Charleston and Savannah and the Low Country
All distances and times are indicative and do not include stops.
Total mileage; 212 mile round trip Charleston to Savannah, 430 mile round trip Charleston to Cumberland Island.
Total drive time; 4 hours round trip Charleston to Savannah, 7 hours Charleston to Cumberland Island
How long do I need? You could do Charleston and Savannah and stop off at a couple of the barrier islands in a week. I would try for 10 days if you want some relaxing beach time. If you extend the trip down to Cumberland Island 2 weeks would allow you a very leisurely pace.
Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, Georgia
This is a great way of combining a visit to two fascinating cities with some time out on fantastic beaches. You will particularly enjoy this trip if you are interested in colonial history and architecture, or if you are a golfer. I know those things don’t normally go together but in this case they do!
Start your trip in Charleston. British Airways fly in via Miami and Virgin fly in via New York so you could always add one of these destinations to your trip.
Spend at least a couple of days in Charleston. The historic district is full of historic 18th and 19th Century architecture and is a lovely place to wander around. Don’t miss the Battery with its fabulous antebellum houses and views of the Ashley and the Cooper Rivers. The Historic Charleston Foundation has a useful website if you are keen to visit some of the houses or find out more about the architecture.
If you have time it is well worth taking a trip to Patriot’s Point where you can tour the aircraft carrier Yorktown which is now a museum along with a submarine and several other warships. From here you can also take a boat trip out to Fort Sumter and find out about the role it played in the Civil War.
A walk on the beach
Once you have seen all that Charleston has to offer head out to the coast for some beach time. We like Kiawah Island (just to the south of Charleston) for its fabulous beach. The Sanctuary Hotel is lovely but expensive. If you want a more economical option, ResortQuest Rentals is a good option and has the benefit of self catering.
The next place on your trip is Beaufort, around 70 miles south of Charleston. This has a wonderful historical centre and is a great place for a wander round and a meal.
From here you can either head to Hilton Head for some more beach time or carry straight on to Savannah. Like Charleston, Savannah has a beautiful historic centre. It has some lovely squares and fountains, with live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Don’t miss Lafayette Square and the Owens-Thomas House and make sure you have plenty of time to just wander the historic district and soak up the atmosphere. If you are looking for somewhere lively to eat and drink, Factors Walk by the riverfront is lined with bars and restaurants. There is lots of accommodation in Savannah. We particularly like the Mansion on Forsyth Park.
Tybee Lighthouse, Tybee Island, Georgia
A great day trip from savannah is the lovely Tybee Island with its beautiful beach and splendid lighthouse.
From Savannah you can either head back towards Charleston or extend your trip, venturing south towards the Golden Isles and Brunswick. The Golden Isles are barrier islands similar to Kiawah and Tybee. Both St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island are good places to stay. We have stayed at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel which is a fun place with plenty of amenity. From here it is easy to do a day trip to the Cumberland Island National Seashore Reserve. This is a fabulous place with wonderful beaches and well worth the slight effort to get here – around an hours drive from Jekyll Island to St Mary’s with a ferry trip to the island.
Go Independent…
To get the best deals on flights to Charleston, and accommodation once you’re there, we recommend 1 Plus 2 Travel. They search the consolidators for you so you don’t have to!
We recommend Holiday Autos or Easycar for car hire. Check out our car hire info for ways to save money. You may want to cover your excess and increase your liability cover with a policy like that from Worldwide Insure or Insurance4carhire.com.
Book a package…
Sometimes you just don’t have the time or inclination to plan and book a trip independently, that’s when booking through a tour operator makes sense.
Kuoni have a fly drive itinerary including Charleston and Savanah, and they will happily put together a tailor made package for you if this does not appeal.