Portland travel guide

Portland Tourism | Portland Guide

You're Going to Love Portland

With a population of 66,194, Portland is the largest city in Maine, United States by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Portland deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Portland

If you’re looking for affordable options, Grace - Portland (15 Chestnut Street) and Petite Jacqueline (46 Market St.) are great picks.

When to visit Portland

Portland in January
Estimated hotel price
$111
1 night at 3-star hotel
Portland in January
Estimated hotel price
$111
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Portland in July, when the average temperature is 68 °F, and the highest can go up to 78.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 14 °F, with an average temperature of 23 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in November, when precipitation is around 4.5″. In contrast, August is usually the driest month of the year in Portland, with an average rainfall of 2.9″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Portland

Plane

When flying to Portland, you’ll arrive at Portland Airport (PWM), which is located 5 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Portland include American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Frontier. The shortest domestic flight to Portland departs from Islip and takes around 1h 30m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Portland. The train station in Portland is called Portland, and is located 3.0 km from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Portland is to pick up a car rental from Boston, which is about 159 km from Portland. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Hertz, among others, in Boston.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Portland, including Concord Coach Lines, FlixBus and Megabus. From Boston, the bus ride to Portland takes 185 km and will cost you around $5. From New York, the ticket costs about $170 for a journey of 579 km. The most popular bus station is Portland City Hall, located 0.3 km from downtown Portland. Portland Bus Stop is also a commonly used station, and is 0.6 km from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Portland, you’ll arrive at Portland Airport (PWM), which is located 5 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Portland include American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Frontier. The shortest domestic flight to Portland departs from Islip and takes around 1h 30m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Portland. The train station in Portland is called Portland, and is located 3.0 km from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Portland is to pick up a car rental from Boston, which is about 159 km from Portland. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Hertz, among others, in Boston.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Portland, including Concord Coach Lines, FlixBus and Megabus. From Boston, the bus ride to Portland takes 185 km and will cost you around $5. From New York, the ticket costs about $170 for a journey of 579 km. The most popular bus station is Portland City Hall, located 0.3 km from downtown Portland. Portland Bus Stop is also a commonly used station, and is 0.6 km from the city center.

Airports near Portland

Airlines serving Portland

Lufthansa
Good (4,671 reviews)
KLM
Good (858 reviews)
SWISS
Good (929 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,498 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,609 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,301 reviews)
Air France
Good (979 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,561 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (475 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,940 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,128 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,481 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,800 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (229 reviews)
Finnair
Good (879 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,166 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (831 reviews)
LOT
Good (684 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (917 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (832 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Portland

Average rates range from around $297 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $420 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Portland

Most booked hotels in Portland

Canopy by Hilton Portland Waterfront
4 stars
Excellent (9, 623 reviews)
$231+
Cambria Hotel Portland Downtown Old Port
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 408 reviews)
$166+
Tru by Hilton Portland Airport Area ME
2 stars
Excellent (8.5, 493 reviews)
$134+
Portland Harbor Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, 768 reviews)
$217+
Holiday Inn Portland-By The Bay
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 1025 reviews)
$145+
Aloft Portland, Me
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 731 reviews)
$168+

Renting a car in Portland

Renting a car in Portland costs $74 per day, on average, or $148 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Dollar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Portland is the Dollar branch at 1001 Westbrook Street, which is 5 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 8% cheaper than airport locations in Portland.

Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Portland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. Compact (Nissan Juke or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Portland, while also 64% cheaper than other types, on average.

Renting a car in Portland costs $74 per day, on average, or $148 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Dollar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Portland is the Dollar branch at 1001 Westbrook Street, which is 5 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 8% cheaper than airport locations in Portland.

Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Portland (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. Compact (Nissan Juke or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Portland, while also 64% cheaper than other types, on average.