Tania

I am having difficulty deciding on Charleston or Savannah for my next vacation. What do these places have to offer? In your opinion, which would you choose?

Gina

Charleston: beautiful, charming, well kept historic homes and businesses; safe; clean; variety of very good restaurants; several very nice lodgings.

Savannah: small historic area that impressed me as run down and almost dirty; not very safe away from the smallish historic area; a couple nice B&B's; a few decent restaurants.

Do I sound biased? I really disliked Savannah. I expected so much more. Charleston was actually better than I expected.

Rachael

I prefer Charleston to Savannah. Charleston seemed safer and I think there was more to see and do there. Though I don't dislike Savannah, if I had to choos just one, I'd pick Charleston. Go in the spring when the azaelas and other flowering trees are out and visit a planatation- it's beautiful.

Bob Brown

Savannah is worth a short visit. Charleston has some beautiful gardens and plantations in and around the city. If you visit them in the spring them in the spring, the weather is warm but not hot, and everything is in bloom. I think you could spend 3 or 4 days touring the area and see some very beautiful places.

T.M.

Both are charming places to visit. Charleston is the larger of the two, true, and might offer more to a person with only a few days to spend.

I do hate to break it to Gina, however, that Charleston has its very "unsafe" areas as well. In fact, they are not far from the Charleston visitor's center (which is an excellent one).

And the last time I was in Savannah (October), the historic area was very clean. It may be smaller but it has some wonderful historic homes, museums and restaurants to offer.

Julie

We were just in both on our way to Florida. I'd been in Charleston several years ago and in Savannah on our way home from FL last year. Had decided after that visit that Charleston has the edge but now I'm not so sure. Savannah was beautiful at Christmas. The squares are magnificant. True there's more to do in Charleston but true also that crime is up there. TV claimed three murders and three shootings during the week we were there. That's a lot for a town of a quarter million inhabitants. I'd do both since they're only about 80 miles or so apart. I'd stay in Charleston, somewhere in the old town area in a B and B or old hotel near the market area and rent a car for a few days to see some of the plantations and to make a day trip to Savannah. We stayed at the Kings Courtyard Inn for $99 per night. Charming. Try the Upstream restaurant while you're there. It opened in October and has been called one of the best new places of 2001 by Esquire. There are lots of other wonderful restaurants in Charleston as well. If you follow this advice, you can decide for yourself whether you prefer Charleston or Savannah. I pick the latter for beauty alone and the former for the all around experience. Enjoy

Lorrane

Charleston is beautiful, we have visited for 10 years and now we live here. There is such a diverisity of things to do. Go to the beach and then visit Plantations, learn intriguing history down town with a carriage ride,shopping,and the food is delicious. Just walking the neighborhoods and enjoying the architecture and gardens, ther is no place like it. Try one of the B&B's downtown and you will not need a car to get around-Enjoy ! Voted the friendlest town in America, too! Now that is southern hospitality..........