Gainesville travel guide
Gainesville Tourism | Gainesville Guide
You're Going to Love Gainesville
With a population of 124,354, Gainesville is a must-see destination in Florida, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Gainesville deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Where to Eat in Gainesville
If you’re looking for affordable options, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Gainesville (6611 W Newberry Rd) and Prime & Pearl (4949 Celebration Pointe Ave) are great picks.
When to visit Gainesville
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Gainesville in June, 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 42.8 °F, with an average temperature of 53.6 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 7.1″. In contrast, November is usually the driest month of the year in Gainesville, with an average rainfall of 2.1″.
How to Get to Gainesville
Plane
When flying to Gainesville, you’ll arrive at Gainesville Regional (GNV), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Gainesville include American Airlines, Qatar Airways and Silver Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Gainesville departs from Fort Lauderdale and takes around 1h 30m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Gainesville.
Car
Another option to get to Gainesville is to pick up a car rental from Orlando, which is about 96 miles from Gainesville. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Budget, among others, in Orlando.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Gainesville, including RedCoach, Tornado Bus and FlixBus. From Orlando, the bus ride to Gainesville takes 110 miles and will cost you around $76. From Tampa, the ticket costs about $22 for a journey of 160 miles. The most popular bus station is Gainesville Commuter Lot Parking Garage, located 1.6 miles from downtown Gainesville. Gainesville is also a commonly used station, and is 0.4 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Gainesville
Where to stay in Gainesville
Average rates range from around $168 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $119 and up for a 5-star experience.
Where to stay in popular areas of Gainesville
Most booked hotels in Gainesville
Renting a car in Gainesville
Renting a car in Gainesville costs $58 per day, on average, or $117 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Hertz, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Alamo are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Gainesville is the Hertz branch at 3620 N. Main Street, which is 2 miles 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 Gainesville.
Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Gainesville (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Gainesville is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Chevrolet Sonic Sedan or similar) are, on average, 47% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Gainesville
Supplier choice
5 Adults, 5 Bags
$17/day
Economy
2 Adults, 2 Bags
$18/day