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
$136
1 night at 3-star hotel
Charlottesville in December
Estimated hotel price
$136
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, 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 Alexandria takes 2h 09m and costs around $16 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New York, expect to pay about $142 for a 6h 42m 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 Movly, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

You can travel by bus to Charlottesville using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Charlottesville takes 354 km and will cost you around $49. From New York, the ticket costs about $78 for a journey of 1014 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, 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 Alexandria takes 2h 09m and costs around $16 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New York, expect to pay about $142 for a 6h 42m 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 Movly, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

You can travel by bus to Charlottesville using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Charlottesville takes 354 km and will cost you around $49. From New York, the ticket costs about $78 for a journey of 1014 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

CHOCharlottesville Albemarle
RICRichmond Byrd Intl

Airlines serving Charlottesville

KLM
Good (1,434 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,692 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,657 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,025 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,150 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,076 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,139 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,701 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,462 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,519 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,604 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (889 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,360 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,635 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,124 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,167 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,346 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (11,661 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (379 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,109 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 $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 143% 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, 175 reviews)
$175+
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Keswick Hall
5 stars
Excellent (9.8, 34 reviews)
$662+
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Omni Charlottesville Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 615 reviews)
$163+
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Boar's Head Resort
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 315 reviews)
$192+
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Country Inn & Suites Charlottesville-Uva
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 2250 reviews)
$86+
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The English Inn of Charlottesville
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 1848 reviews)
$96+
View

Renting a car in Charlottesville

Renting a car in Charlottesville costs $70 per day, on average, or $140 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 3% cheaper than airport locations in Charlottesville.

Expect to pay $3.18 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 $38.16 and $50.88. 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 $70 per day, on average, or $140 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 3% cheaper than airport locations in Charlottesville.

Expect to pay $3.18 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 $38.16 and $50.88. 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

Compact

4 Adults, 2 Bags

$30/day

Compact

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$31/day

Economy
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