Where to stay in Charleston

Charles Towne, as it was first called, was established in 1670 by Anthony Ashley Cooper on the west bank of the Ashley River, Charles Towne Landing, a few miles northwest of the present downtown. By 1680, the settlement had grown and moved to its present peninsular location. Around 1690, the English colonists erected a fortification wall around the small settlement to aid in its defense. The wall sheltered the area, in the present French Quarter, from Cumberland St. south to Water St., from Meeting St. east to East Bay St. The wall was destroyed around 1720.

Charleston is serviced by many local hotels and virtually all of the major U.S. hotel chains. Expect to pay a premium for a room on Charleston's downtown peninsula, especially in the historic hotels. A vehicle is not needed - nor recommended - to explore the historic downtown. If a vehicle is accessible during the trip, one may want to hop across the rivers to West Ashley or Mount Pleasant where hotels are less expensive. Both West Ashley and Mount Pleasant are less than a five- to ten-minute drive to the downtown peninsula. Also less expensive are hotels in North Charleston, which is convenient for Charleston Airport, the Coliseum, and the Convention Center.

Getting around

Outside of downtown, which is best explored on foot, Charleston is a city that is best traveled by car. Several rental car services are available at the Charleston International Airport. Some area hotels also provide transportation to and from the airport. The public transportation system in Charleston consists primarily of a fleet of buses run by the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) and privately run taxi services. The bus system is not widely used by the upper-class residents of the city, and would be rated as fair by the standards of most larger urban areas.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.