Tuscaloosa travel guide

Tuscaloosa Tourism | Tuscaloosa Guide

You're Going to Love Tuscaloosa

With a population of 90,468, Tuscaloosa is a must-see destination in Alabama, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Tuscaloosa deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Tuscaloosa

If you’re looking for affordable options, Dillard's Chophouse (2330 4th St) and Forte (2321 6th St) are great picks. For delicious green meals, SoCal Cantina (2310 University Blvd) and Side by Side Kitchen & Cocktails (2410 University Blvd) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Tuscaloosa.

When to visit Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa in January
Estimated hotel price
$103
1 night at 3-star hotel
Tuscaloosa in January
Estimated hotel price
$103
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Tuscaloosa in July, when the average temperature is 80.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 91.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 33.8 °F, with an average temperature of 44.6 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in February, when precipitation is around 5.3″. In contrast, September is usually the driest month of the year in Tuscaloosa, with an average rainfall of 3.2″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Tuscaloosa

Plane

Although Tuscaloosa doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Birmingham (BHM), which is located 53 miles from Tuscaloosa. Montgomery Dannelly Field is the most popular, with regular flights from American Airlines, Gulf Air, Qantas Airways and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Tuscaloosa departs from Fort Lauderdale and takes around 1h 45m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Tuscaloosa. The train journey from Tuscaloosa to Atlanta takes 4h 37m and costs around $29 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New Orleans, expect to pay about $34 for a 8h 00m trip. The train station in Tuscaloosa is called Tuscaloosa, and is located 1.3 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Tuscaloosa is to pick up a car rental from Atlanta, which is about 187 miles from Tuscaloosa. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Ace, among others, in Atlanta.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Tuscaloosa, including Tornado Bus, Greyhound and FlixBus. From New Orleans, the bus ride to Tuscaloosa takes 460 miles and will cost you around $21. From Dallas, the ticket costs about $185 for a journey of 640 miles.

Plane

Although Tuscaloosa doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Birmingham (BHM), which is located 53 miles from Tuscaloosa. Montgomery Dannelly Field is the most popular, with regular flights from American Airlines, Gulf Air, Qantas Airways and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Tuscaloosa departs from Fort Lauderdale and takes around 1h 45m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Tuscaloosa. The train journey from Tuscaloosa to Atlanta takes 4h 37m and costs around $29 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New Orleans, expect to pay about $34 for a 8h 00m trip. The train station in Tuscaloosa is called Tuscaloosa, and is located 1.3 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Tuscaloosa is to pick up a car rental from Atlanta, which is about 187 miles from Tuscaloosa. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Ace, among others, in Atlanta.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Tuscaloosa, including Tornado Bus, Greyhound and FlixBus. From New Orleans, the bus ride to Tuscaloosa takes 460 miles and will cost you around $21. From Dallas, the ticket costs about $185 for a journey of 640 miles.

Airlines serving Tuscaloosa

Lufthansa
Good (7,106 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,341 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,834 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (8,521 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,982 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,644 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,488 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,356 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,754 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (8,623 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,285 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,320 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (9,696 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (8,111 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (852 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (1,079 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (1,449 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (1,039 reviews)
LATAM Airlines
Good (1,858 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (1,849 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Tuscaloosa

There are also lots of vacation rental options in Tuscaloosa, with prices from $49 to $557 per night. Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Tuscaloosa are about 488% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Tuscaloosa

Most booked hotels in Tuscaloosa

Holiday Inn Express And Suites Tuscaloosa East Cottondale
2 stars
Excellent (9.3, 100 reviews)
$103+
Hotel Indigo Tuscaloosa Downtown
3 stars
Excellent (8.9, 549 reviews)
$118+
Hotel Capstone
3 stars
Excellent (8.8, 998 reviews)
$127+
Embassy Suites by Hilton Tuscaloosa Alabama Downtown
3 stars
Excellent (8.8, 418 reviews)
$113+
La Quinta Inn & Suites By Wyndham Tuscaloosa University
2 stars
Excellent (8.6, 966 reviews)
$90+
Best Western Catalina Inn
2 stars
Excellent (8.2, 242 reviews)
$113+

Renting a car in Tuscaloosa

Renting a car in Tuscaloosa costs $64 per day, on average, or $129 if you want to rent if for 2 days.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 28% more expensive than at Birmingham.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in Tuscaloosa (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. The most frequently booked car type in Tuscaloosa is Intermediate (Hyundai Elantra or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Nissan Versa Note or similar) are, on average, 57% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Tuscaloosa costs $64 per day, on average, or $129 if you want to rent if for 2 days.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 28% more expensive than at Birmingham.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in Tuscaloosa (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. The most frequently booked car type in Tuscaloosa is Intermediate (Hyundai Elantra or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Nissan Versa Note or similar) are, on average, 57% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

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