Savannah To Hilton Head, SC


Harbour Town Lighthouse and marina at Hilton Head Island, SC.

Hilton Head, around 30 miles from Savannah and 100 miles from Charleston (see on map) is a popular barrier island vacation destination in lower South Carolina.

Most people drive to Hilton Head, but it is also reasonably easy to get to by plane, via nearby Savannah (several options for completing your journey to Hilton Head are available out of Savannah’s airport) or Hilton Head’s own airport, which now receives flights from several US cities.

Less convenient, but still feasible, is travel by train or intercity bus, in both cases requiring a connection from a nearby city (usually, again, Savannah).

See also:
Airports near Hilton Head, SC
Flights to Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport
Hilton Head Island festivals

!Please verify all information before planning your trip.

Driving To Hilton Head Island

The easiest way to get to Hilton Head Island is to drive. Car rental services are available at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport or at any other major airport or city, though you may not need a car once on Hilton Head itself unless you plan on sightseeing off the island. Get directions

Approximate distances and driving times from selected regional cities, each way (assuming the traffic is not too bad), are as follows:
From Savannah, GA: 30 miles, 45-60 minutes (or 34 miles from the airport).
From Atlanta, GA: 280 miles, 4hrs-4hrs30.
From Jacksonville, FL: 170 miles, 2hrs30-3hrs.
From Charleston, SC: 100 miles, 2hrs15.
From Charlotte, NC : 250 miles, 4hrs-4hrs40.

Taxi & Ride Share To Hilton Head

If you don’t drive or will not have a car for your visit, a taxi or equivalent service is the easiest way to get to Hilton Head Island.

From Savannah’s airport, there is a flat rate taxi fare of $80 to the north end of the island, and $85 to the south end (excluding tip). Passengers in excess of 2 will attract an additional fare of $10 per extra person. Expect to pay around $110 for a metered fare from Savannah to Hilton Head. See details

Ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft also serve the Savannah-Hilton Head area, with basic fares starting from around $65 each way. Surge pricing during busy periods can very substantially increase this base fare, however, up to around $180 in a smaller vehicle or up to $280 in an XL vehicle.

Both services can be used directly from Savannah’s airport to Hilton Head, but please note that some of the island’s gated communities charge additional fees for drop-off, and that return journey pick-up may not always be available from within these gated resorts.

Local Taxi & Car Services

Several taxi services and car services operate out of Hilton Head and vicinity, and many more out of Savannah.

Palmetto Car Service provides a higher-end service between Savannah Airport and Hilton Head for $135, 7am-6pm (additional fees apply outside of these hours). Call 843-981-1111 or book online.

Other taxi/car services operating out of Hilton Head include Diamond Transportation (call 843-247-2156 or book online) and Yellow Transportation HHI, SC (call 843-686-6666).

Flying To Hilton Head, SC

The small Hilton Head Island Airport now receives a wider range of scheduled passenger services, with flights from Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC and other cities.

Many visitors traveling to Hilton Head still fly to Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, from which there are several options (taxi, ride share, or rental car) for continuing your journey to Hilton Head.

Charleston International Airport is an alternative, but it is about twice as far (2 hours or so by road) from Hilton Head as Savannah, and has fewer options for completing your journey.

→ See more about airports near Hilton Head Island

Buses To Hilton Head Island

Intercity bus services do not currently operate to Hilton Head Island. Two nearby cities are served by bus: Savannah and Beaufort, SC, both within 35 miles (around an hour by road) of Hilton Head.

From Savannah, it is easy to get to Hilton Head, using either a taxi or ride share service or rental car. From Beaufort, there is also the option of using the limited public bus service to Hilton Head, provided by Palmetto Breeze Transit.

Taking The Train To Get To Hilton Head

No train service is available to Hilton Head Island itself. The nearest passenger rail stations are at Savannah (Palmetto, Silver Star or Silver Meteor routes) or the small city of Yemassee, SC (Palmetto and Silver Meteor routes only).

Savannah is the nearer of the two to Hilton Head, about 30 miles compared to 50 miles from Yemassee.

In most cases, it is better to travel to Savannah, from which there is a wider range of options for continuing your journey to Hilton Head.

→ More information about traveling to Savannah by train

Things To Do In Hilton Head, SC

Dolphin tours
Boat charters
Kayaking
Paddle boarding
Sunset cruises
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge

See also:
Savannah events
Lowcountry seafood festivals
Beaufort events