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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Astoria
Give Astoria 2 nights: one full day for the Column, Maritime Museum and riverfront, one for Fort Clatsop. Skip it as a day trip from Portland (2 h each way).
Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, a rainy river town where Victorian houses climb the hill above the Columbia. It is small and walkable downtown, but the Lewis and Clark sites and the beaches sit a short drive away, so a car helps. Two nights covers the town and Fort Clatsop without rushing.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (rain and wind)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–190 excl. bed · High $200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–6 |
| Fish and chips (Bowpicker, albacore tuna) | $15–20 |
| Brewery burger and a pint | $25–35 |
| Museum entry (Flavel House, Heritage Museum) | $5–7 |
| 5 km taxi or rideshare3.1 mi taxi or rideshare | $12–18 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PDX · Portland International
- About 2 h by car via US-30; no direct bus from the airport, so connect in Portland.
Typical fares
- Portland → Astoria, Oregon Point bus
- about $25–40 one way, 2 h 30 min (check)
- Riverfront Trolley, full day
- $2 (check)
- Astoria Column parking
- $5 per vehicle (check)
Get around
Downtown is compact and walkable. The Astoria Riverfront Trolley runs along the river between Basin St and 39th St (seasonal, weather-dependent). Sunset Empire buses cover town and the coast to Seaside and Cannon Beach on weekdays. For Fort Clatsop, the beaches and Youngs River Falls you need a car.
See and do
Known for
- Astoria Column
- Columbia River Maritime Museum
- Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
- The Goonies filming locations
- Fort George Brewery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park | Drive US-101 south, then Fort Clatsop Road | About 25 min |
| Seaside | Drive US-101 south, or Sunset Empire bus | About 30 min |
| Cannon Beach | Drive US-101 south | About 40 min |
| Tillamook | Drive US-101 south via Cannon Beach | About 1 h 30 min |
| Warrenton and Fort Stevens | Drive US-101 north | About 20 min |
Sleep
- Downtown / Liberty District
- Walk to restaurants, breweries and the Maritime Museum; 10–15 min walk to the riverfront trolley.
- Marine Drive waterfront
- River views and the trolley line; a few hotels sit on pilings over the water.
- East side near the Mooring Basin
- Mid-range chains, free parking, sea lions on the docks; 5 min drive to downtown.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| One coffee, please | One coffee, please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Is there a table for two? | Is there a table for two? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Rain is the default from October to May: bring a waterproof shell, not an umbrella.
- The Astoria Column parking lot charges a fee per vehicle; the spiral staircase to the top is steep.
- Bowpicker Fish & Chips closes in high wind and sells out early: go before noon.
- The Astoria–Megler Bridge to Washington is 6.8 km with no stopping: check wind before crossing in an RV.
Astoria is a small, low-crime town; the real risks are wet roads, wind on the bridge and cold water on the beaches. Lock your car and keep valuables out of sight at trailheads.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Astoria yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Astoria Column
- Columbia River Maritime Museum
- Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
- The Goonies filming locations
- Fort George Brewery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Astoria: www.astoria.or.us/
- Astoria Warrenton Chamber of Commerce: www.travelastoria.com/
- Columbia River Maritime Museum: www.crmm.org/
- Astoria Column: www.astoriacolumn.org/
- Oregon Point (bus): www.oregon-point.com
- Sunset Empire Transportation District: nwconnector.org/agencies/sunset-empire-transportation-district/
- Wikivoyage: Astoria, revision 5324093 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324093
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Astoria
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Astoria; consulates sit in Portland and Seattle, embassies in Washington, DC. US travellers: no embassy needed.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/astoria). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.