Columbus
Practical Information for visiting Columbus
Getting Around
A car is the practical choice. Columbus is flat, spread out and built around ring roads, and it is the largest American city without passenger rail service of any kind.
COTA buses cover the city and run a free downtown circulator; the CBUS route links German Village, downtown and the Short North and is free.
Walking works within each district, and the Short North to downtown to German Village run along High Street is about three miles on the flat, which is a pleasant walk.
Cycling: the Olentangy and Scioto trails run for miles along the rivers and are genuinely useful.
Ride-hailing is widely available and cheap.
On game days, do not attempt to drive near campus.
Connectivity & Internet
Coverage for mobile networks is good throughout with widespread 5G.
US prepaid SIMs and eSIMs are easy to arrange; check roaming charges before arriving.
Wi-Fi is free in hotels, cafes, the public library system — which is among the best-funded in the country — and across the university campus.
Payment is almost entirely by card, and some venues are cashless.
Power is 120 volts on flat two- and three-pin sockets.
Stay Safe (2026 security update)
Columbus is a comfortable city for visitors, with crime concentrated away from the areas they use.
- Downtown, the Short North, German Village and campus are busy and well policed. Parts of the east, south and near west sides have higher crime and no particular draw.
- Campus-area crime rises in term time, mostly robberies late at night in the streets immediately around the university. Walk in company after dark.
- Car break-ins; leave nothing visible.
- Severe weather: spring tornado warnings are real, and sirens sound across the county. Go to a basement or interior room.
- Game-day crowds and drink driving on autumn Saturdays.
- Summer heat and winter ice.
Health Considerations
American healthcare is extremely expensive for visitors and comprehensive travel insurance is essential.
Columbus has a large academic medical centre at Ohio State and a children’s hospital with a national reputation.
Urgent care clinics are far cheaper and quicker than an emergency room for minor problems.
No vaccinations are required beyond routine cover.
Tap water is safe.
Pollen is high in spring and late summer; central Ohio is difficult for hay fever.
Summer humidity makes heat exhaustion more likely than the thermometer suggests.
Winter: ice on pavements and roads, and cold snaps that can be severe.
Pharmacies are widespread and several open around the clock.
Emergency Information
Emergency number: 911 for police, fire and ambulance.
Medical. Emergency rooms must stabilise anyone and will bill heavily; urgent care handles minor problems far more cheaply. Carry your insurance details.
Severe weather: warnings are pushed to mobile phones and outdoor sirens sound for tornado warnings. A watch means conditions are possible; a warning means take shelter now.
Reporting theft: Columbus police accept online reports for property crime, giving the case number an insurer will require.
Winter storms: the state publishes road conditions by county, and level three snow emergencies make non-essential driving an offence.