Seeking advice re Savanah vs. Charleston
 

Since I couldn't talk her into going with my DH and I to Paris in November, my mom and I would like to go on a mother-daughter trip and are considering Charleston as its a place where she always wanted to go. However, flights from St. Louis to Charleston are fairly expensive (more expensive than my Paris tickets!). Out of curiousity I did some research on Savannah and found that it seems to have a lot of what we were hoping to find in Charleston; gorgeous southern houses, good restaurants and enough to do for a weekend. The big benefit to Savannah is that we could fly into Jacksonville (a lot cheaper) and drive up to Savannah and save some money.

As neither of us have been to either place, I was just wondering what the general consensus is. Would Savannah be a good place for a weekend getaway, or would it be necessary to spend the extra money for Charleston?

Thanks!
Tracy

I forgot to mention that we would like to take the trip sometime between mid-September and early October, and we would be gone 3 nights.

Tracy, I love both cities, and Savannah would absolutely be a wonderful get-away for that time of year. Honestly, you can't go wrong in either city!!! Save Charleston for another time...... :-)

Savannah is lovely. Some like it more than Charleston (me). Some like Charleston more than Savannah. But, both are charming old Southern cities with beautiful old homes, wonderful restaurants, carriage tours, trolley tours, walking tours of every description, lovely inns, wonderful B&B's, and interesting shopping. Can't go wrong with either - no matter which you prefer.

Do a search on this board and read for a while for the wealth of information (and opinions) on this board.

Oh goodness! Savannah, Charleston or Paris? I need to talk to your Mom--quickly!

We lived in Savannah for 4 years and loved it. It's a terrific place to tour and a wonderful mother-daughter venue. I happen to prefer Charleston for the better shopping and restaurants, but for the money saved in flights, it probably isn't worth it. There are ample restaurants and plenty to see to keep you all happy for those few days. We flew in and out of JAX on several occasions when we lived there by the way, and flights were reasonable...enough to warrant the two hour drive back to Savannah. The JAX airport is outside of town and an easy shot from the interstate. It is all easy, uncongested interstate driving from the airport to the historic district.

Now...again...I do need to put a bug in her ear about Paris--my all time favorite city. How I would LOVE to do that with my daughter!!

The first time I drove into Savannah, I just about stalled the van, jumped out in the middle of traffic and shouted ... Holy ...well, you know. It's that kind of city.

Savannah to me is the quintessential Southern city bar none. Charleston reminds me more of Paris -- both are delightful, but for the differenc in price, do Savannah. After all, you ARE going to Paris already!

B/

I think Charleston is so fabulous. So much to offer and the restaurants are fabulous! I greatly preferred it to Savannah. Check flying into Myrtle Beach, SC and driving from there. Some of the discount airlines have cheap rates into Myrtle Beach. I believe, but don't quote me, it is about a 2 hr drive to Charleston

Thank you everyone for your responses! I greatly appreciate it! We still have a little bit of time so I am going to keep an eye on the airfare, but it sounds like Savannah is a great place to visit!

cemrn, I checked the prices for basically every airport within a few hundred miles of Charleston and I couldn't get anything under about $300. Same thing with Savannah with the exception of Jacksonville.

LOL OO! We travel to Europe quite a bit but this is our first trip to Paris. My mom hasn't traveled that much and has never been anywhere east of Nashville, TN. She considered going to Paris but for her the idea of traveling outside the U.S. is a little daunting. I tried to talk her into it, but I think she would definitely feel more comfortable in Savannah or Charleston...although I'm sure she will regret her decision when we come back and show her our pictures!!

Tracy

You received great, accurate information above but let me enter a vote for Savannah.Please keep in mind that early Sept. is hurricane season - a consideration that would apply to both Charleston & Savannah.

If you have a choice as to the time of year....wait until April. The Spring blooming season is in full swing from the middle of March until the middle of April. A walking tour of Savannah at that time is fantastic. Also, the First Saturday of every month is A First Saturday Festival down on River Street. So if you plan a weekend trip and can make it then, it's just that much more fun. I have not done much sight-seeing in Charleston as we have found that driving around there is confusing. Savannah is laid out to be great both walking and riding.

However, if you do go to Charleston, try to go to Middleton Place and Magnolia Gardens. They are also wonderful in the Spring. I don't know how they would be in the Fall.

One other thing to consider - If you go to Charleston you would not most likely need a rental car. Is the cost of the car for the few days you'll need it considerably less than the difference in airfare cost? If not, maybe Charleston would be a better choice since your mom has always wanted to go there.

I would choose Charleston hands down--much more to do, better places to eat. If you are going to drive, look for flights to Myrtle Beach also--about a 2 hour drive to Charleston. Fly to Charlotte--a 3 hour drive. But keep shopping--it's almost too early to shop for that time of year for good flights.

I'd have to agree that that both cities are very nice places to visit, probably two of the nicest cities in the South, so you won't really regret going to either city, no matter which one you choose! Though if I HAD to make a choice, I'd go for Charleston- such a great atmosphere, wonderful old buildings, lovely restaurants and bars, etc.

I just plugged in Sept 29 weekend into Travelocity and got a fare of $261 to Charleston. I don't think you'll do any better than that.