is located 1.1 km 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 159 km from Charlottesville. You’ll find branches of Turo and Sixt, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

Greyhound operates bus routes to Charlottesville. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Charlottesville takes 354 km and will cost you around $49. From Baltimore, the ticket costs about $99 for a journey of 475 km. The most popular bus station is Charlottesville Barracks Road Shopping Center, located 3.1 km from downtown Charlottesville. Charlottesville Campbells Travel - 310 W Main St is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 km from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Charlottesville, you’ll arrive at Charlottesville Albemarle (CHO), which is located 12 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Charlottesville include American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta. The shortest domestic flight to Charlottesville departs from Nashville and takes around 3h 33m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Charlottesville. The train journey from Charlottesville to Baltimore takes 4h 10m and costs around $754 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New York, expect to pay about $167 for a 6h 54m trip. The train station in Charlottesville is called Charlottesville, and is located 1.1 km 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 159 km from Charlottesville. You’ll find branches of Turo and Sixt, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

Greyhound operates bus routes to Charlottesville. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Charlottesville takes 354 km and will cost you around $49. From Baltimore, the ticket costs about $99 for a journey of 475 km. The most popular bus station is Charlottesville Barracks Road Shopping Center, located 3.1 km from downtown Charlottesville. Charlottesville Campbells Travel - 310 W Main St is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 km from the city center.

Airports near Charlottesville

Airlines serving Charlottesville

KLM
Good (1,414 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,579 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,002 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,533 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,044 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,029 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,027 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,664 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,422 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,493 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,463 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (874 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,309 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,584 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,064 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,334 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (11,326 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,137 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (370 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,070 reviews)
Show more

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 149% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Charlottesville

Most booked hotels in Charlottesville

Keswick Hall
5 stars
Excellent (9.8, 34 reviews)
$681+
Omni Charlottesville Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 610 reviews)
$150+
Boar's Head Resort
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 313 reviews)
$237+
Country Inn & Suites Charlottesville-Uva
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 2234 reviews)
$108+
The English Inn of Charlottesville
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 1810 reviews)
$101+
DoubleTree by Hilton Charlottesville
4 stars
Excellent (8, 921 reviews)
$89+

Renting a car in Charlottesville

Renting a car in Charlottesville costs $59 per day, on average, or $119 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 12 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 36% cheaper than airport locations in Charlottesville.

Expect to pay $3.41 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 $40.88 and $54.51. 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 $59 per day, on average, or $119 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 12 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 36% cheaper than airport locations in Charlottesville.

Expect to pay $3.41 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 $40.88 and $54.51. Compact (Nissan Sentra or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Charlottesville, while also 53% cheaper than other types, on average.