In this “Travel SMART” series of articles we discuss real-world travel plans for exploring popular locations in a cost-effective manner. SMART evaluates the Staying options, Mobility, Attractions, ROI (Return-On-Investment) and Transport options for planning the trip. This article focuses on travel plan based from Savannah, Georgia, USA.
Savannah is a historic city in Southeastern United States with one of the largest sea port in the country. The city has the oldest preserved historic downtown in USA and famous for its ghost tours.
Transport options – Savannah is about 4 hours drive east of Atlanta, Georgia, under 3 hours drive south of Charleston, South Carolina or Jacksonville, Florida. Atlanta and Jacksonville both serves major daily international flights from destinations in North American and Europe. Savannah is also little over 2 hours away from cruise ports near Charleston, SC and Jacksonville, FL.
Staying options – An ideal location to stay in Savannah is the River Street with a view of the Savannah River on one side and the city view on the other side. This location is also just few minutes walk to the historic district with access to shops, restaurants and the famous squares. We typically stay at the Homewood Suites by Hilton on River street, a triangular shaped building with easy access to the dock offering boat tours and also on the tram line for historic trolly tours. There are also many other good staying options along river street that stretches from this hotel at the start of River Street all the way down near the Maritime Museum and Talmadge Memorial bridge.
Mobility – One of the joy of touring Savannah is doing a walking tour passing by the 22 parklike “squares”, many of which were built back in the 1740s when the city was founded by Colonel James Oglethorpe. There is an electric tram line that serves teh historic distric as well as buses. Parking around the historic center and river street maybe difficult during peak season.
Attractions – Many attractions in the city are located in and around squares such as, the historic 18th century Catholic Church, the Mercer House featured in the Clint Eastwood film “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, the haunted “Keho House”, the famous park bench featured in the film “Forrest Gump” and many campuses of SCAD (Savannah College of Arts & Sciences) that are restored colonial and antebellum era buildings.
A little further out, ‘Bonaventure Cemetery’ is a historic cemetery where many notable characters of the city are laid to rest. The scenic barrier island, ‘Tybee Island’, is just a 15-20 mins drive from historic district with lovely beaches and delicious seafood eateries.
While in Savannah, trying out the Southern cuisine, especially seafood, is a must. Many good restaurants by the River Street and in the historic district are highly rated for both contemporary and traditional menu. A stroll or a slow drive down River Street both in the morning and evening, as well as an evening boat tour with dinner could be an enchanting experience.
ROI (Return On Investment) – One important factor when evaluating Savannah is the location’s proximity to other nearby tourists destinations. Savannah is close to following locations for a day trip and more.
- Beaufort & Hilton Head Island, SC – Charming coastal town and tourist resort island. Within 30-45 mins drive.
- Charleston, SC – Major coastal city with historic attractions. Under 2.5 hours drive.
- Brunswick, Jekyll Island & St. Simon’s Island, GA – Charming Georgia coast islands and towns. Around 1 hour drive.
- Amelia Island, FL – Scenic barrier island on the border of Florida and Georgia. Around 2 hours drive.
In our experience, we maximized our ROI touring Savannah by staying at a hotel with free breakfast on River Street which is close to walking distance of major attractions, shopping and dining options. This also allowed us easy driving out options to nearby tourist destinations noted above. Also when looking at city tour options we booked online via Expedia and Viator to compare tours by rating and price.
The southern charm and allure of the ‘most haunted city in U.S.A.’ with a relatively laid back atmosphere makes Savannah an ideal destination to explore. If you are visiting the American South, we highly recommend Savannah for a first time or return tour! Check out the video below for a visual guide to an evening walk in Savannah. And for daily updates don’t forget to subscribe to our channel https://www.youtube.com/@globalcitizentravels ! Happy Travels!
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