I’ve said it before: Savannah’s a terrific walking city.
Personally, I don’t think there’s a better way to experience all the sights, sounds, and smells of Savannah than on two feet. Your pace is (naturally) slower than if you’re in a car. You notice details more closely than you would when you’re whizzing by and quite frankly, unlike driving a rental car, walking’s free. All you need are a pair of comfortable shoes, a street map, and a sense of adventure.
But walking’s not the only way to see Savannah’s Historic District. And driving? Pshaw. You gotta think a little further outside the box.
If you’re looking for a really unique way to experience Savannah, why not try one of these alternate modes of transportation (in increasing order of uniqueness):
Riverboat
Head on down to River Street and make a stop and the storefront with the red awning next to River Street Sweets. Here, you can purchase tickets to float down the Savannah River on either Georgia Queen or the Savannah River Queen. Opt for a brief tour of Savannah’s riverfront area or the extended dinner cruise.
Horse-drawn carriage
Along with the riverboat, this is the only form of transportation I was expecting to find in Savannah. It seems so genteel and appropriate for a historic Southern city. There’s just something about a horse-drawn carriage that hearkens to a bygone era.
Vespa
Stop in at Motorini and rent a Vespa for an hour or a day. A little on the pricey side for my usually stripped-down budget, but if you’ve got the cash and you’re willing to spend it, can’t you just see yourself whizzing down those storied cobblestone streets in a flash of color?
Segway
Maybe I’m behind the times, but the Segway seems to be everywhere now. And yes, they’re in Savannah, too. I’ve been dying to try one, but I’m so klutzy I have this visual of me hopping on one and falling flat on my face.
Hearse
Ummmm. Yes. You can see Savannah by hearse. I was out one night walking through Ellis Square when I saw this hearse roll by with living people in it. Living people sticking out of the roof. I know—weird, right? Hearse Ghost Tours are quite popular–where else can you say you toured America’s most haunted city in a tricked-out hearse?
Which one would you choose?
Vespa. Definitely. The orange one has my name written all over it. Knowing Jack, he’d most likely prefer the hearse though 🙂
Yes! I really, really wanted to do the Vespa but at the end of the day, I decided to spend the money I would have used eating tons of awesome food, lol!
I downloaded this app onto my iPhone the other day called Hearplanet. Its an app which gives you guided audio tours of over 300,000 locations worldwide. I suppose that Savannah would be one of those locations. I haven’t used it yet on holiday but I’ve heard great reviews about it.
If it offers 300,000 locations worldwide I’m sure Savannah’s on that list. Too many cool things to see and learn about!
What an interesting place to visit. I need to check out this part of the States.
Absolutely…Savannah’s a wonderful place to visit. I really hope you get a chance to experience it in person.
Funny story… I’ve totally done that ghost tour in a hearse in Savannah! I went to Savannah as a day trip from St. Simon’s Island with my ex boyfriend and his family a few years ago. Other than exploring Riverwalk, we ate at Paula Deen’s restaurant and took that hearse ghost tour! It was cheesy riding around in a converted hearse, but hearing all of Savannah’s ghost stories was really cool!
I’m jealous…wish I had the nerve to do the hearse tour but I don’t do ghost stories. And you got to eat at Paula Deen’s too? When I was there the line was incredibly long…at 9 a.m….for lunch. Crazy.
I only do ghost stories when I’m not alone! Otherwise I get too freaked out, lol. And yes, we ate at Paula Deen’s for dinner, but we had to put our names in at like 4 p.m. to get a 9 p.m. seating time. (That’s when we took the hearse ghost tour!)
Never heard of a hearse tour, don’t know if I’d be able to do it, but it would be an interesting story to tell.
I would love to go back to Savannah someday and try the hearse tour minus the ghosts, lol! As a solo traveler who most likely would have to sleep alone that night, I’d be terrified of something coming to get me in my hotel!