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WOZ123 Oct 21st, 2025 06:21 AM

Historic Charleston SC do you need a car
 
I am thinking of staying three nights in historic Charleston, South Carolina with a older senior. Do you need a car for this area? Any recommendation for a tour without a lot of walking?

andrewoddo1595 Oct 21st, 2025 09:19 AM

Charleston is not very large. It is easily walkable. If your companion has mobility issues you can uber and it will not be very expensive. Also, parking is not easy there and your hotel will likely charge a fee for parking. There are horse drawn carriage tours that will get you off your feet.

Daniel_Williams Oct 22nd, 2025 06:44 AM

Hi WOZ123–

I just commented on your identical query about Savannah and am presuming you are deciding between the two. If you stay in the Historic Pensinula of Charleston without a car, there’s lots to do to keep you busy; a ferry out to Fort Sumter, plenty of historic homes and great restaurants, a CARTA bus runs for free from the southern part of the peninsula up to the Charleston Museum area. When I visited without a car, I had a great time but keep in mind, getting to more distal locations like Isle of Palms might take planning and intercity public transportation is limited in that part of the world. In my opinion, Savannah and Charleston are pretty equivalent cities to visit without a car—not as good as certain European destinations due to the lack of for example intercity options but do-able and better than many (not all) North American locales due to their compactness and consequent walkability having been built long before the automobile. Both cities are charming and I love the Low Country cuisine in both; I hope you decide to go!

Happy travels! Daniel


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