Things to do / Travel Guide
By Air
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) is the primary hub for all air service in the South. Thus, anyone flying in from outside the region will most likely be arrive via Hartsfield Airport, located roughly 15 miles south of Atlanta. Of all the regions airports, it's the cheapest, but crowds are unavoidable as it's the busiest airport in the world! To give you an idea of just how large it is, Hartsfield-Jackson is known for being the home of the world's largest airline hub (in terms of passenger volume), it employs over 55,000 people, and most of its millions of passengers each year are actually just passing through the airport on their way to connecting flights.
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) accommodates flights to and from Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Washington, and Buffalo. Delta and Continental Express are the main providers. This airport is far less busy than Atlanta's airport and it deposits you on the region's coast rather than inland.
Charleston International Airport (CHS) services Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Memphis, Dallas, Washington, and Newark. It is in fact similarly-priced to Hartsfield, and Delta and United Airlines are the main providers. This airport is a better choice if your primary travel destinations are in South Carolina.
By Car
By car, the Peach State and the Palmetto State are linked to the rest of the country via several major interstate highways:
- The I-95 corridor parallels the coast running south to north, from the south of Florida to the north of Maine. The interstate enters South Carolina about 40 miles inland from the coast, with access to the major destinations in South Carolina and then traverses Georgia along the coast from Savannah south to the Florida border.
- I-75 runs north from Atlanta to Tennessee, Kentucky, and beyond and south to the Everglades in southern Florida.
- The major east-west route is I-20, running from central South Carolina to southwestern Texas. This interstate enters the region at Augusta and exits at Atlanta, into Alabama.
- I-85 runs northeast-southwest, from Richmond, Virginia, to Mobile, Alabama, again via Atlanta.
- I-26 takes you to Charleston, from northeast Tennessee.
- In addition to the interstates that crisscross both states, U.S. Highway 84 cuts across the southern portion of Georgia, through Valdosta and Waycross. This highway runs from Savannah through the Deep South and Texas.
- U.S. Highway 441 runs from the North Carolina-South Carolina state line all the way down to Athens in Georgia and beyond to the Florida border.
- U.S. Highway 17 runs down the entire coast from Myrtle Beach in the north to Kingsland in the south.
Here are the approximate distances and driving times to Atlanta and Charleston from some of the major cities outside the region:
- Nashville: Atlanta - 250 miles, 4 hours; Charleston - 550 miles, 8.5 hours
- Jacksonville: Atlanta - 350 miles, 5 hours 15 minutes; Charleston - 240 miles, 4 hours
- Memphis: Atlanta - 390 miles, 6 hours 15 minutes; Charleston - 710 miles, 11 hours
- New Orleans: Atlanta - 470 miles, 7 hours; Charleston - 745 miles, 11 hours 45 minutes
- St. Louis: Atlanta - 555 miles, 8.5 hours; Charleston - 860 miles, 13 hours 20 minutes
- Charlotte: Atlanta - 250 miles, 4 hours; Charleston - 210 miles, 3 hours 20 minutes
- Orlando: Atlanta - 440 miles, 6.5 hours; Charleston - 380 miles, 6 hours
By Bus
Greyhound does a pretty good job linking Georgia and South Carolina to the major hubs of the East Coast. For example, there are four daily buses, three with stopovers and one without, from Washington DC to Charleston. The rides last between 14 and 18 hours. There are also four daily buses, all transferring once, from St. Louis to Atlanta. These rides take between 11.5 and 14 hours.
By Train
The Amtrak Silver Service route passes daily through Charleston, Savannah, and Jesup, before continuing on to Miami from its starting point in New York City. It's a 15.5-hour ride from New York City to Savannah, and another 12 hours to Miami.
On the Crescent Route between New Orleans and New York City, Amtrak passes daily through Atlanta. It takes 18 hours to travel from New York City to Atlanta, and 13 hours from New Orleans.
Airports in Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Charleston, South Carolina, Atlanta, Savannah, Georgia
Getting-There
Charleston Intl Airport (CHS)
Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
Myrtle Beach Intl Airport (MYR)
Savannah International Airport (SAV)
William B Hartsfield Intl Airport (ATL)
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