Providence travel guide
Providence Tourism | Providence Guide
You're Going to Love Providence
With a population of 178,042, Providence is the largest city in Rhode Island, United States by the number of inhabitants. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Providence deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Providence
Tours
Shopping
Other activities
Where to Eat in Providence
Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Providence. These include popular favorites such as Gracie's (194 Washington Street), Ten Prime Steak & Sushi - Providence (55 Pine Street) and Cafe Nuovo (One Citizens Plaza). If you’re looking for affordable options, CAV Restaurant (14 Imperial Place) and Rosalina (50 Aborn St) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Saint (289 Atwells Ave) and Mona Lisa Restaurant (145 Spruce St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Providence.
When to visit Providence
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Providence in July, when the average temperature is 73.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 82.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 21.2 °F, with an average temperature of 28.4 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 4.6″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Providence, with an average rainfall of 3.1″.
How to Get to Providence
Plane
When flying to Providence, you’ll arrive at Providence-TFGreen Airport (PVD), which is located 7 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Providence include Breeze Airways, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Providence departs from Chicago and takes around 2h 18m.
Train
Amtrak is the most popular train carrier serving Providence, followed by Acela. The train journey from Providence to Providence takes 0h 43m and costs around $6 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New Haven, expect to pay about $22 for a 2h 28m trip. The train station in Providence is called Providence, and is located 0.4 miles from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Providence is to pick up a car rental from New York, which is about 153 miles from Providence. You’ll find branches of Sixt and Kyte, among others, in New York.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Providence, including CoachRun, OurBus and Concord Coach Lines. From Providence, the bus ride to Providence takes 60 miles and will cost you around $11. From Portsmouth, the ticket costs about $30 for a journey of 90 miles. The most popular bus station is Providence Lloyd Ave, located 0.9 miles from downtown Providence. Providence Canal St and Smith is also a commonly used station, and is 0.5 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Providence
Where to stay in Providence
Average rates range from around $200 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $202 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Providence, with prices from $13 to $338 per night. Federal Hill is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Providence are about 32% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Downtown - In Providence’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Homewood Suites by Hilton Providence Downtown, Hampton Inn & Suites Providence Downtown and Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel.
Where to stay in popular areas of Providence
Most booked hotels in Providence
Renting a car in Providence
Renting a car in Providence costs $70 per day, on average, or $140 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Providence is the Hertz branch at 700 Jefferson Blvd, which is 7 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 Providence.
Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Providence (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 Providence is Compact (Chevrolet Bolt or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Mercury Milan or similar) are, on average, 61% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Providence
Intermediate
5 Adults, 3 Bags
$36/day
Supplier choice
5 Adults, 5 Bags
$44/day