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. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Tampa has to offer.
Where to Eat in Tampa
Downtown is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Tampa. These include popular favourites such as Driftlight Steakhouse (510 Water St), EBBE (1202 N Franklin St) and CW's Gin Joint (633 N Franklin Street). 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 downtown Tampa is Tampa Airport, which is located 8 km from the city centre. Further away is Tampa St. Petersburg, 23 km from the centre of Tampa. Tampa Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Air Canada, Air France, Delta and other airlines departing from Canada. The shortest flight to Tampa from Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 2h 46m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Tampa. The train journey from Tampa to Orlando takes 2h 08m and costs around C$ 16 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Winter Park, expect to pay about C$ 15 for a 2h 45m trip. The train station in Tampa is called Tampa, and is located 0.6 km from the city centre.
Car
Another option to get to Tampa is to pick up a car rental from Orlando, which is about 124 km from Tampa. You’ll find branches of Fox and Routes Car & Truck Rentals, among others, in Orlando.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Tampa, including RedCoach, Greyhound and FlixBus. From Sarasota, the bus ride to Tampa takes 97 km and will cost you around C$ 57. From Fort Myers, the ticket costs about C$ 29 for a journey of 217 km. The most popular bus station is Tampa Marion Transit Ctr - 1211 N Marion St, located 0.2 km from downtown Tampa. Tampa USF is also a commonly used station, and is 13 km 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 C$ 241 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 392 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 vacation rental options in Tampa, with prices from C$ 94 to C$ 547 per night. South Tampa is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Tampa are about 4% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Downtown - In Tampa’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Courtyard by Marriott Tampa Downtown, Tampa Marriott Water Street and Hilton Tampa Downtown.
New Tampa - 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 have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in New Tampa will cost you about C$ 172 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Tampa
Most booked hotels in Tampa
Renting a car in Tampa
Renting a car in Tampa costs C$ 51 per day, on average, or C$ 152 if you want to rent it for 3 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Sixt are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Tampa is the Easirent branch at 5146 West Cypress Street, which is 7 km from the downtown.
You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 1% more expensive than at Tampa.
Expect to pay C$ 1.41 per litre in Tampa (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 16.90 and C$ 22.53. The most frequently booked car type in Tampa is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Volkswagen Polo or similar) are, on average, 76% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Tampa
Compact SUV
4 adults, 2 Bags
C$ 25/day
Full-size
5 adults, 2 Bags
C$ 26/day