Charleston travel guide
Charleston Tourism | Charleston Guide
You're Going to Love Charleston
With a population of 120,083, Charleston is a must-see destination in South Carolina, United States. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Charleston deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Charleston
Nature & Outdoor Activities
Museums
Where to Eat in Charleston
If you’re looking for affordable options, Magnolias (185 East Bay Street) and Hank's Seafood Restaurant (10 Hayne Street) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Laurel (161 Rutledge Ave) and Ma'am Saab (251 Meeting St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Charleston.
When to visit Charleston
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Charleston in July, when the average temperature is 82.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 91.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 37.4 °F, with an average temperature of 48.2 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in August, when precipitation is around 7.2″. In contrast, November is usually the driest month of the year in Charleston, with an average rainfall of 2.4″.
How to Get to Charleston
Plane
When flying to Charleston, you’ll arrive at Charleston Municipal Airport (CHS), which is located 10 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Charleston include JetBlue, Delta and Aer Lingus. The shortest domestic flight to Charleston departs from New York and takes around 2h 06m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Charleston. The train journey from Charleston to Jacksonville takes 4h 14m and costs around $67 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Richmond, expect to pay about $98 for a 6h 59m trip.
Car
Another option to get to Charleston is to pick up a car rental from Charlotte, which is about 177 miles from Charleston. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Dollar, among others, in Charlotte.
Bus
You can travel by bus to Charleston using Greyhound or FlixBus. From New York, the bus ride to Charleston takes 1030 miles and will cost you around $113. From Boston, the ticket costs about $203 for a journey of 1310 miles.
Airlines serving Charleston
Where to stay in Charleston
Average rates range from around $280 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $380 and up for a 5-star experience.
Where to stay in popular areas of Charleston
Most booked hotels in Charleston
Renting a car in Charleston
Renting a car in Charleston costs $79 per day, on average, or $159 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Charleston is the Budget branch at 5500 International Blvd, which is 10 miles from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 5% cheaper than airport locations in Charleston.
Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Charleston (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Charleston is Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Mazda CX-30 or similar) are, on average, 68% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.