In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston
Give Charleston 2–3 nights and stay on the peninsula: walk the historic district, ferry to Fort Sumter, one plantation day. Skip a car unless you add the beaches.
Charleston is a low-rise port city on a peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, and the historic district is small enough to cover on foot. Two nights gets the core; three adds a plantation or a beach day. Summer heat and humidity are the main planning constraint, so spring and autumn are the better windows. A car helps for plantations and islands but is a liability downtown, where parking is tight and paid.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Charleston
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (heat and humidity), peak hurricane season Sep–Oct
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$90–150 excl. bed · Mid US$150–280 excl. bed · High US$280+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | US$3–6 |
| Shrimp and grits or a Lowcountry plate | US$18–32 |
| Beer at a bar / can from a shop | US$6–9 / US$2–4 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) ride-hailing trip3.1 mi (5 km) ride-hailing trip | US$12–20 |
| CARTA bus ride / DASH shuttle | US$2 / free |
| Museum or historic-house entry | US$10–32 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CHS · Charleston International
- About 19 km (12 mi) northwest of downtown; taxi about US$25, shared shuttle about US$14 per person, CARTA bus 11 about 1 h for US$2, express XP4 about 20 min for US$3.50About 12 mi (19 km) northwest of downtown; taxi about US$25, shared shuttle about US$14 per person, CARTA bus 11 about 1 h for US$2, express XP4 about 20 min for US$3.50
Typical fares
- CHS airport → downtown, taxi
- about US$25
- CHS airport → downtown, shared shuttle
- about US$14 per person
- CARTA bus 11 / express XP4 to downtown
- US$2 / US$3.50
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The peninsula is a walking city: the historic district runs roughly from the Market south to The Battery, and most sights sit within a 30-minute walk. CARTA runs the free DASH shuttle loops (routes 210, 211, 213) around downtown; regular CARTA buses cost about US$2 a ride. Taxis and ride-hailing work downtown but taxis are thin outside it and an airport run is best booked ahead. A rental car is useful only for plantations, the beaches and outlying islands.
See and do
Known for
- Historic district and antebellum architecture
- Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began
- The Battery and Waterfront Park
- Lowcountry food: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup
- Ashley River plantations
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Sumter | Ferry from Liberty Square downtown or Patriot's Point in Mount Pleasant, about 30 min each way | About 3–4 h |
| Middleton Place | Car via Ashley River Rd, about 30–40 min from downtown | About 1 h each way |
| Magnolia Plantation and Gardens | Car via Ashley River Rd, about 30 min from downtown | About 1 h each way |
| Folly Beach | Car or ride-hailing, about 20–30 min from downtown | About 30–45 min |
| Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms | Car over the Ravenel Bridge, about 20–30 min | About 30–45 min |
| Savannah, Georgia | Car on I-95, about 2 h; Amtrak Palmetto/Silver also stops in both cities | About 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- French Quarter / Market area
- Walk to Waterfront Park, the Market and most sights; the priciest and most convenient.
- South of Broad
- Quiet residential streets, mansions and The Battery; inns and B&Bs, few budget beds.
- Upper King Street
- Restaurants, bars and newer hotels; 15–20 min walk to the historic core.
- Mount Pleasant
- Across the Ravenel Bridge; cheaper rooms, Patriot's Point ferry to Fort Sumter, but you need a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the ferry to Fort Sumter? | Where is the ferry to Fort Sumter? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| The check, please | The check, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer heat index often reaches about 38°C (100°F) by day with nights near 25°C (77°F); plan indoor stops midday and carry water.
- Hurricane season runs Jun–Nov, peaking Sep–Oct; check forecasts and know your hotel's evacuation policy.
- Parking downtown is metered on the street and paid in garages (Visitor Center garage about US$2/h); read signs for time limits.
- Carriage and tour-sales touts cluster around the Market; agree the price and duration before you board.
- Some historic houses and museums keep limited hours or close on certain weekdays: check the official site before you go.
Charleston is generally safe for visitors in the historic district and on the islands; the usual cautions apply after dark around Upper King and outlying areas, and the bigger risks are summer heat, rip currents at the beaches and hurricane-season storms.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Charleston, South Carolina yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Historic district and antebellum architecture
- Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began
- The Battery and Waterfront Park
- Lowcountry food: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup
- Ashley River plantations
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Charleston (official): www.charleston-sc.gov/
- Charleston Area CVB — visitor centers: www.charlestoncvb.com/travel-support/visitors-centers/
- Charleston International Airport: www.iflychs.com/
- CARTA — Charleston transit: www.ridecarta.com/
- Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie (NPS): www.nps.gov/fosu/
- Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site: southcarolinaparks.com/charles-towne-landing
- Middleton Place: www.middletonplace.org/
- Magnolia Plantation and Gardens: www.magnoliaplantation.com/
- Wikivoyage: Charleston (South Carolina), revision 5236372 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5236372
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Charleston; most countries keep embassies in Washington, D.C., with consulates in Atlanta or Miami. Check your country's list before you travel.
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and ride-hailing, US$3–5 a night for housekeeping.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/charleston-south-carolina). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.