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Voykit pocket guide · United States
St. Louis
Give St. Louis 2–3 nights: the Arch, Forest Park's free museums and a brewery tour fill two days; add a third for the neighborhoods.
St. Louis sits on the Mississippi at the old gateway to the West, and it is one of the cheapest big-city stops in the US. The Gateway Arch anchors downtown, Forest Park holds most of the free museums, and the neighborhoods — Soulard, the Central West End, the Hill — carry the food and nightlife. Two nights covers the core; three lets you slow down. A car helps for the county, but downtown and Forest Park are on the MetroLink light rail.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), late Jan–Feb (cold snaps)
- Stay
- 2–3 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 $120–200 excl. bed · High $220+ 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 | $3–6 |
| St. Louis-style pizza (thin crust, Provel) | $12–20 |
| Toasted ravioli appetizer | $8–14 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | $5–8 / $2–4 |
| 5 km rideshare3 mi rideshare | $12–20 |
| MetroLink ride | $2.50–4 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
| Museum entry | Free at the big Forest Park museums; special exhibits $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- STL · St. Louis Lambert International
- 14 mi (23 km) northwest of downtown; MetroLink Red Line to the centre, about 30–40 min14 mi (14 mi) northwest of downtown; MetroLink Red Line to the centre, about 30–40 min
- BLV · MidAmerica St. Louis
- 21 mi (34 km) east in Illinois; Allegiant flights only, no rail link21 mi (21 mi) east in Illinois; Allegiant flights only, no rail link
- CPS · St. Louis Downtown Airport
- Charter and cargo only; not for scheduled arrivals
Typical fares
- STL airport → downtown, MetroLink
- $4 transfer ticket from the airport station, about 30–40 min (check)
- Rideshare downtown → Central West End
- $12–18
- Metro day pass
- $5, trains and buses (check)
Get around
MetroLink light rail links the airport, downtown, the Central West End, Forest Park and Clayton; a 2-hour transfer pass is $3 ($4 from the airport station) and a day pass is $5 (check). Buses fill the gaps but run infrequently. A car is the easiest way to reach the county, the brewery and day trips; rideshare is widely used and taxis rarely cruise for street hails.
See and do
Known for
- Gateway Arch
- Forest Park museums
- Anheuser-Busch brewery
- Toasted ravioli and St. Louis-style pizza
- 1904 World's Fair history
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| St. Charles, Missouri | I-70 west, about 30 min by car | About 45 min |
| Ferguson | I-270 north, about 20 min by car | About 35 min |
| St. Louis County sights | MetroLink or car west of the city | 30–50 min |
Sleep
- Downtown
- Walk to the Arch and the stadiums; business hotels, quiet at night on weekdays.
- Central West End
- On the east edge of Forest Park; restaurants, cafés and MetroLink, best all-round base.
- Soulard
- Red-brick streets, the farmers' market and bars; 10–15 min by car or rideshare from downtown.
- Clayton
- County business district west of the park; safe, chain hotels, MetroLink to downtown.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the MetroLink station? | Where is the MetroLink station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| To this address, please | To this address, please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
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
- Summer heat and humidity: heat indices near 38°C (100°F) are common in July and August — plan indoor stops midday.
- Winter ice and occasional snow from December to February; driving can be slick.
- The city is sharply divided by neighborhood; check your route after dark and stay on lit main streets.
- Use a licensed taxi or a major rideshare app — uninsured cabs have been an issue.
- Downtown parking garages charge by the hour; check the rate before you pull in.
St. Louis has a high violent-crime rate in parts of north and south city, but visitors' routes — downtown, Forest Park, the Central West End, Soulard — are busy and generally fine in daylight. Keep to lit main streets after dark, don't walk alone late, and use rideshare.
One and two days
No timed day plan for St. Louis yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gateway Arch
- Forest Park museums
- Anheuser-Busch brewery
- Toasted ravioli and St. Louis-style pizza
- 1904 World's Fair history
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Explore St. Louis — official destination site: www.explorestlouis.com/
- City of St. Louis: www.stlouis-mo.gov/
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport: www.flystl.com/
- Metro Transit St. Louis: www.metrostlouis.org/
- Gateway Arch National Park: www.nps.gov/jeff/index.htm
- Wikivoyage: St. Louis, revision 5326172 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5326172
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
St. Louis
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Most countries have no consulate in St. Louis; use your embassy in Washington, DC, or a consulate in Chicago (check).
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshare.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/st-louis). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.