Getting to Charleston: CHS Airport, Amtrak & Driving from Savannah

Located midway down the South Carolina coast at the eastern terminus of Interstate 26 (and along coastal US Highway 17), Charleston is served by nonstop flights from over 35 cities and sits just 2 hours (170 kilometres) north of Savannah, Georgia.

1. Arriving at 'Charleston International Airport (CHS)' (19 km Northwest of Downtown)

Served by major domestic airlines, CHS Airport in North Charleston is compact and easy to navigate:

• By Uber, Lyft or Taxi (18 to 25 Minutes Down I-26 East to Downtown Hotels): rideshare pickups and metered taxis operate directly outside the terminal and take you straight to any hotel door in the Historic District or Mount Pleasant.
• By Public Bus (CARTA Route 11 Dorchester/Airport): travelling light on a budget? Outside Baggage Claim, board CARTA public Bus Route 11 (check the CARTA website or the Token Transit app for the low flat fare): it runs every 30 to 60 minutes down Dorchester Road and Meeting Street straight to the Charleston Visitor Center Bus Shed (375 Meeting St) in the heart of downtown.

2. Combining Charleston & Savannah (By Car Along US-17 or By Amtrak Train)

1. By Rental Car Along Scenic 'US Highway 17' (2 Hours, With a Halfway Stop in 'Beaufort'): instead of driving busy I-95 when travelling between Charleston and Savannah, take US Highway 17 through the ACE Basin marshes, and detour 20 minutes at the halfway point into historic Beaufort, South Carolina (founded 1711, a waterfront town of mossy antebellum mansions on Port Royal Sound where Forrest Gump and The Big Chill were filmed, plus the brick arches of the 1753 Old Sheldon Church Ruins right off US-17 in Yemassee).
2. Without a Car, Ride the 1-Hour-45-Minute 'Amtrak Train': both the northbound and southbound Amtrak Palmetto and Silver Meteor stop daily at Charleston Amtrak Station (4565 Gaynor Ave in North Charleston, a 15-minute Uber ride from the Historic District), linking Charleston and Savannah in under two hours.