Salem travel guide
Salem Tourism | Salem Guide
You're Going to Love Salem
With a population of 24,802, Salem is a must-see destination in Virginia, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Salem deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
When to visit Salem
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Salem in July, when the average temperature is 73.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 84.2 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 26.6 °F, with an average temperature of 35.6 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in August, when precipitation is around 4.4″. In contrast, November is usually the driest month of the year in Salem, with an average rainfall of 2.7″.
How to Get to Salem
Plane
When flying to Salem, you’ll arrive at Roanoke (ROA), which is located 5 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Salem include Delta, Lufthansa and ANA. The shortest domestic flight to Salem departs from Washington, D.C. and takes around 1h 08m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Salem. The train journey from Salem to Alexandria takes 4h 38m and costs around $23 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Baltimore, expect to pay about $45 for a 6h 01m trip.
Car
Another option to get to Salem is to pick up a car rental from Washington, D.C., which is about 198 miles from Salem. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Sixt, among others, in Washington, D.C..
Bus
You can travel by bus to Salem using Megabus or FlixBus. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Salem takes 310 miles and will cost you around $98. From Newark, the ticket costs about $61 for a journey of 700 miles. Salem’s bus station is located 1.6 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Salem
Where to stay in popular areas of Salem
Most booked hotels in Salem
Renting a car in Salem
Renting a car in Salem costs $61 per day, on average, or $123 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 Salem.
Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Salem (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 Salem is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Kia Rio or similar) are, on average, 53% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.