St. Louis travel guide
St. Louis Tourism | St. Louis Guide
You're Going to Love St. Louis
With a population of 319,294, St. Louis is a must-see destination in Missouri, United States. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. St. Louis deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in St. Louis
Where to Eat in St. Louis
Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in St. Louis. These include popular favorites such as Hamilton's Urban Steakhouse and Bourbon Bar (2101 Chouteau Ave), The London Tea Room (1900 Locust St) and Tony's - St. Louis (410 Market St.). If you’re looking for affordable options, Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria - Rock Hill (9568 Manchester Rd.) and The Tavern Kitchen & Bar - West (2961 Dougherty Ferry Rd. Suite 101) are great picks.
When to visit St. Louis
Looking for warm weather? Then head to St. Louis in July, when the average temperature is 80.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 89.6 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 23 °F, with an average temperature of 32 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in May, when precipitation is around 4.7″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in St. Louis, with an average rainfall of 2.2″.
How to Get to St. Louis
Plane
When flying to St. Louis, you’ll arrive at St. Louis Lambert Airport (STL), which is located 13 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to St. Louis include Air France, Delta and Southwest. The shortest domestic flight to St. Louis departs from Orlando and takes around 2h 22m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to St. Louis. The train journey from St. Louis to Chicago takes 4h 46m and costs around $27 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Kansas City, expect to pay about $35 for a 5h 40m trip. Located 0.4 miles from the city center, St. Louis Gateway Station is the busiest station in St. Louis. Another popular train station is St. Louis Union, located 0.4 miles from the center.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to St. Louis, including Bus, Greyhound and FlixBus. From Chicago, the bus ride to St. Louis takes 630 miles and will cost you around $166. From Detroit, the ticket costs about $70 for a journey of 900 miles. The most popular bus station is St. Louis Lambert Field, located 11 miles from downtown St. Louis. St. Louis Skinker Boulevard is also a commonly used station, and is 6 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving St. Louis
Where to stay in St. Louis
Average rates range from around $192 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $375 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Holiday Inn Express & Suites St Louis Airport and Days Inn by Wyndham St. Louis North. There are also lots of vacation rental options in St. Louis, with prices from $56 to $576 per night. Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in St. Louis are about 12% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Downtown - In St. Louis’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include The Last Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott St. Louis Downtown/Convention Center and Pear Tree Inn St. Louis Convention Center.
Central West End - The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St Louis, DoubleTree by Hilton St. Louis Forest Park and Holiday Inn Express St Louis - Central West End have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Central West End will cost you about $140 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of St. Louis
Most booked hotels in St. Louis
Renting a car in St. Louis
Renting a car in St. Louis costs $74 per day, on average, or $149 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 St. Louis is the Hertz branch at 10278 Natural Bridge Rd, which is 11 miles from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 7% cheaper than airport locations in St. Louis.
Expect to pay $3.75 per gallon in St. Louis (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $44.97 and $59.96. The most frequently booked car type in St. Louis is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Full-size rental cars (Kia Optima or similar) are, on average, 65% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.