Type Charleston in search box and Savannah in search box (separate searches) and there are some 2013 threads that have a lot of info.

ooh ooh

We were just there last year, in March. It was chilly fwiw.
Charleston is so close, you really should combine them. Maybe Beaufort, too, for the homes!

My absolute fave suggestion is SCAD for shopping. Lots of shopping! Walking tours of the squares of course. Go to the beach (short drive).

We stayed at the Hamilton-Turner Inn because we could take over the carriage house in back.

My fave retaurant was called Local 11Ten. very foodie

PS Have you read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil or whatever that is?

Be sure to read or reread the book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". As you tour Savannah, you'll keep telling yourself, "this was in The Book".

ML

I only have a minute to post and will be back later with specific recommendations, but I just wanted to say we visited Savannah last week and were so disappointed in the overall experience. I actually disliked it altogether, which begs the question -- what in the heck did we miss or didn't we "get?" Yes to the Pink House, though. I've really looked forward to visiting Savannah, and so many people just love it. We must've done it wrong.

I spent the month of December in Florida, and on our return trip north we visited St Augustine, Savannah and Asheville.

We love Charleston and the surrounding area! I'll be back with more on that.

I would say this to Jujubean's point --- Savannah seems very popular for a weekend for couples, girls trips, etc. It's kind of a heavy drinking party place. We stayed two nights and that is enough. It is charming but not huge, not a ton to do, and run down here and there. IMHO it, in and of itself, does not warrant a trip all the way from the NE. I would try to combine it with Charleston, just under a 2hr drive.

edited to add; i might fly into Savannah, spend one night then drive to Charleston, spend two and fly home. IMHO that is enough for both. (of course I am infamous for cramming a zillion destinations in to my trips... : )

{{!gwi}}

This post was edited by mtnrdredux on Tue, Jan 6, 15 at 9:08

Yes -- to the Pink House -- downstairs at the pub -- and do have the she-crab soup (with a schooner of sherry added as it is brought to the table)

We did go on the nighttime ghost tour (horse-drawn carriage) -- and wandered around the squares and checked out the gardens and houses ....

I would read the following threads on the Fodors travel site first:

Charleston vs. Savannah
http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/savannah-or-charleston-if-you-had-to-choose.cfm

Savannah, see post in middle of thread about avoiding River Street
http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/savannah-ga-january-2014.cfm

These two should get you started. Fodor's US forum will be an invaluable source of information, especially the trip reports. I have eaten at The Pink House several times and it should def be on your list.

We go to the Charleston area usually at least once a year, although we did not go at all this past year. We have been to Savannah several times but not near as often as Charleston. That said, while I do like Savannah, we like the Charleston area much more. I think you will enjoy a short stay. It will more than likely still be cold or cool there in March. I would drive out to Tybee Island although it may be too cold to hit the beach, you can at least say you've been there. LOL Definitely the Pink House. There are many historical sites and buildings (beautiful old churches, etc.) There are actually a couple of theatres in Savannah and I know one is open year round. The School of Art and Design is interesting. There are some beautiful gardens, but I don't think there will be much to see in March.

I would suggest a carriage ride and the Garden of Midnight tour. You will see many sites from the book/movie and the tour guide is quite informative (when we went and it has been several years since we did this tour). There is Riverstreet and the City Market. There are actually several museums in Savannah. There are the different "squares", the riverfront area, etc. Many good restaurants. We have not been to Paula Deen's new restaurant there but have been to the old location. Really, I do not recommend it. There is usually quite a wait, and the food was nothing special (to us anyway).

Besides The Olde Pink House, try Coffee Fox coffee house, Mrs. Wilkes, Elizabeth's for restaurants.

Since you've not been to either, I would not combine Charleston and Savannah. I don't care how many times we go to the Charleston area, we still find something new. There are many islands in that area and we have stayed or visited about all of them. There are private (gated) islands that we prefer to stay on and drive into the city rather than staying in the city. Beautiful, lush islands where it is like being in the woods, but at the beach. If I were you, I'd try to do Charleston in April/May or September/October and enjoy some beach time too. Summer is too hot/humid. November/December is still a nice time to go, but may not be able to get in water at that time. There are beautiful gardens including secret gardens with many of the homes in both cities and spring is a great time to visit and see all that is blooming.

I'd avoid Savannah at all costs during the week of St.Patrick's day, when the city is mobbed for one of the largest parades in the country (second largest after NYC). After that, before the streets have had time to be cleaned of urine and vomit, the Savannah Music Festival begins. That's another time that the city is packed and the hotels may be booked months or years in advance.

During parade week, there won't be a room for miles. Even Beaufort and Charleston will feel the crunch. Heaven only knows what they charge for rooms during that time. Be sure to double check your reservations.

I lived in Beaufort for many years and visited and worked in Savannah and Charleston regularly. Both are wonderful cities.

We have gone to Savannah every year for the past 15 or so years because my best friend lives there. If you are choosing between Savannah and Charleston, pick Charleston. Better food, more to see. You can "see" the commercial/tourist part of Savannah in less than half a day. There are decent restaurants, but if you are a foodie, no "must go" places. I agree with mtnrdredux that Local 11Ten is one of the better places. Another place that's not super "foodie," but fun is Desposito's. They put newspaper out as the "tablecloth" and you get piles of steamed crab, oysters and shrimp and just go to town. If you aren't big on seafood, though, obviously skip this recommendation. Elizabeth's on 37th used to be "the place," but I don't think it is anymore.

I think I have been to most every restaurant in the city by this point and these are among the only ones I remember, so that says something to me. I like walking/driving around and looking at the architecture. The beach is nice, but in March the weather may or may not cooperate. Tybee Island is kind of honky tonk, but fun to walk around for a few hours. For 3 days with good friends, you'll have fun and find enough to do.

Thank you for all the suggestions. FWIW, we are already booked for Savannah (week BEFORE St Patrick's Day) so this isn't a "should we go?"....it's "we're going, and what should we do while we are there?" And since we only have 3 days I'm not trying to combine it with Charleston (DH and I are booked for Charleston in April, but due to current family circumstances, might have to cancel or reschedule). We are planning to visit Tybee Island for part of a day but otherwise we want to get there and stay put and explore the city. That being said, the three of us could have fun in a tent in my back yard, so I'm not too worried about loving the city or not. Seems like people love it or hate it. One of the friends spoke to someone recently who said it's his favorite city -- don't know the guy, maybe he hasn't traveled much!

Guess I'd better read "Midnight..." or at least watch the movie by March!

Dontcha love how we always go off half-cocked?

Sometimes, for a trip with girlfriends, a city that doesn't have a list of "must sees' as long as your arm is just the thing. More time to shop, hang, pamper, sans any guilt. : )

Have fun.

A friend's Dad was the defense attorney in the Midnight trial. He played the judge in the movie adaptation and my friend had a small part. The family also owns the famously inbred UGA bulldog mascot. You can't make this stuff up!

I lived in Charleston (just moved to NC last year) for 20 years and would escape to Savannah once a year with my husband. I grew up South of Savannah, on St. Simons Is., and my grandmother lived on the Isle of Hope (Sav.) for many, many years.

The Pink House is probably your best bet. It's consistant and the bar is really cool. Leoci's is good for Italian. Most pasta is housemade, the meats and seafood and veggies are local.

Broughton has the shopping, not River Street. The only thing worth visiting on/near River Street is Mrs. Wilkes'. River Street is to Savannah what The Market is to Charleston. You would be remiss to skip the SCAD Shop (ShopSCAD) on Bull Street. Visit the Telfair Museum and the Mercer House (it's fun). Be careful walking through the squares at night, it's usually best to take a bike taxi than to walk after 10 PM (especially if you have been "festive" during dinner).

We went on a haunted pub crawl the last time we were there. It started at the Six Pence Pub and was a great, cheesy blast.You cannot leave Savannah without driving out to the Isle of Hope and walking (or driving slowly) down Bluff Dr. Absolutely beautiful area that and where I learned to sail.

Try and get your hands on a South Magazine, it's the local mag and can give you some more ideas of places to visit.

I look forward to seeing if you visit Charleston. I have TONS of info about that gem! I really miss it.

It's a nice city. You'll have fun. It has a lot of seedy charm. If you're into literature, my friend is very involved with the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home there. She's one of my favorite authors so I loved it, but it's a nice tour even if you aren't familiar with her writing.

deee, your friend's Dad is Sonny Seiler?

hsw - Yes! Our daughters have gone from grade school to UGA together.

Dee

How neat! I'm about the only person from my HS that did NOT go to UGA, haha.

The bike taxis are a lot of fun and great when you can't walk another step!

No one mentioned the Historic Savannah Theatre? I went to a performance the last time I was there and it was wonderful! I'm including a link.

Teresa

Here is a link that might be useful: Historic Savannah Theatre

I live in Savannah, Sue. Two suggestions--if you do go to the Olde Pink House (beautiful & historic house, but I've found the food hit or miss), be sure to make reservations well in advance. Also, no one mentioned Bonaventure Cemetery which we love to wander thru. There are guided tours from the gate, but it's fun to just meander if the weather's decent. Have fun!

Thanks again, all. This is helpful info!

If you have ever been a girl scout, or have a daughter that is a scout -- the Juliette Gordon Lowe house in Savannah has a very interesting tour.

Def. the Pink House! But not upstairs, the best is the pub downstairs, which serves the full menu. It doesn't take reservations, be waiting at the door when it opens. Also, the ghost tour is a must. I thought it sounded hokey, but it was amazing.

The last time we were in Savannah we had a wonderful dinner at the 17 Hundred 90 restaurant. We got into the area a bit early, so we walked around and popped into the gift shop of The Owens Thomas House museum. Unfortunately, the last scheduled tour had left, so the gift shop was the only option. We put it on our list of places to tour the next time we are in town. Another place to check out is the patio area of the Hyatt on River Street. It has a street and river view and it's a great (elevated) spot to grab a drink with your friends. My friends and I have enjoyed some wonderful, relaxing cocktail hours on that patio! Happy to hear you will be heading out to Tybee. I haven't been in a few years, but if you can time it right, you'll want to try to hit AJs Dockside restaurant on Tybee Creek at sunset. If you have the time, you might want to think about hitting Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton. It isn't far--about 15mins outside of Savannah. One of my favorite places in the area! Enjoy!

We had fun on a Mystery Cruise. The Haunted Savannah walking tour and what has already been suggested.
At the left of the link page you can click to find out about other things to do.
Definitely read/watch Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, one of my favorite books/films.
Since you will be with friends you will have a great time!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mystery Cruise

My favorite place in Savannah.....Savannah Candy Kitchen!!! I adore the salt water taffy!!