With a population of 57,233, Chapel Hill is a must-see destination in North Carolina, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Chapel Hill deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
If you’re looking for affordable options, 411 West (411 W. Franklin St.) and Crossroads Chapel Hill (211 Pittsboro St) are great picks.
Although Chapel Hill doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU), which is located 15 miles from Chapel Hill. Raleigh-Durham Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Delta, Frontier, WestJet and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Chapel Hill departs from Hartford and takes around 1h 48m.
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Chapel Hill. The train journey from Chapel Hill to Charlotte takes 2h 51m and costs around $19 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Alexandria, expect to pay about $29 for a 5h 56m trip.
Another option to get to Chapel Hill is to pick up a car rental from Charlotte, which is about 111 miles from Chapel Hill. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Easirent, among others, in Charlotte.
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Chapel Hill, including Tornado Bus, FlixBus and Greyhound. From Charlotte, the bus ride to Chapel Hill takes 178 miles and will cost you around $230. From Washington, D.C., the ticket costs about $112 for a journey of 295 miles.
Average rates range from around $159 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $461 and up for a 5-star experience.
Renting a car in Chapel Hill costs $57 per day, on average, or $114 if you want to rent if for 2 days.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 7% cheaper than airport locations in Chapel Hill.
Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Chapel Hill (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. The most frequently booked car type in Chapel Hill is Intermediate (Chevrolet Bolt EUV or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Chevrolet Bolt or similar) are, on average, 58% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.