No Car…No Problem! Your Guide for Getting Around Charleston SC
Charleston South Carolina is a beautiful city with so much to see and do. How does one actually get around using simple and even public transportation? Driving your own car and always moving to parking garages that are near popular sites is an option as well. We’ll go over both modes of getting around Charleston. There’s always Uber and Lyft as well. One of the best ways to see Charleston is on foot of course.
CARTA Dash Downton Trolley
It’s FREE and is one of the most popular ways to get around the historic district of Charleston and see the sites. Here’s a map that you can view or print if you’d like of the routes and where it stops.
There are three routes that loop around the historic district. You’ll want to stay on either the Orange or Purple lines.
They all intersect at the Visitors Center, 375 Meeting Street. That’s where we recommend you park and then you can change trolleys or routes at any time…and your car is there as well.
Trolleys pickup at each bus stop location every 15 to 20 minutes.
Orange Line (Route 210 or the Aquarium/College of Charleston)
If going to the Aquarium, Fort Sumter, Harbor Tours, Water Taxi or College of Charleston.
Purple Line (Route 213 or the Lockwood Drive/Calhoun Street)
If going to the City Market, Carriage Tours, King Street shopping, Waterfront Park, Charleston Museum.
Green Line (Route 211 or the Meeting/King Street Lines)
College of Charleston, Medical Complexes, Ashley River Hotels, Citadel and Riverdogs Baseball Stadium.
Limitations of Using the Trolley
You have to wait up to 15/20 minutes to be picked up at each bus stop.
The Trolley only transports you around the historic district. Other popular attractions cannot be visited using the Trolley.
You have to change trolley’s from time to time to visit different areas.
TourPass includes full admission to the top tours and attractions in Charleston. In addition, our mobile pass shows your exact location via interactive maps, so you’ll never get lost. We have a parking garage map and you can also view the free trolley route map from within the Mobile Pass. Checkout our Charleston TourPass page to see what’s included.
Driving Your Own Vehicle
There are quite a few large parking garages around the historic district. We’re going to highlight the top garages which are easy to find. Of course you can find metered street parking around the area, but they can be hard to find during the busy seasons.
Recommended for people who don’t want to wait on the trolley and jump on and off buses to get around.
Visitor’s Center Garage
375 Meeting Street, 29403
Park here if visiting: Charleston Museum, Joseph Manigault House, Aiken Rhett House, Upper King Street shopping.
Aquarium Garage
24 Calhoun Street, 29403
Park here if visiting Fort Sumter, Harbor Tours, Schooner Pride or the Aquarium.
Majestic Square Garage
153 Market Street, 29401
Central to most attractions such as King Street shopping, a short walk to the City Market.
Cumberland Street Garage
90 Cumberland Street.
This is a centrally located garage for visiting Charleston.
Park here if visiting: City Market, Carriage tours, Powder Mag Museum, Slave Mart Museum and mid to lower King Street shopping.
Prioleau Street Garage
25 Prioleau Street, 29401
Park here if you want to visit East Bay Street, Waterfront Park, The Battery, Rainbow Row and the City Market isn’t too far from here either.
Included with TourPass which provides transportation between four locations around the harbor. Visit their website to view pickup/drop-off schedule.
DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON LOCATIONS:
Waterfront Park: For visiting the City Market and most of downtown Charleston such as the Battery.
Aquarium Wharf: Fort Sumter, Harbor Tours and the Aquarium.
MOUNT PLEASANT LOCATIONS:
Harbor Resort Marina: Use if staying at this hotel.
Patriots Point Maritime Center: Use if visiting the USS Yorktown or any of the sites there.
Uber & Lyft
Charleston does have Uber and Lyft service. Simply download the respective app to use their services.
Pedi-Cab or Bike Taxi
You’ll see these bike taxis throughout the downtown district. It’s best to tell them where you’re going and settle on a rate before jumping on-board. Remember to tip generously.
Yes, the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) provides public transportation throughout the region. They also have a free trolley for visiting the historic district of downtown Charleston.
Yes, there are quite a few large parking garages scattered throughout the downtown Charleston area. In addition, there are many metered street parking locations. For more info visit this page.
Absolutely it is a safe and walkable city. The historic district is very safe which encompasses the City Market, King Street, French Quarter, the Battery and many of the famous sites is very walkable.
Yes, the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) provides bus transportation throughout the region. There is also a free trolley that provides transportation throughout the historic district when visiting. See above for more info.
Yes, however it’s technically not considered a “hop on hop off bus”. It is as close as you can come to one. The DASH Trolley is free to ride and loops around Charleston’s historic district daily. Here’s a map below. If you’re using the trolley it’s best to park at the Charleston Visitor Center garage (375 Meeting Street) since all 3 trolley routes intersect there and you can easily go from one route to another.
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