20 Trip Planning Tips You May Want to Consider

Charleston receives an average of around 52 inches (1,320 mm) of precipitation per year, with the majority falling in the summer months. The wettest months are typically July and August, while the driest months are usually October and November. While Charleston does receive our fair share of rain, the majority of our rain comes in the evening in the way of passing showers from the coast. They don’t last long, and normally won’t significantly disrupt you plans.

One of the things you should know on a trip to Charleston is there is a public restroom in almost every parking garage, Additionally, 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 in the heart of the Historic District below Broad Street. You will find it at Hazel Park on East Bay Street. Click Here for a list of city restrooms.

They say Charleston is a very haunted city….and it is! Okay, so you don’t think you will actually see a ghost, but you really could have one show up in your photos! . We recommend you join the crew at Blueberry Tours for a night of ghostly stories and spooky places, as they take you on a walking tour around a very haunted Charleston.

Firstly, the city parking garages are never 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

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. Laws about the preservation of the beautiful Live Oaks require that the sidewalks adapt to the tree roots, making them very uneven in places.  Charleston sidewalks were also built many years ago, and because of their age they are exempt from the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)  if you have a walker or a scooter, Charleston sidewalks 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 been flipping through the tourist books, or making good use of Google. There are so many places to eat and much to do in Charleston it quickly becomes overwhelming. We get it, so we curated a list of places we take our families. We created a section on our site that lists 50 of our favorite places to eat and things to do in Charleston. We call it The Local Hangouts page… Check it out

Suppose 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. These companies are happy to pick you up at your hotel and take you where you want to go. if you’re out walking around and get tired, they will come pick you up 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.

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. Think of Charleston’s “Historic District” as below Wentworth Street and east of Logan Street. Although hotels may claim it is, properties above Calhoon, and those located on the Ashley River are not the Historic District, and generally require a 2-3 mile walk to get there.

Charleston’s public transport is called the Charleston 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.

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 4 main plantations in Charleston.

We hope you have beautiful weather while you are in Charleston. But there is always the chance it could rain. If it does, there are several indoor places to explore. The Yorktown Aircraft Carrier at Patriots Point across the river in Mt Pleasant, The Charleston Museum, The South Carolina Aquarium, The Hunley Museum, to name a few.

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 here’s a map of the carriage routes.

House museums are certainly something you want to see if you like being transported back in time. However, not all house museums in Charleston are created equal. We have curated a list of the 5 best house museums on our Let’s Talk Museums page. Out of those listed, our favorite are the Nathanial-Russell House, and the Washington-Hayward house.

While most people simply ask the hotel to store their bags before they leave, that is not always an option. If you have to check out of your Airbnb or VRBO early, but your flight doesn’t leave until late, we suggest you call the Bag Valet. They can pick up your luggage and take it to the airport for you, leaving you to use those last few hours in Charleston exploring.

The cheapest boat ride in Charleston is the Water Taxi. You can hop on and hop off as many times as you like for one price. Leaving regularly from Waterfront Park, the Taxi navigates a large square from the park to the area by the aquarium, across the river to Patriots Point (The big aircraft carrier) to the marina, and back across the Cooper River to Waterfront Park.

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. Here is some information on the City Market.

With a recent surge in travel to Charleston in the last several years. It’s natural for the tourist industry to cater to new needs. One of the rapidly growing desires of a traveler is to accommodate their pet. Bring Fido helps travelers find dog friendly places in Charleston, so they don’t have to leave their furry pals behind.

Looking for some dolphin sighting locations? Who Doesn’t Want to See Dolphins? Well, we love dolphins, and I bet you do too.

Between Sullivan’s Island and the Isle of Palms, is a place called Breach Inlet. There is a restaurant there called the Boathouse. While we don’t recommend the food (it’s just okay). We do recommend a beer, a sunset, and a place where you will almost always see Dolphins in the evening just feet from where you are standing.

Do you want to take a boat ride? Then call Charleston Outdoor Adventures (COA) and tell them you want to go to Morris Island at sunset. Having been there many times, we guarantee you will find dolphins… lots of dolphins.

If none of that works for you. Just head over to Shem Creek in the morning and walk around the creek when the shrimp boats come in.. but bring your own coffee, not much open in the morning at Shem Creek.

Of course we’re in the tour business, so we’re always going to say Yes 🙂 However it’s a bit more complicated than just a yes or no. There are over 70 tour companies operating in Charleston, offering everything from Walking tours to Carriage tours. Each tour is different, depending on the style of tour, the company, and of course the guide. We can’t tell you what company gives you the best tour, but we can tell you how to figure it out and what you should be looking for in your decision. Take a moment to look at the Guide to Selecting Tours page, it will get you pointed in the right direction.