Savannnah/Charleston September 2011
 

Starting to think about a trip that would involve a couple of days in Savannah and 4-5 days in Charleston in September 2011. Any recommendations on B& B or Condo in Charleston. First time for both areas. Should we allow more time in Savannah and is 4-5 days in Charleston enough to relax and yet still see sights. DH is a real history buff. Advice.....

i too have been researching places to stay in Charleston. Have a timeshare in Hilton Head & want to go to Charleston a few nights before. Wow-the hotels in Charleston are pricey. While in Hilton Head we will probably do a day trip to Savahhah. Have fun planning-Chris

Dates will make a difference in hotel prices. If it is during an "event"--Spoleto, College or Citadel events, spring azalea/home tours, etc. Also more expensive on the weekends than during the week. What are you calling "pricey", just out of curiosity.

I just did a little test for May/June on Hotwire. The difference in the top hotels on the weekend as opposed to weekdays was about $50/night.

Gretchen's question is important.

There is a very nice Hampton Inn across from the tourist center. It did not seem expensive except in comparison with Hampton Inns along the interstate. Lodging in destinations always costs more than lodging along the highway. Lodging during events costs even more.

Right. The Historic District is on a peninsula and the real estate there is valuable. If it's your first visit I always recommend you stay there so that you can walk right out your door into the heart of things. The weather in May/June is gorgeous and many people visit during that time. Do avoid inexpensive motels in North Charleston. If it's really cheap there's a reason for that.

There are lots of B&Bs. My recommendation, if you want a place in the HD with full kitchen facilities, is Restoration on King. It's a great location. For condos look at vrbo.com.

Will echo all who are recommending that you stay in the Historic District. It's worth it to be close by everything. Staying outside the area may or may not put you in either a bad area or away from public transportation.

Will definitely echo suewoo's recommendation not to stay in North Charleston, regardless of cost savings -- with the exception of the small area immediately surrounding the airport, all the parts of North Charleston I saw while taking a city bus from the Historic District to the airport ran through a long stretch of significantly "bad part of town."

Exactly. If it's cheap you do NOT want to know why, lol! There are a couple of OK places near the Convention Center up there, but again you take a chance. If there's a concert at the center lots of partiers will be there too. While throwing down can be good, it's not conducive to a good night's sleep.

Public transportation can be unreliable, so keep that in mind. If you stay in the HD you can walk everywhere, which is fun. I do it all the time. It's especially beautiful right now with all the decorations.

I'm also thinking of a Charleston/Savannah trip, and wondering about Shar's question of how to split 6 or 7 days between the two cities... I'm thinking more of March or April 2011... Linda

We have stayed in the Hampton Inn and it is quite nice--breakfast included. It is right across from the /vistiors center so you can get a trolley to the Historic District. The other reason it is expensive is that there are not a whole lot of hotels and Charleston is definitely a "destination".

BowenLinda, I was able to see most all of what interested me in Savannah in two days and Charleston in three days. With two extra days, I'd consider adding a day to each place.

bachslunch... or would you consider a third destination? I don't have my guide book in front of me, but does a third destination spring to mind? I'm sure I could find lots to do in both cities with an extra day but I occasionally get itchy feet and want to keep on exploring.

BowenLinda, depending on your interests, Beaufort and Hilton Head might be options to consider -- haven't been to either, though, so I can't comment one way or the other. Both are located between Savannah and Charleston.

If you have itchy feet visit the plantations outside Charleston. You could go to Hunting Island, near Beaufort. It's between Savannah and Charleston. It's a beautiful undeveloped beach. Have lunch in Beaufort. It's a cute little town.

Thank you for your suggestions, I'll check them out over the next week or so.

Hey what about me...I posted the questions B & B's or VRBO in Charleston and Savannah, historic sightseeing. Everyone seemed to be answering BowenLinda!D

SueWoo gave you some addresses to look at.
There are COUNTLESS threads here on sightseeing and food in Charleston and Savannah. Maybe a little culling and then a specific question?

As for a "third destination", in addition to the plantations you could head up the coast to Georgetown--a lovely small Revolutionary War town, and then a bit further up Pawley's Island where the rice planters spent their summers to escape the malarial mosquitos.
Brookgreen Gardens is there also--wonderful sculptures and gardens. The Huntington's "home" across from Brookgreen is worth a visit if nothing for wonder at the architecture and how they lived there!! It is NOT opulent!

Right. If I listed ever single thing there is to do and see it would take me all day and I actually have a job. I too love Brrokgreen and Pawley's. Shar, there are Revolutionary War sights, Civil War sights, plantations, forts, all kinds of things to see. So start with this:

http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/

And go to vrbo.com. Then let us know when you find something that appeals to you and we can give you great advice re: locations and restaurants close by.

thanks for the website

Shar, sorry for highjacking your thread. Gretchen and Sue, thank you for those additional ideas.