Charleston travel guide
Charleston Tourism | Charleston Guide
You're Going to Love Charleston
With a population of 51,400, Charleston is the largest city in West Virginia, United States by the number of inhabitants. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Charleston deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Charleston
Tours
Where to Eat in Charleston
If you’re looking for affordable options, The Chop House - Charleston (1003 Charleston Town Center) and Tidewater Grill - Charleston (1060 Charleston Town Center) are great picks.
When to visit Charleston
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Charleston in July, when the average temperature is 75.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 86 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 24.8 °F, with an average temperature of 33.8 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in July, when precipitation is around 5.2″. In contrast, October is usually the driest month of the year in Charleston, with an average rainfall of 2.6″.
How to Get to Charleston
Plane
When flying to Charleston, you’ll arrive at Charleston Yeager (CRW), which is located 3 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Charleston include Emirates, ANA and Air New Zealand. The shortest domestic flight to Charleston departs from Orlando and takes around 2h 10m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Charleston. The train journey from Charleston to Alexandria takes 9h 04m and costs around $66 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Philadelphia, expect to pay about $102 for a 12h 08m trip. The train station in Charleston is called Charleston, and is located 0.4 miles from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Charleston is to pick up a car rental from Pittsburgh, which is about 169 miles from Charleston. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Budget, among others, in Pittsburgh.
Bus
The most popular bus station is Charleston 300 Reynolds St, located 0.6 miles from downtown Charleston. Charleston Transit Mall is also a commonly used station, and is 0.2 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Charleston
Where to stay in Charleston
Average rates range from around $157 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $166 and up for a 5-star experience.
Where to stay in popular areas of Charleston
Most booked hotels in Charleston
Renting a car in Charleston
Renting a car in Charleston costs $63 per day, on average, or $126 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 3% cheaper than airport locations in Charleston.
Expect to pay $3.71 per gallon in Charleston (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $44.52 and $59.36. The most frequently booked car type in Charleston is Full-size (Chevrolet Tahoe or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Toyota Yaris or similar) are, on average, 58% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.