Columbia travel guide
Columbia Tourism | Columbia Guide
You're Going to Love Columbia
With a population of 129 272, Columbia is the largest city in South Carolina, United States by the number of inhabitants. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
Where to Eat in Columbia
If you’re looking for affordable options, Solstice Kitchen (841-4 Sparkleberry Lane) and Cola's Restaurant (1215 Assembly Street) are great picks.
When to visit Columbia
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Columbia in July, when the average temperature is 28 °C, and the highest can go up to 34 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 1 °C, with an average temperature of 7 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in July, when precipitation is around 140 mm. In contrast, April is usually the driest month of the year in Columbia, with an average rainfall of 66 mm.
How to Get to Columbia
Plane
When flying to Columbia, you’ll arrive at Columbia Metropolitan (CAE), which is located 10 km from the city centre.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Columbia. The train journey from Columbia to Cary takes 4h 09m and costs around AED 129 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Alexandria, expect to pay about AED 316 for a 10h 16m trip. The train station in Columbia is called Columbia, and is located 0.9 km from the city centre.
Car
Another option to get to Columbia is to pick up a car hire from Raleigh, which is about 294 km from Columbia. You’ll find branches of Thrifty and Dollar, among others, in Raleigh.
Bus
Wanda Coach operates bus routes to Columbia. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Columbia takes 916 km and will cost you around AED 367. From New York, the ticket costs about AED 808 for a journey of 1304 km. The most popular bus station is Columbia Bus Terminal - 710-A Buckner Rd, located 7 km from the city centre of Columbia. Columbia 1729 Broad River Rd is also a commonly used station, and is 6 km from the city centre.
Airlines serving Columbia
Where to stay in Columbia
Average rates range from around AED 620 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to AED 650 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Candlewood Suites Columbia-Fort Jackson, An IHG Hotel and Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Columbia Killian Road.
Where to stay in popular areas of Columbia
Most booked hotels in Columbia
Hiring a car in Columbia
Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz and Ace are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Columbia is the Hertz branch at 4016 Fernandina Road, which is 12 km from the city centre.
Expect to pay AED 3.79 per litre in Columbia (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between AED 45.40 and AED 60.53. The most frequently booked car type in Columbia is Full-size (Ford Transit or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Buick Encore or similar) is, on average, 62% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.