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 December
Estimated hotel price
$135
1 night at 3-star hotel
Charlottesville in December
Estimated hotel price
$135
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, United Airlines and Delta. The shortest domestic flight to Charlottesville departs from Boston and takes around 3h 41m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Charlottesville. The train journey from Charlottesville to Newark takes 6h 32m and costs around $107 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Boston, expect to pay about $182 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

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, United Airlines and Delta. The shortest domestic flight to Charlottesville departs from Boston and takes around 3h 41m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Charlottesville. The train journey from Charlottesville to Newark takes 6h 32m and costs around $107 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Boston, expect to pay about $182 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

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

Lufthansa
Good (7,962 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,512 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,937 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,465 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,346 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,204 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,580 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (913 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,677 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,568 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,767 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,724 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,982 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,192 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,392 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (404 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,225 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,434 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,310 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (2,967 reviews)
Show more
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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 $764 per night. North Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Charlottesville are about 90% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Charlottesville

Most booked hotels in Charlottesville

See all
Keswick Hall
5 stars
Excellent (9.8, 34 reviews)
$736+
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Omni Charlottesville Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, 639 reviews)
$204+
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The English Inn of Charlottesville
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 2259 reviews)
$124+
View
DoubleTree by Hilton Charlottesville
4 stars
Good (7.9, 959 reviews)
$111+
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Holiday Inn Charlottesville-Monticello By IHG
3 stars
Good (7.8, 906 reviews)
$99+
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Comfort Inn Monticello
2 stars
Good (7.7, 118 reviews)
$86+
View

Renting a car in Charlottesville

Renting a car in Charlottesville costs $57 per day, on average, or $114 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Budget, Avis and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Charlottesville is the Budget branch at 100 Bowen Loop Suite 102, which is 8 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 45% cheaper than airport locations in Charlottesville.

Expect to pay $4.39 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 $52.69 and $70.26. The most frequently booked car type in Charlottesville is Premium (Class Premium SUV or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Class Intermediate SUV or similar) are, on average, 52% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Charlottesville costs $57 per day, on average, or $114 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Budget, Avis and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Charlottesville is the Budget branch at 100 Bowen Loop Suite 102, which is 8 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 45% cheaper than airport locations in Charlottesville.

Expect to pay $4.39 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 $52.69 and $70.26. The most frequently booked car type in Charlottesville is Premium (Class Premium SUV or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Class Intermediate SUV or similar) are, on average, 52% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Best car rental deals in Charlottesville

Intermediate

5 Adults, 3 Bags

$41/day

Intermediate

Full-size

5 Adults, 2 Bags

$43/day

Full-size
Find car rentals in Charlottesville