Know Before You Go: Raleigh & Durham

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is centrally located between Raleigh and Durham, each about 20 to 25 minutes away. Bus connections operated by GoTriangle are inexpensive and cost around $2 to $3, but you should allow about an hour for the journey to either city center. Much faster, more direct, and more convenient are ride services like Uber or Lyft, which cost approximately $25 to $40 depending on the destination.

The region is typically American: spacious, heavily car-oriented, and designed for individual transportation. A car is therefore the most convenient and often the only option for traveling between the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Uber and Lyft are key modes of transport and are usually readily available. A rental car is recommended for maximum flexibility, especially if you plan to visit multiple destinations in the Research Triangle.

Card payments and contactless payment via Apple Pay or Google Pay are standard almost everywhere. Credit cards are accepted in ​restaurants, hotels, and shops. Cash, on the other hand, is rarely needed, but can be useful for tipping. Many people often forget that sales tax of around seven to eight percent is added at the time of payment.

In Raleigh/Durham, as in the entire United States, tipping is an integral part of American ​service culture. In restaurants, around 20 percent of the bill is customary, regardless of the type of restaurant. In bars, it is usually $1–2 per drink. A tip of around 20 percent is also typical for taxi rides. In hotels, tips of up to $5 are given depending on the service. Tips are usually directly added to the bill or given in cash.

In the United States, Type A and Type B power outlets are used. Although the voltage of 120 volts is significantly lower than the European standard of 230 volts, this is generally not an issue for most modern electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, or cameras as their power adapters can usually switch automatically between different voltages. However, due to the different plug shape, an adapter is still required, featuring two flat parallel pins and sometimes an additional grounding pin.

The Research Triangle appears more compact on the map than it actually is. As a result, distances between Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill should not be underestimated; without a car, traveling around requires some planning. It is therefore best to plan realistically and not rely on walking long distances, leaving more time for the ​actual destination.

Raleigh is also known as the “City of Oaks” – named after the many oak trees that shape the cityscape. In fact, there are so many trees here that in summer the city feels almost like an urban forest. It’s a detail that makes Raleigh appear much greener than one might expect from such a car-centric U.S. city.