Roanoke travel guide

Roanoke Tourism | Roanoke Guide

You're Going to Love Roanoke

With a population of 97,032, Roanoke is a must-see destination in Virginia, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Roanoke deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

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Where to Eat in Roanoke

If you’re looking for affordable options, Local Roots (Virginia) - A Farm to Table Restaurant (1314 Grandin Rd) and Montano's - Roanoke (3733 Franklin Rd SW) are great picks.

When to visit Roanoke

Roanoke in December
Estimated hotel price
$110
1 night at 3-star hotel
Roanoke in December
Estimated hotel price
$110
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Roanoke in July, when the average temperature is 77 °F, and the highest can go up to 87.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 28.4 °F, with an average temperature of 37.4 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in May, when precipitation is around 4.1″. In contrast, January is usually the driest month of the year in Roanoke, with an average rainfall of 2.9″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Roanoke

Plane

When flying to Roanoke, you’ll arrive at Roanoke (ROA), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Roanoke include Lufthansa, Air New Zealand and United Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Roanoke departs from Sarasota and takes around 2h 06m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Roanoke. The train journey from Roanoke to Alexandria takes 4h 41m and costs around $27 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Newark, expect to pay about $90 for a 8h 46m trip. The train station in Roanoke is called Roanoke, and is located 0.2 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Roanoke is to pick up a car rental from Washington, D.C., which is about 194 miles from Roanoke. You’ll find branches of Turo and Dollar, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

You can travel by bus to Roanoke using FlixBus or Greyhound. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Roanoke takes 375 miles and will cost you around $84. From Atlanta, the ticket costs about $83 for a journey of 955 miles. Roanoke’s bus station is located 6 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Roanoke, you’ll arrive at Roanoke (ROA), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Roanoke include Lufthansa, Air New Zealand and United Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Roanoke departs from Sarasota and takes around 2h 06m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Roanoke. The train journey from Roanoke to Alexandria takes 4h 41m and costs around $27 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Newark, expect to pay about $90 for a 8h 46m trip. The train station in Roanoke is called Roanoke, and is located 0.2 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Roanoke is to pick up a car rental from Washington, D.C., which is about 194 miles from Roanoke. You’ll find branches of Turo and Dollar, among others, in Washington, D.C..

Bus

You can travel by bus to Roanoke using FlixBus or Greyhound. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Roanoke takes 375 miles and will cost you around $84. From Atlanta, the ticket costs about $83 for a journey of 955 miles. Roanoke’s bus station is located 6 miles from the city center.

Airlines serving Roanoke

Lufthansa
Good (7,201 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,372 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,127 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,956 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,857 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,468 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (813 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,284 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,602 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,423 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,715 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (350 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,386 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,316 reviews)
Avianca
Good (2,379 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (902 reviews)
LATAM Airlines
Good (1,808 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (1,108 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (1,513 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (1,719 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Roanoke

If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hampton Inn & Suites Roanoke Airport and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Roanoke Hollins/I-81. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Roanoke, with prices from $42 to $378 per night. Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Roanoke are about 38% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Most popular hotel in Roanoke by neighborhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Roanoke

Most booked hotels in Roanoke

The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Curio Collection by Hilton
4 stars
Excellent (8.9, 817 reviews)
$225+
Hampton Inn Salem East-Electric Road
3 stars
Excellent (8.9, 270 reviews)
$147+
The Liberty Trust
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 431 reviews)
$196+
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Roanoke, VA
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 2419 reviews)
$110+
La Quinta Inn and Suites by Wyndham Roanoke Salem
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, 801 reviews)
$96+
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Salem
2 stars
Excellent (8.2, 564 reviews)
$110+

Renting a car in Roanoke

Renting a car in Roanoke costs $62 per day, on average, or $125 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Avis are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Roanoke is the Budget branch at 5202 Aviation Drive Northwest, which is 4 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 14% cheaper than airport locations in Roanoke.

Expect to pay $3.48 per gallon in Roanoke (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $41.79 and $55.72. The most frequently booked car type in Roanoke is Full-size (Hyundai Santa Fe or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Toyota Corolla or similar) are, on average, 1% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Roanoke costs $62 per day, on average, or $125 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Avis are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Roanoke is the Budget branch at 5202 Aviation Drive Northwest, which is 4 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 14% cheaper than airport locations in Roanoke.

Expect to pay $3.48 per gallon in Roanoke (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $41.79 and $55.72. The most frequently booked car type in Roanoke is Full-size (Hyundai Santa Fe or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Toyota Corolla or similar) are, on average, 1% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Roanoke Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Roanoke city guide for the best Roanoke travel tips. To help you organize your Roanoke trip ideas, this Roanoke visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.