We are a couple making our first visit to Charleston in April. How dressy are the good restaurants? Should men wear a jacket? - a tie and jacket? - or is a nice shirt sufficient?
How dressy need you be to visit the downtown historic houses? Are shorts OK if the weather is warm? - Nancy & Lee Rossbach

nancylee, because it is usually so hot here, no restaurants require jacket and tie.

Even Penninsula Grill and Circa 1886 men would be fine in dress pants and a nice golf shirt.

Shorts are fine, were good shoes. The sidewalks are either brick, cobblestone, slate, limestone, etc. All uneven and you will not find concrete ones. Hard to walk on after a while.

Thank you "GoTravel" for your fast and helpful reply.
Do you expect it will be very warm on the first week of April? Is there likely to be much rain at this time?
We will not have a car. Is it possible to get to Middleton Place or Magnolia Gardens by tour van? Thank you!

April weather is a crapshoot but I doubt the daytime highs will drop below 80 degrees.

It could rain but you can always purchase a cheap umbrella in the market. I would not worry about rain.

Yes, Charleston Tours even picks up at the hotels for their plantation tours.

www.Charleston-Tours.com

Don't laught but my uniform in Charleston is a tank top and a cardigan. The air conditioning can get awfully cold.