Savannah
Savannah
The Fodor's Five
The five things you need to know before traveling to Savannah
Don't rent a car in Savannah.
Are you planning on spending all your time in Savannah’s Historic District? Then skip the rental car. Navigating the one-ways, city squares, and heavy pedestrian traffic can be stressful. Besides, just about everything in the Historic District is walkable.
Not much into walking? Not to worry for there are plenty of other options. Uber and Lyft are plentiful, or you can opt for a pedicab, where your driver (often a college student trying to earn some extra cash), will peddle you to your destination. You can even ride a horse-drawn carriage if you prefer.
Enjoy the Historic District’s fine details.
It’s so easy to blitz your way through the Historic District. From movie-famous pubs to grabbing candy on River Street, you probably have a packed itinerary planned. However, the best way to take in this neighborhood is to take it easy. At least for a little while.
Take a quiet, slow walk through the squares and just take in the incredible detail on the houses. Pay careful attention to the cast iron work. It’s some of the best you’ll find anywhere in the country. Take side streets as well. Some of the best little restaurants and bars are nestled in plain sight, but often a block over from the main tourist strips.
Pick one or two tours.
There are a million different tours in Savannah. There’s the history bus tours, there’s bar crawl ghost tours, there’s movie tours, there’s tours given in the back of a hearse. Really, you could spend all of your time taking part in the various tours around town. While they can be fun, you’ll be better off selecting just one or two tours; otherwise, you won’t have any time to yourself.
Don’t forget your to-go cup.
In Savannah’s Historic District, you can walk around with an alcoholic beverage, just as long as it is contained in a to-go cup. This is your standard red Solo cup or other disposable cup. When leaving a bar, the staff will even pour your drink into a to-go cup so you can take it with you.
If you want to save a few bucks while in town, you can stock up on some beverages for your hotel room and take the drinks with the to-go cups. Check out Johnnie Ganem’s Wine and Package Shop, which has been open since 1942, for a nice selection while in the Historic District.
Walking River Street? Pack flats.
So you’re getting ready for a night out and you want to look your best when hitting up River Street. You do you, but a word of advice: Leave the heels in the hotel room.
Anywhere else in the city heels are fine. But River Street is a makeshift nightmare of cobblestone. Even the most skilled heels wearer has been known to trip, face plant, or break a shoe on the River Street walkways. And after a few cocktails? Forget about it. Do yourself, and your knees, a favor, and wear flats.