mlm59

I have been invited to join a friend on a quick trip to these 3 cities. Due to time constraints on her part, we have a limited amount of time. I suggested only going to Savannah & Charleston, but she has her heart set on seeing St Augustine and she is the person with the tickets.

Her plan is as follows: She has two free tickets on SW. We are flying to Jacksonville on Saturday night and will stay near the airport and leave early on Sunday morning for Charleston. We will be in Charleston on Sunday and until late afternoon on Monday. We will then travel to Savannah for the night, spend Tuesday and Tuesday night in Savannah. We will travel to St Augustine on Wednesday morning and spend the rest of the day and that evening there and then back to Jacksonsille on Thursday to fly home.

I have lots of information on these 3 cities, but obviously we are going to have to choose the best places and see those.

Our only definite to see is Fort Sumpter in Charleston. We would also like to visit the battery. Is the best way to see this area to drive there and walk around? Which of the historic homes does anyone recommend? There are so many.

I was in Savannah many years ago and remember River Street. The group I was with took a trolley tour of the city that was really neat. I'm not sure paying for a tour is worth it. Can we properly enjoy the city by walking around on our own?

I know the least about St. Augustine, other than it is the oldest city in America. I believe there is a fort in the city, but what else should we visit?

Also, what about lodging if we don't want to spend the money to stay in the historic districts of the cities? We plan to be on the go constantly and don't want to spend a lot on a place only to sleep.

Thanks to anyone who can offer us advice.

Orlando_Vic

Hello mim59-

I may be able to shed some light one one of your three cities in question: St. Augustine.

You previously said
"I know the least about St. Augustine, other than it is the oldest city in America. I believe there is a fort in the city, but what else should we visit?"

If you come before the end of January, you will be able to see Nights of Lights. Here is a recent article from the Orlando Sentinel which describes the entire holiday season in St. Augustine <http://tinyurl.com/yx2sw9>. There is additional information about the city and surrounding area at <http://www.getaway4florida.com/> and <http://www.st.augustine.com/>. A good way to see the historic area is by sightseeing train or trolley <http://www.redtrains.com/> or <http://tinyurl.com/yhb57v> which offer a number of packages with some admissions included and all-day reboarding privileges.

"Also, what about lodging if we don't want to spend the money to stay in the historic districts of the cities? We plan to be on the go constantly and don't want to spend a lot on a place only to sleep."

There are a number of moderately priced motels on A1A just south of the historic area (in St. Augustine Beach). If you come before February, you'll still be able to get lower winter rates. There are also a few on U.S. 1 a little bit north of the historic area, yet close to it too. Choice Hotels <http://www.choicehotels.com>, for example, have a number of properties in the local area. If you belong to AAA, they could also help you find suitable lodging.

Hope this gets you started!

GoTravel

If you are flying into Jacksonville, go ahead and drive to St. Augustine and spend the night.

mlm59

Thanks for the responses. The plan at present is to fly into Jacksonville in the evening, then travel early the next morning to Charleston, then to Savannah, and finally to St. Augustine. We planned to spend our last night in St. Augustine so we wouldn't be far from Jacksonville for our flight home.

Thanks so much for the info on St. Augustine. I will check out the websites you gave me. We won't be in St. Augustine until May 2. I was hoping this might be off-season and we can find good rates on a hotel in the historic district. I prefer to stay somewhere where we can walk to where we want to go if we can do so for a reasonable price.

Orlando_Vic

In St. Augustine, May is sort of a shoulder season. Lodging rates should be fairly reasonable.

tarasbrats

Savannah's historic downtown is mesmerizing ... and rated among the nation's best walking cities. If you are coming in March - April, the Savannah Music Festival (www.savanahmusicfestival.org) is a marathon of 100 events, including world-class international, classical, symphonic and Americana music ... blues, jazz, zydeco, bluegrass and country. Inn at Mulberry Grove (www.innatmulberrygrove.com) is a beautiful new hotel with rates $69-$89 during their introductory period.