Rapid City (South Dakota)

Introduction

Rapid City is the second largest city in South Dakota with over 60,000 inhabitants. It is located in the west of the state and is a good base for trips to the Black Hills and further south to Mount Rushmore.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

Events and Festivals

Weather

Rapid City has a moderate continental climate with generally warm summers and cold winters. Summers from June to September generally have temperatures of around 25-30 °C during the day and 10-15 °C at night. Winters from December to March have highs around or slightly above zero while nights average around -10 °C.
Precipitation is fairly low, with around 400mm a year, but winters can have severe snowfall. Most of the rain falls during late spring (May).

Getting There

By Plane

Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) has regular flights to Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago, Dallas, Salt Lake City and Denver.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. UPS stores can be found dotted throughout the city and will accept packages to be shipped by other carriers as well. Though you may pay a premium there, there is usually little or no line in these stores. This is a good alternative since, depending on time of day and the season, post offices can become fairly crowded. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.