We are looking to start in Charleston and then drive to Savannah. We have 5 days so I thought I would split with 2 in Charleston and 2 in Savannah, since the last day is a travel day. What is the best way to get around? Should we rent a car? I don't like the extra fee for parking at the hotel in Charleston. I thought we would stay at Doubletree Guest Suites Charleston-Historic District. Is their quick public transportation between the 2 cities?

If you can get to Hilton Head, there is a really fun and scenic boat trip that goes from HH to Savannah (and back if you wish). Once you get in Savannah you can take tourist bus tours. That way you miss out on the congested driving situation there.
HH has a small but wonderful airport.

Unless things have changed, I would just rent a car to drive between the two cities. Which city are you flying out of? You don't really need a car once in Savannah, but if you are flying into and out of Charleston, I'd just rent the car the last day in Charleston and you'll have it at your disposal if you want it in Savannah, plus easy transportation back to Charleston.

OO is right that you won't need a car in Savannah if you're staying in the historic downtown area (you'd only need one if you wanted to visit some nearby forts such as Fort Pulaski, Fort McAllister, or Old Fort Jackson). I found two days a good amount of time to spend here.

The same is pretty much true in Charleston if you stick to the historic district and the area immediately north of there (with attractions like the Aquarium and Charleston Museum) -- two days will allow you to see pretty much everything here.

For Charleston, if you want to visit the Ashley River Road plantations (Drayton Hall, Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation), that can be done either via car or a shuttle service. Other attractions, such as the Hunley Submarine, Boone Hall, and Cypress Gardens will definitely require a car. Having more time for these would be best (I was able to visit all three Ashley River Road plantations in a day, but it's a full day if you do).

I haven't book it yet, but would like to fly into Charleston and out of Savannah. We want to go to Tybee Island to do the Dolphin watch. Is that a fun thing to do?

You'll need a car to get to Tybee. Have never done a dolphin cruise, but would think it'd be fun getting out onto the water. You can almost always see them just from the beach at Tybee. Also a great place to look for sharks teeth. North Beach area is my favorite part of Tybee, with a large parking lot close to the lighthouse, and it's a bit nicer area than the more southern section of Tybee.

I recently heard there is a shuttle to Tybee, departs from Marriott near River Street. The rate is about $15, cheaper and easier than a car. The Dolphin cruise is a delight. There is one that leaves from River Street, and another from Lazeretto Creek, where there's also a fun, quirky restaurant (Loco's) with seafood right off the boats there. Eat on the deck! Stay at one of the B&Bs in town -- The Presidents Quarters Inn (www.presidentsquarters.com), Green Palm Inn (www.greenpalminn.com) or Azalea Inn & Gardens (www.azaleainn.com) are all unique and offer various price points with nice deals for summer 2009.

Rent a car. Go to the plantations in Charleston. Stay 3 days in Charleston, one in Savannah and leave.

Where is a good place to eat in Charleston? We love seafood, especially lobster and shrimp.

any good vegetarian restaurants in Charleston or Savannah?

A board search here will yield several good Charleston restaurant options.

Our favorite restaurants in Charleston are Hank's and 82 Queen.

Michelle most restaurants will accomodate vegetarian requests.

Lobster is not native to our area. Shrimp is in season and it's great.

Turns out that I love Savannah over Charleston. Savannah historic district is amazing with the city squares and the row houses are beautiful. The tour guide for the city overview was very good. In Charleston, we loved the Palmetto horse and carriage tour of commercial Charleston. The tour guide was funny and knowledgeable. The restaurants in Charleston were dirty and food subpar (Hanks, Sweetwater, AW Shucks and Josephs). The Pirates House in Savannah has a filet mignon that is out of this world. We also ate at the Crab Shack on Tybee Island and were dissappointed. It is run down and over-priced.

I'm sad that you had subpar dining experiences in Charleston. There are more wonderful restaurants per square block in Charleston that most cities in the US. I've had very good meals at Hank's, but the other places don't usually get mentioned in any of the trip reports or recommendations from locals as being 'don't miss' places. If you ever do get back, do try Peninsula Grill, SNOB, High Cotton, Il Cortile de Re, Charleston Grill or any of the places that consistently get fabulous reviews. Also keep in mind that some places are loved for what they are - not what diners wish they could be. For example, I don't think I'd say that Hyman's is the best place to dine in Charleston, but if you want fried seafood and hush puppies, it would be exactly the place to go (I love their hush puppies, by the way).

Thank you dsgmi.
dmboman, dirty? Tell me where and what you mean. As a Charlestoian, I need to know. But I'm laughing.....

Like I can spell....I am a Charlestonian. Subpar? So hilarious