We go beyond being just a Charleston walking tour company; we consider ourselves ambassadors for our city. Our commitment is to provide you with trip planning tips, and essential information long before your trip to Charleston. Our goal is to not just list things to do in Charleston but to enhance your stay by equipping you with the helpful hints and knowledge you need when you visit Charleston. We sincerely hope this proactive approach will contribute to making your time here in Charleston even more enjoyable.
First of all. The city parking garages are never free. It seems like every garage has a different price, and none of them are free. However, street parking is sometimes free. Metered parking is $2.00 per hour on Weekdays and Saturdays, and has a two-hour limit. (until 6 pm...then it's free) On Sundays and Holidays, all street parking is FREE - even the loading zones. That's because the parking enforcement people don't work on Sundays or Holidays - and Charleston police don't write parking tickets....ever! Click Here for information on parking.
Unlike our bratty little sister to the south, Savannah (just kidding). There is a "no open container" law in Charleston and the surrounding cities. So don't be walking around with a beer. Not that we care, but the police do. If you are determined to have an adult beverage while you walk. Here is an interesting article to help. Click Here
One of the things you should know on a trip to Charleston is there is a public restroom in each parking garage, although they are not always open when they should be. There are public restrooms under City Hall (at the corner of Broad and Meeting Streets) and several in the City Market. However, there is only one public restroom below Broad Street. You will find it at Hazel Park on East Bay Street. Click Here for a list of city restrooms.
The streets of Charleston are beautiful to be sure, but they are not always safe to walk on. You will find very quickly that the sidewalks in the historic district leave a lot to be desired. Built many years ago, they are in most places very uneven, and if you have a walker or a scooter they are sometimes unpassable. So be careful as you walk around our beautiful city.
If you are planning a trip to Charleston, you have no doubt seen in the tourist books. There are many places to eat and much to do in Charleston. We wanted you to have a peek into where we take our families. So we created a section of our site that lists our favorite places to eat and things to do. Click Here
You have no doubt been looking for a place to stay. If you're like us, price is a driver in that decision. Hotels in the "Historic District" are expensive, while hotels downtown are generally cheaper. Downtown (over by the hospitals) is NOT the Historic District. It's nowhere near the historic district. Please do not let terms like "on the river" or "a short walk to the historic district" fool you. While there are several hotels on the Ashley River. They are downtown and about a three-mile walk from where you really want to be.
If you have been in the Historic District of Charleston for more than a few moments on your trip to Charleston. You have probably gotten caught behind a Peddle Cab. Those pesky little traffic hindrances, while no fun to follow in traffic, do provide a pretty easy way to get around Charleston. They will also come pick you up wherever you are in the Historic District if you just give them a call. Please keep in mind it is illegal for peddle cabs to conduct tours. They do it, but if the tourism officers catch them, they can stop your ride and give the driver a ticket. Plus, we're not sure about the accuracy of what they would tell you.
Charleston's public transport is called the Charleston's Regional Transportation Authority or CARTA.. They run bus routes throughout the greater Charleston area - including a FREE bus in the historic district. Click Here for information on bus routes for your trip to charleston.
So, here's the deal with Carriage Tours in Charleston. First of all, the horses are NOT abused. In fact, they are often treated far better than the drivers. The city of Charleston has very strict laws on how the horses are treated - no need to worry there. As for tours, well that's a different story. Both carriage tours and small bus tours are regulated by the city because of the impact on traffic. It's not the carriage company's fault, but it isn't until you have already boarded the carriage that the city tells the driver where he/she will be taking you. There are five routes they assign. Only two of those routes have anything really to see. Again, it's not the company's fault, but we're pretty sure they didn't tell you that when you bought your ticket. Click Here for a map of the carriage routes.
If you are standing in the historic district at 5 pm, you have probably asked yourself that question. The short answer is they probably went home. Although the area around the market is pretty safe, the sad truth is that after about 5 pm, there isn't much to do in the historic district. The City Market closes, and while shops along Market Street remain open, most people have gone home or back to their hotels. Keep that in mind when you are planning things to do after dinner. Click Here for information on the City Market.
Plantations were a huge part of the South and the economic engine of Charleston for over two hundred years. Today they are a good way to step back in time and see first-hand how planters in the south lived and worked. Obviously, you probably don't have time to see all of them, so on our Let's Talk Plantations page we give you a good overall look at the main plantations in Charleston.
Take a moment to explore the Local Hangouts section of this site. It features a curated list of our favorite places in town, while the Reading list section and the History Blog will help you learn more about history.
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