Getting to the city in Savannah and Charleston (SC)

[Sam31452]

I'm still a bit worried about how I could get to the hotel from the Amtrak stations in Savannah and also in Charleston, SC.

Are there usually a few cabs at the station (enough for all the passengers?) or do I have to call ahead?

 

[dart330]

Here is some info on the Savannah Station:

http://www.jacksonville.com/interact/blog/...uide_-_savannah

What transportation options are available after getting off the Amtrak train?

There is usually a gaggle of taxis waiting for your business. Expect a $20 fare to get into town.

 

[Sam31452]

Expect a $20 fare to get into town.

For 3 miles? Sounds like rip-off to me.

 

[Adrian]

For anyone who is interested, I have just returned from the US and included an Amtrak trip from Savannah to Charleston - and back - and onwards to Orlando.

It all worked like a dream. I booked and paid for the tickets in the UK and printed them off on arrival in the US. All the trains were very clean and comfortable - and more spacious than ours. Staff were very helpful and all trains were on time - in fact we arrived early in both Charleston and Savannah. These two cities are so different from each other and both lovely in their own way - try to see both if you can.

Only two potential issues with the trip:

1) The lack of trains - only one or two per day. I broke the journey in Savannah to avoid a very early start if I'd gone directly from Charleston to Orlando

2) The stations are a bit far out from the cities. In Savannah this was only $10-15 in a taxi. Charleston is more - expect more like $35 (though I got away with $13 going back as it was a Sunday and it was quiet enough to go through the city centre by a shorter route)

If going to Lake Buena Vista (Disney area) from Orlando I've seen posts which say go on to Kissimmee. But I found this is of little advantage as is takes longer (the train waits in Orlando) and with an Amtrak approved shuttle taxi it only cost $25 (the extra fare to Kissimmee is $9 without the taxi which is likely to be more than $25 in itself). I was at my hotel before the train arrived in Kissimmee.

 

[Sam31452]

I paid about $15 in Savannah and $ 35 in Charleston. The cab in Charleston was so shabby I decided to use the public transport system ($2) in order to get back to the station.

The bus stop is quite close to the railway station and the area isn't very dangerous during daytime (there's virtually no-one around).

 

[me_little_me]

I'm still a bit worried about how I could get to the hotel from the Amtrak stations in Savannah and also in Charleston, SC.

Are there usually a few cabs at the station (enough for all the passengers?) or do I have to call ahead?

My experience in almost all cities except those with well-regulated cab systems is that the cabs are dirty, the drivers are not knowledgeable of their own town, you often get ripped off with extra charges you don't understand or round-about routes, and the overall service is awful. IF a station is outside city limits, there is even less regulation and often meters, even if they exist, are not used. You can minimize most issues by using the net to search cab company ratings and/or by calling your hotel ahead of time and asking which cab/cab company you should use. That has ALWAYS worked much better for me.