Tampa travel guide
Tampa Tourism | Tampa Guide
You're Going to Love Tampa
With a population of 335,709, Tampa is a must-see destination in Florida, United States. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Tampa deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Where to Eat in Tampa
Downtown is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Tampa. These include popular favourites such as CW's Gin Joint (633 N Franklin Street), Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria (514 N. Franklin St.) and Bamboozle Cafe (516 N Tampa St). If you’re looking for affordable options, Oxford Exchange (420 West Kennedy Blvd) and Maggiano's - Tampa (203 Westshore Plaza) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Rox Rooftop Bar (2545 N Rocky Point Dr) and Melting Pot Social - Tampa (105 W Tyler St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Tampa.
When to visit Tampa
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Tampa in June, when the average temperature is 28 °C, and the highest can go up to 32 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 11 °C, with an average temperature of 16 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in August, when precipitation is around 198 mm. In contrast, November is usually the driest month of the year in Tampa, with an average rainfall of 41 mm.
How to Get to Tampa
Plane
Tampa is served by 2 airports: Tampa Airport (TPA) and Tampa St. Petersburg (PIE). The closest to the city centre of Tampa is Tampa Airport, which is located 5 miles from the city centre. Further away is Tampa St. Petersburg, 14 miles from the centre of Tampa. The shortest flight to Tampa from Australia departs from Melbourne and takes around 21h 45m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Tampa. The train journey from Tampa to Orlando takes 2h 08m and costs around $18 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Winter Park, expect to pay about $18 for a 2h 45m trip. The train station in Tampa is called Tampa, and is located 0.4 miles from the city centre.
Car
Another option to get to Tampa is to pick up a car hire from Orlando, which is about 77 miles from Tampa. You’ll find branches of Thrifty and Dollar, among others, in Orlando.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Tampa, including RedCoach, Greyhound and FlixBus. From Fort Myers, the bus ride to Tampa takes 135 miles and will cost you around $63. From Fort Lauderdale, the ticket costs about $76 for a journey of 260 miles. The most popular bus station is Tampa Marion Transit Ctr - 1211 N Marion St, located 0.1 miles from the city centre of Tampa. Tampa 1609 N Tampa St is also a commonly used station, and is 0.4 miles from the city centre.
Airlines serving Tampa
Where to stay in Tampa
From 5-star hotels such as the The Tampa Edition to great affordable options like the Emerald Greens Condo Resort, Tampa offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $255 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $433 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa Busch Gardens Area and Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa-North. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Tampa, with prices from $104 to $672 per night. South Tampa is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Tampa are about 2% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
New Tampa - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as SpringHill Suites by Marriott Tampa North/I-75 Tampa Palms, La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Tampa North I-75 and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa-I-75 @ Bruce B. Downs. The average nightly price for a double room in New Tampa is $179.
Where to stay in popular areas of Tampa
Most booked hotels in Tampa
Hiring a car in Tampa
Hiring a car in Tampa costs $111 per day, on average, or $222 if you want to hire it for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Sixt are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Tampa is the Easirent branch at 5146 West Cypress Street, which is 5 miles from the city centre.
It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 51% cheaper than airport locations in Tampa.
Expect to pay $1.56 per litre in Tampa (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $18.67 and $24.89. The most frequently booked car type in Tampa is Full-size (Ford Mustang Convertible or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Renault Clio or similar) is, on average, 72% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.