Getting Around Savannah and Parking

Getting around Savannah GA: a brick street under live oaks lined with parked cars and parking meters
Downtown Savannah is best seen on foot. If you drive in, park once and leave the car for the trips out of town.

Getting around Savannah GA is easy once you think of the city as two zones. Inside the Historic District, you walk, and when your feet or the heat give out, the free DOT Express Shuttle and the free Savannah Belles Ferry cover the gaps. Beyond the district, for Tybee Island, Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski, Bonaventure Cemetery or the airport, you need a car, a rideshare, a shuttle or a tour. If you drive into town, park once in a City garage or on a meter and leave the car alone until you head out of downtown. Circling the squares looking for a better spot is the most common way visitors waste an hour.

This guide is for visitors deciding whether to rent a car, how to pay for parking and which free rides actually run when. The caveat that matters most: Savannah’s transport information goes stale fast, and official pages sometimes disagree with each other. Where they conflict, we follow the operator that runs the service and note the conflict. Every schedule, fare and parking rule below was checked September 23, 2026 against official sources.

Getting Around Savannah at a Glance

OptionCostWhen it runsBest for
WalkingFreeAlwaysEverything inside the Historic District
DOT Express ShuttleFreeWeekdays 7am-7pm, weekends 10am-6pm (per CAT)River Street to Forsyth Park without the walk
Savannah Belles FerryFreeDaily 7am-10pmHutchinson Island and a river view
CAT buses$1.50 a ride, $3 day passVaries by routeThe airport on a budget, some neighborhoods
Rideshare and taxisMetered or app pricingAny timeNights, the airport, Starland, Bonaventure
Hop-on hop-off trolleyAbout $36.55-$39.91 a day onlineDaytimeSightseeing plus transportation, limited mobility
Rental carDaily rate plus parkingAny timeTybee, Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski, South Carolina
Bike or e-bikeRental rates varyDaytimeCovering more ground in mild weather

Operator Status Board: What’s Running, Checked September 23, 2026

These are the services visitors rely on most, with what the operator itself says and where other sources disagree. When you’re planning a specific day, check the operator’s page again, because hours shift for holidays and events.

ServiceOperatorWhat the operator saysConflicts we found
DOT Express ShuttleChatham Area Transit (CAT)Free; two loops, 18 stops, about every 10 minutes; Monday-Friday 7am-7pm, weekends 10am-6pm, holidays 10am-6:30pm; no service Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s DayVisit Savannah’s getting-around page lists 7am-10pm daily. We follow CAT.
Savannah Belles FerryCATFree; daily 7am-10pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s DayCAT’s page says every 10 minutes, but its posted schedule shows City Hall departures every 20-30 minutes, and the Waving Girl landing is served only from about 8:20am to 6:20pm
CAT busesCAT$1.50 cash fare; $3 day pass; 17 routes from the downtown transit centerNone found
Street parking metersCity of SavannahZone 1 up to $2.50 an hour, Zone 2 up to $1.50; pay by the ParkSavannah app or parksav.net, the Flowbird app or a kioskThe City doesn’t list ParkMobile, which is Tybee’s system, not Savannah’s
City garagesCity of SavannahOpen 24/7, cards only; rates by garage belowThe Whitaker Street Garage closed for repairs in 2025, but it was listed among the six City garages open for St. Patrick’s Day 2026
Visitor Day PassCity of Savannah$15 for 24 hours, $24 for 48 hours; on-street only; sold at Mobility and Parking Services in the Bryan Street GarageOlder guides say it’s sold at the MLK visitor center, which no longer offers it
Tybee Island parkingCity of Tybee Island$4 an hour, 8am-8pm every day; $25 a day; $175 for 7 days; no cashNone found

Walking: The Main Way to Get Around

The Historic District was laid out for walking, and it still works best that way. It’s flat, it’s a grid, and there’s a square every couple of blocks to rest in. The distances are shorter than they look on a map, but the surfaces and the climate make them feel longer than they are.

WalkDistanceTime without stops
City Hall to the Forsyth Park fountain along Bull StreetAbout 1 mileAbout 20 minutes
River Street, end to endAbout 1 mileAbout 20 minutes, on cobblestones
Broughton Street to Jones StreetAbout half a mileAbout 10 minutes
Forsyth Park to the Starland DistrictAbout 1 mileAbout 20 minutes
Bay Street down to River StreetA few hundred feetA few minutes, but steep

Three things slow walkers down. First, the sidewalks: brick, often tilted by oak roots, with raised stoops and steps at every other door. Second, the bluff: the drop from Bay Street to River Street is steep, with cobblestone ramps and old stone stairs, and the only step-free links are the public elevators between the Hyatt and City Hall and at The Alida. Third, the heat: from June through September, a mile at noon feels like three, and July averages a 92.3°F high. Walk early and late, and use the shuttle in between.

At night, stay on lit, busy streets, especially if you’re walking between the bars on River Street and a hotel south of Liberty Street, and take a rideshare for longer trips to Starland or the Victorian District.

The corner of Bull Street and Bay Street in downtown Savannah, with traffic lights and historic buildings
Bull Street at Bay Street, the top of the district’s main north-south walk.

The Free DOT Express Shuttle

Chatham Area Transit’s DOT Express Shuttle is the most useful free ride downtown. It runs two loops, Forsyth and Downtown, with 18 stops and a bus about every 10 minutes. According to CAT, the shuttle runs Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm, on weekends from 10am to 6pm and on holidays from 10am to 6:30pm, with no service on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day. The buses are ADA compliant.

Use it for the long north-south stretches: River Street to Forsyth Park, the hotels near City Market to the southern squares, or any time a summer thunderstorm catches you mid-walk. Don’t count on it for evenings. Even by CAT’s hours it stops at 6pm or 7pm, and the later hours printed on some visitor pages don’t match the operator’s own schedule.

The Savannah Belles Ferry

The free ferry crosses the Savannah River daily from 7am to 10pm, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. It links three landings: City Hall on the Riverwalk, the Waving Girl landing in Morrell Park at the east end of River Street, and the Westin and convention center landing on Hutchinson Island. Bikes, luggage and leashed dogs ride too, and the boats are ADA accessible.

Plan on a boat every 20 to 30 minutes from City Hall rather than the every-10-minutes figure on the operator’s summary page, and remember that the Waving Girl landing is served only from about 8:20am to 6:20pm. For most visitors the ferry is a free river cruise rather than transportation. It’s the essential link only if you’re staying on Hutchinson Island, and even then the 10pm last run shapes your evenings.

The blue and red Savannah Belles Ferry Juliette Gordon Low crossing the Savannah River
The Juliette Gordon Low, one of the free Belles ferries. Expect a boat every 20 to 30 minutes from City Hall.

CAT Buses

Chatham Area Transit runs 17 bus routes from the Joe Murray Rivers Jr. Intermodal Transit Center downtown. The cash fare is $1.50 per boarding, and a Day Pass for unlimited rides costs $3. For most visitors, the buses matter in one situation: getting from the airport to downtown cheaply. Route 3 runs between the airport and the transit center roughly hourly for $1.50, and the trip takes about 36 minutes. It’s a local bus with stops, not an airport express, so it suits travelers with light bags and flexible timing.

Beyond that, the bus network is built for residents’ commutes, not sightseeing loops. There’s no regular public bus to Tybee Island, and the schedules on outlying routes are too sparse to plan a vacation day around.

Driving and Parking Downtown

If you bring a car, the goal is to park it once and walk. Driving between squares means one-way streets, drivers slowing to look at houses, and meters on almost every block. Here are the rules.

A pay-by-space parking meter on a brick sidewalk beside parked cars on Bull Street in Savannah
A pay station on Bull Street. Most drivers now pay by app: ParkSavannah or Flowbird.

Street meters

Meters cost up to $2.50 an hour in Zone 1 and up to $1.50 an hour in Zone 2, with no time limit. North of Liberty Street they’re enforced Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm; south of Liberty Street, Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm. Sundays are free, and so are City holidays: New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 3 and 4, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and December 24 and 25. You pay through the ParkSavannah app or parksav.net, the Flowbird app or a kiosk. Watch for street-sweeping signs; the Visitor Day Pass doesn’t cover sweeping zones.

City garages

GarageRatesNear
Bryan Street$2 an hour, $20 weekday maximum, $5 flat on weekendsJohnson Square, Bay Street and River Street
Robinson$2 an hour, $20 weekday maximum, $5 flat on weekendsThe Telfair museums and City Market
State Street$2 an hour, $20 weekday maximum, $5 flat on weekendsBroughton Street and the middle squares
Liberty Street$1 an hour, $14 maximumThe southern half of the district
Whitaker Street (under Ellis Square)$2 an hour, $24 maximum, $10 on weekendsCity Market and the river
Eastern Wharf$2 an hour, $24 maximum, $10 on weekendsThe east end of the riverfront

All City garages are open around the clock and take cards only. For special events, the City charges a flat event rate, about $25, and it used $25 on St. Patrick’s Day 2026. Accessible parking is available on York Street outside the Jepson Center’s wheelchair entrance and in the Robinson garage behind the Telfair Academy.

Is the Visitor Day Pass worth it?

The City’s Visitor Day Pass costs $15 for 24 hours or $24 for 48 hours, and it covers on-street metered parking only, not garages or street-sweeping zones. You buy it with your plate number at Mobility and Parking Services in the Bryan Street Garage, 100 E. Bryan Street (912-651-6470). The math is simple:

  • Worth it: on weekdays, when you want to park on the street in the busiest zone for most of the day. At up to $2.50 an hour, eight hours on a Zone 1 meter would cost more than the pass.
  • Not worth it: on weekends, when the Bryan Street, Robinson and State Street garages charge a flat $5, and on Sundays, when meters are free.
  • Not worth it: if your hotel includes parking, or if you’ll be out of town at Tybee or Wormsloe for most of the day.

What parking costs over a day

ScenarioCity garage (Bryan Street, Robinson, State Street)Street meter, Zone 1Visitor Day Pass
Weekday, parked 9am-5pm$16 (8 hours at $2)Up to $20 (8 hours at $2.50)$15
Weekday, parked 9am-9pm$20 maximumUp to $27.50 north of Liberty Street, where meters run to 8pm$15
Saturday$5 flatUp to $2.50 an hour north of Liberty Street; free south of itRarely needed
Sunday$5 flatFreeNot needed
Two weekdays in a rowUp to $40Varies$24 for 48 hours

The pattern is clear: on weekends, use a garage at $5 or a free Sunday meter; on weekdays, the Visitor Day Pass wins if you want to park on the street all day, and a garage wins if you’d rather not move the car at all. Garages also have separate evening and overnight rates, so check the City’s page if you’re leaving a car overnight.

Hotel parking

Many downtown hotels charge a nightly fee for parking, and historic inns may have little or none. Compare the hotel’s charge with the garage rates above before you book; on weekends a City garage at $5 flat is often far cheaper. Our guide to where to stay in Savannah compares neighborhoods partly on this cost.

Driving tips for downtown

  • Go around the squares, not through them. Traffic circles each square counterclockwise, and pedestrians cross constantly, so slow down and give way to people on foot.
  • Expect one-way streets. Many downtown streets run one way. Let your map app route you, and don’t make sudden turns when you spot a space.
  • Share the lane with slow traffic. Trolleys, carriages, pedicabs and cyclists all use the same streets, and they stop often.
  • Read the signs. Street-sweeping and loading zones are enforced, and during big events the City tows from no-parking zones.
  • Park where you’re going first. Choose the garage closest to your first stop and walk from there.

Rideshares, Taxis and Pedicabs

Uber and Lyft cover Savannah and are the practical choice at night, for trips to Starland, the Victorian District or Bonaventure Cemetery, and to and from the airport. Taxis are metered, and the City caps fares at $6.47 for the first mile, $2.69 for each mile after that and $1 for each extra passenger. Pedicabs, pedaled bike taxis, work the downtown streets for short hops between squares and to restaurants; settle the price before you climb in.

RideshareTaxiPedicabTrolley
Best forNights, outer neighborhoods, the airportThe airport, groupsShort downtown hopsSightseeing plus transport
PriceApp pricingCity-capped meterAgree before ridingAbout $36.55-$39.91 a day
AccessibilityVaries by vehicleVariesNot for wheelchairsLifts on many trolleys with 24 hours’ notice
Weak spotWaits at big eventsCall ahead late at nightShort rangeDaytime only
A pedicab driver pedaling past the live oaks of Chippewa Square in downtown Savannah
Pedicabs handle short hops downtown. Agree on the price before you sit down.

Trolleys as Transportation

Hop-on hop-off trolleys are sightseeing tours first, but they double as daytime transportation. Old Town Trolley’s loop has 16 stops, with one-day tickets at about $36.55 to $39.91 online and two days for $75.90. Many trolleys have wheelchair lifts with 24 hours’ notice (912-233-0083), and wheelchair boarding is only at Stop 9, the Welcome Center. Old Savannah Tours runs a nonstop 75-minute narrated loop instead, which is an orientation rather than a way to get from A to B. A trolley pass makes most sense if you have limited mobility or you’d pay for a tour anyway. For simple transport, the free shuttle does the job.

Biking, E-Bikes and Scooters

Savannah is flat, and a bike covers the district and the neighborhoods to the south quickly. Savannah On Wheels rents bikes, e-bikes, tandems and tricycles, and several tour companies run guided bike and e-bike tours. Know the local rules and conditions before you ride: cycling through the squares isn’t allowed, so walk your bike across them; brick streets and cobblestones are rough on thin tires; and downtown traffic includes trolleys, carriages and drivers looking at houses instead of the road. Dockless rental scooters such as Bird aren’t operating in Savannah. If you bring your own bike, the free Belles Ferry takes bikes across the river.

Getting From the Airport to Downtown

Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is northwest of the city near I-95. The airport doesn’t publish a drive time to downtown, but 15 to 25 minutes outside rush hour is typical.

  • Rideshare: pickups are at the north entrance of baggage claim.
  • Taxi: metered, capped at $6.47 for the first mile and $2.69 for each mile after, plus $1 for each extra passenger.
  • Rental car: nine companies have counters in baggage claim.
  • Bus: CAT Route 3 runs roughly hourly to the downtown transit center for $1.50, in about 36 minutes.
  • Visitor center: the airport has one, open daily from 8:30am to midnight, for maps and advice on arrival.

Getting From the Amtrak Station to Downtown

Savannah’s Amtrak station is on Seaboard Coastline Drive on the west side of town, not downtown, and it isn’t a walk you’d want with luggage. Arrange a taxi or rideshare before you arrive, since only a few trains stop each day and some arrive at awkward hours. From downtown, the trip back is the same in reverse; leave extra time on weekday afternoons.

Getting to the Sights Outside Downtown

DestinationFrom downtownBest wayFees to know
Bonaventure CemeteryA short drive eastRideshare or carFree; open daily 8am-5pm
Oatland Island Wildlife CenterAbout 5 miles eastCar$7 adults
Wormsloe State Historic SiteAbout 15 to 20 minutes southCarAdult admission listed at $12
Fort Pulaski National MonumentAbout 15 miles east on US 80Car$10 per person 16 and older, card only
Tybee Island18 miles, about 30 minutes on US 80Car, shuttle or rideshareParking $4 an hour or $25 a day
Skidaway Island State ParkSouth of the cityCar$10 per vehicle
Savannah National Wildlife RefugeOver the Talmadge Bridge in South CarolinaCarFree; sunrise to sunset
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air ForcePooler, near I-95Car$13 adults

Most of these sit along two roads: US 80 heading east toward Tybee, and the roads south toward Wormsloe and Skidaway. Grouping them by direction is the easiest way to make a one-day rental count.

Getting to Tybee Island

Tybee Island is 18 miles from downtown and takes about 30 minutes by car on US 80, the only road on and off the island. There’s no regular public bus. Without a car, your options are a rideshare, a taxi, or a private shuttle such as Tybee Turtle Transit or Cooley Transportation’s Tybee shuttle, which run the route by reservation. If you drive, Tybee’s parking rules are its own: $4 an hour from 8am to 8pm every day, including holidays, or $25 for a day pass and $175 for seven days, with no cash accepted. You pay through ParkMobile, the Park TYB app or a kiosk. On a summer Saturday, leave early, because the single road can back up in both directions.

The cable-stayed Talmadge Memorial Bridge over the Savannah River seen from the riverfront
The Talmadge Memorial Bridge carries traffic over the river toward South Carolina and Hutchinson Island.

The Apps Worth Downloading

  • ParkSavannah or Flowbird: for Savannah’s street meters. You can also pay at parksav.net or a kiosk.
  • ParkMobile or Park TYB: for parking on Tybee Island, which takes no cash.
  • Uber and Lyft: for nights, the airport and trips outside the grid.
  • A map app with transit directions: useful for CAT bus times, though it’s worth checking CAT’s own schedules for the day you travel.

For the City garages you don’t need an app, just a card, since they don’t take cash.

Do You Need a Car in Savannah?

Your tripCar?Why
2 days, staying downtown, Historic District onlyNoWalk, and use the free shuttle and ferry
3 days with one trip out of the gridFor one dayRent for the Tybee or Wormsloe day only
A beach-first trip or a stay on TybeeYesThere’s no regular bus, and island parking is paid
Staying in Midtown, the Southside or PoolerYesYou’ll drive in and park daily
Day trips to South CarolinaYesThe wildlife refuge, Bluffton, Hilton Head and Beaufort all need a car
Limited mobility, staying downtownNot necessarilyThe shuttle, ferry and trolleys with lifts cover the district

The most efficient pattern for many visitors is no car for the downtown days and a one-day rental for the trip east along US 80 or south to Wormsloe. You skip overnight parking fees, and you still get the coast.

Three Ways to Plan Your Transport

Car-free

Stay in the Historic District, walk everywhere, use the free DOT Express Shuttle in the heat of the day and the Belles Ferry for the river, and take a rideshare to Bonaventure Cemetery. Skip Tybee or book a private shuttle for a beach day. This works well for two or three days, and getting around costs almost nothing beyond a couple of rideshares.

Car-light

Go car-free downtown, then rent a car for one day and do the whole east side in a single run: Bonaventure when it opens at 8am, Fort Pulaski ($10 per person 16 and older) mid-morning, and Tybee for the afternoon, where parking is $4 an hour or $25 for the day. Or point the car south for Wormsloe and the marshes. You skip overnight parking and still see the coast.

Car-based

If you’re driving in anyway, or staying outside downtown, park once each day in a City garage and walk. On weekends the $5 flat rate at the Bryan Street, Robinson and State Street garages makes this painless. On weekdays, compare the $20 garage maximum with the $15 Visitor Day Pass for street parking.

Event Days: Parking and Road Closures

Big events change the rules. St. Patrick’s Day is the biggest: in 2026 the City began closures around City Market and River Street from 6am on the Friday before the parade, closed Bay Street at 9am on parade day and the full route by about 9:45am, and charged a $25 flat rate at its garages. Towing from no-parking zones started at midnight. The parade started at Abercorn and Gwinnett streets and passed Taylor, Oglethorpe, Lafayette, Johnson, Wright, Madison and Chippewa squares. In 2027, March 17 falls on a Wednesday, and the parade is set for that day. Expect similar closures, check the City’s St. Patrick’s Day page for the year’s map, and don’t plan to drive downtown that morning.

For other festivals and big weekends, assume garages may switch to special-event rates and that streets around the event will close. If your hotel has parking, leave the car there.

Getting Around With Kids and Strollers

Strollers handle the squares’ paved paths well and the brick sidewalks less well, and River Street’s cobblestones are hard going. Use the public elevators between the Hyatt and City Hall or at The Alida to get between Bay Street and River Street, and treat the free ferry as an attraction in its own right. The DOT Express Shuttle and the trolleys save small legs on the long north-south stretches. If you’re using rideshares with young children, bring your own car seat.

Getting Around at Night

Downtown’s free rides wind down early. By CAT’s schedule, the DOT Express Shuttle stops at 7pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends, and the ferry’s last run is at 10pm. After that, walk on lit, busy streets for short trips and take a rideshare or taxi for anything longer, including the trip from River Street back to a hotel near Forsyth Park, in Starland or in the Victorian District. Pedicabs work the busy blocks in the evening too. If you drove, the City garages are open around the clock, but check the overnight rate before you leave the car.

Getting Around With Limited Mobility

  • The DOT Express Shuttle and the Belles Ferry are free and ADA accessible.
  • Public elevators between the Hyatt and City Hall and at The Alida avoid the steep River Street ramps and stairs.
  • Old Town Trolley and Old Savannah Tours both have lifts on many trolleys with 24 hours’ notice.
  • Accessible parking is available on York Street by the Jepson Center and in the Robinson garage.
  • CAT offers paratransit service for eligible riders; check its accessibility pages for how to apply.

For a district-by-district view of surfaces and slopes, our Savannah Historic District guide lists each walk with its surface and an alternative for anyone who can’t do it on foot.

Getting Around Savannah: FAQ

Is there free transportation in Savannah?

Yes. Chatham Area Transit runs the free DOT Express Shuttle on two downtown loops with 18 stops, about every 10 minutes (weekdays 7am to 7pm and weekends 10am to 6pm, per CAT), and the free Savannah Belles Ferry across the river daily from 7am to 10pm. Both are ADA accessible.

How much does parking cost in downtown Savannah?

Street meters cost up to $2.50 an hour in Zone 1 and up to $1.50 in Zone 2, and they’re free on Sundays. The Bryan Street, Robinson and State Street garages charge $2 an hour with a $20 weekday maximum and a flat $5 on weekends. The Visitor Day Pass costs $15 for 24 hours for on-street parking.

Do you need a car in Savannah?

Not for the Historic District, which is best seen on foot with the free shuttle and ferry as backup. You’ll want a car, a rideshare or a tour for Tybee Island, Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski, Bonaventure and South Carolina. A good compromise is renting for a single day in the middle of the trip, which also skips overnight parking fees.

How do you get from Savannah to Tybee Island without a car?

There’s no regular public bus to Tybee. Use a rideshare or taxi, or book a private shuttle such as Tybee Turtle Transit or Cooley Transportation’s Tybee shuttle. The drive is about 18 miles and 30 minutes on US 80. Tybee charges $4 an hour for parking from 8am to 8pm every day if you drive.

What is the cheapest way from Savannah airport to downtown?

CAT Route 3, a local bus, runs roughly hourly between the airport and the downtown transit center for $1.50 and takes about 36 minutes. It isn’t an express, so a rideshare, picked up at the north entrance of baggage claim, is faster and usually worth it with luggage or a group.

Can you use ParkMobile in Savannah?

The City of Savannah lists the ParkSavannah app, parksav.net, the Flowbird app and meter kiosks as its payment options, not ParkMobile. ParkMobile is one of the ways to pay for parking on Tybee Island, along with the Park TYB app and kiosks, which is why the two get mixed up.

How late does the DOT shuttle run in Savannah?

By Chatham Area Transit’s own schedule, the free DOT Express Shuttle runs until 7pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends, or 6:30pm on holidays. Some visitor pages list later hours, up to 10pm, but CAT operates the shuttle, so plan around its times and use a rideshare or the ferry, which runs until 10pm, in the evening.

Related Savannah Guides

Sources and How We Checked

We checked this guide on September 23, 2026, going to the operator of each service first: Chatham Area Transit for the shuttle, ferry and buses, the City of Savannah for parking, the City of Tybee Island for Tybee parking, and the airport for ground transportation. Where another official page disagreed, we followed the operator and said so. It doesn’t claim first-hand rides. Schedules and rates change, so check again before you travel.

Savannah Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with Visit Savannah, the City of Savannah, Chatham Area Transit or any operator listed here, and no one paid to be included.

Photo Credits