Charleston vs Savanna?

I've been to both. I stayed in Mt. Pleasant east of downtown Charleston. Driving in, I missed the road to the KOA in Mt. Pleasant and crossed the bridge into downtown Charleston driving the 'C' and pulling a toad at around 5 PM. Traffic was a nightmare and, pulling a toad, it took a long time to find a place to turn around without backing up. Once I got out, I never went back in. I visited Patriot's Point and toured the USS Yorktown, a WWII aircraft carrier like I served on. It looked the same and smelled the same. Those old carriers burned black oil for fuel and the smell never goes away. But there aren't many left that haven't been turned into razor blades.
Savannah's claim to fame is Ghosts and there are several tours. I didn't take a tour, but did drive the toad around and checked out some beautiful antebellum homes in the area. Both cities are worth a visit.

RVcrazy wrote:
How long would you allow in each? Must sees? Where to stay? I am drawn to Red Gate in Savannah, but am open to others. Convenience counts & their shuttle service sounds good. Which city did you prefer &why? Thanks!

RVCrazy,both cities are really great..coming from a northern boy....If you can do 3 or 4 days in each......and i enjoyed either the wagon of trolley rides first, gives you a great perspective of each and then plan from there.....
Like mentioned on here, the campground selection is limited but in Savannah,we actually stay in Hardeeville,SC...and it is a 10 minute ride to the visitor center and river walk.....
many great places to eat...but DO NOT MISS Mrs Wilkes Boarding House on 197 W Jones st...it is only open from 11am to 2 pm ..Mon to Fri..get there in line by 10:45.....you will not be sorry
In Charleston, we stayed at Oak Plantation...many like James Island and it is a great place but we had trouble going in with low trees and vines..lost a/c cover.....
Chuck

Skidaway Island State Park in Savannah GA Great place

Which campground was used for the rally? Thanks!

Savannah doesn't have very many good campgrounds to choose from. We had a rv rally there in 2013 and the campground we stayed at was horrible. Sites just dirt, uneven, and they warned us about water moccasins there! The only people who could use their cellphones were Verizon customers.

While both are Southern Coastal cities, they are very different. We enjoyed them both.

We stayed in Charleston for months and visited what we could on weekends. The downtown was strictly shops and stand in line for restaurants. Their City Market is outstanding and it's really a walkable city. A free trolley bus took us from the Aquarium to downtown and back.

We've been to Savannah at least 3X. A couple of day trips and one extended stay when we took my Mother after my father passed. The trolley took us around the first two trips. That way we got orientated and educated on which movies were filmed where and how the city was laid out. With Mom, we used it to get on and off at historic home tours and restaurants or shopping. Then back to parking lot and the motel.

The 3rd time, we went to Fort Pulaski and the Old Fort Jackson. We even saw a cannon shooting demonstration. Very interesting and informative. Both were on the way to Tybee Island for seafood lunch and gator viewing.

Red Gate was a nice place to stay while visiting Savannah, if you just want a place to stay while touring. If you are more into nature, then Skidaway Island or Fort McCallister are better. Lots and lots to do in Savannah. Fort McCallister is a historic fort, then there are tons of old homes, buildings, parks and cemeteries to tour in the historic district. The trolly tours are a great introduction. I took one when I was there touring a couple of years ago, and as someone who has visited Savannah numerous times, I learned things. River Street is somewhere that everyone should visit especially if you enjoy people watching. Everything from good informal restaurants to expensive dining, to art galleries, to the touristy fudge and souvenir shops. If you are into the casual beachy party scene, then head out to Tybee Island. Tybee also has a compact busy RV park that is walking distance to the beach and the island clubs.

We did both last Sept. Our vote is Savannah, if we had to vote for one, but both are great. Red Gate CG is fantastic. The trolly tour was a great start and then we walked around a saw things in more depth.

We also prefer Charleston, but Savanna is nice too. James Island is the place to stay.

RVcrazy wrote:
...Must sees?...

In addition to Fort Sumter, Charleston has Fort Moultrie, the Fort Lamar Heritage Preserve and Patriots Point Museum.

There are a number of plantations like Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation and Drayton Hall.

Not too far South of Charleston is the Caw Caw Interpretive Center.

Getting around historic downtown Charleston is pretty easy with the Free Trolley Service.

Savanah has a lot to see and do. In the military history venues arena, there are Old Fort Jackson, Fort McAllister, Fort Pulaski and the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum.

For cultural history, there is the Wormsloe State Historic Site and the Savannah History Museum located next to the Visitor's Center which has lots of parking and shuttle bus and tour bus stops.

On the nature side of things, the Oatland Island Wildlife Center run by the Savannah School District is a good environmental education center that is open to the public. There is Skidaway Island State Park, Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge, Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, and the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.

There are lots of Shops along the River Front Plaza.