In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Detroit
Give Detroit 2 nights: 1 full day Downtown and Midtown, 1 day for Belle Isle or Dearborn. Skip it as a base without a car.
Detroit is a car city with a compact, walkable core. Downtown and Midtown hold the museums, theatres and stadiums; the riverfront and Belle Isle sit east; Dearborn is 20 minutes west. Two nights covers the core. Three or more lets you add Dearborn, Ann Arbor or a Windsor crossing. Distances between sights are long, so plan on driving, rideshare or the QLine plus buses.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, snow), late Jul–Aug (hot and humid)
- 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 $130–220 excl. bed · High $250+ 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 |
| Coney dog or a diner breakfast | $5–14 |
| Craft beer in a bar | $6–9 |
| Museum entry (Detroit Institute of Arts, Motown Museum) | $10–30 |
| Rideshare, 5 km (3.1 mi) downtownRideshare, 3.1 mi (5 km) downtown | $12–20 |
| Parking garage, per day downtown | $15–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DTW · Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
- In Romulus, about 20 min west of downtown; Delta hub. Detroit Air Xpress bus to downtown, 30–60 min.
- YQG · Windsor International Airport
- Across the river in Canada; useful only if you are coming from a Canadian city. Check rental-car cross-border rules.
Typical fares
- DTW → downtown, Detroit Air Xpress
- $6 by reservation, $8 at the door, 30–60 min (check)
- DTW → downtown, taxi
- $45–50 plus airport fee (check)
- QLine streetcar
- check current fare
- People Mover
- check current fare
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Downtown is walkable and the QLine streetcar runs Woodward Ave between downtown and New Center; the People Mover loops the downtown core. For anything else you need a car, rideshare or a bus — DDOT runs city routes, SMART covers the suburbs. Allow 20–30 min by car between downtown and Midtown in traffic.
See and do
Known for
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- Motown Museum
- Belle Isle Park
- Eastern Market
- Automotive history (Ford, GM)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dearborn | I-94 west by car or rideshare, about 20 min | About 30–40 min |
| Ann Arbor | I-94 west by car, about 45 min; or Amtrak Wolverine from Detroit station, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Windsor, Ontario | Linq Tunnel Bus or car through the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel | About 30–45 min plus border time |
| Grosse Pointe | Car or rideshare east along the lake | About 20–30 min |
| Canton, Michigan | I-275 west by car | About 30–40 min |
Sleep
- Downtown
- Walkable to the riverfront, stadiums, theatres and Greektown; best for a first trip with no car.
- Midtown–New Center
- Museums, Wayne State and the Amtrak station; QLine links it to downtown.
- Corktown
- Old Irish neighbourhood near Michigan Central Station; food and bars, short rideshare to downtown.
- Suburbs (Dearborn, Troy, Novi)
- Cheaper chain hotels and parking; only makes sense with a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the station? | Where is the station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| To this address, please | To this address, please |
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
- A car or rideshare is effectively required outside the downtown–Midtown corridor; buses are slow and infrequent.
- Winter brings snow, ice and wind-chill; summer can be hot and humid with thunderstorms.
- Some neighbourhoods outside the core have high crime rates; stay in lit, busy areas at night and use rideshare after dark.
- The US–Canada border crossing at Windsor is the busiest between the two countries: carry a passport and allow for queues.
- Prices are shown before Michigan sales tax (6%).
Downtown and Midtown are busy and generally fine by day and evening. The real risks are unlit blocks outside the core at night, winter driving, and leaving anything visible in a parked car: use rideshare after dark and park in garages.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Detroit yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- Motown Museum
- Belle Isle Park
- Eastern Market
- Automotive history (Ford, GM)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Detroit: visitdetroit.com/
- City of Detroit: detroitmi.gov
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport: www.metroairport.com/
- Detroit Air Xpress: www.dax-bus.com/
- SMART bus: www.smartbus.org/
- Amtrak — Detroit station: www.amtrak.com/stations/det
- Wikivoyage: Detroit, revision 5324106 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324106
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Detroit
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 consulates in Chicago or Detroit; check your own embassy's list before you travel.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/detroit). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.