The train to Savannah is a relaxing and comfortable way to get to the city, with travel times for directly connected cities usually comparable to driving. The train is more environmentally friendly too, with the added bonus of scenic views along parts of the route.
Amtrak’s east coast routes provide direct trains to Savannah from many major Atlantic seaboard cities, including popular vacation and travel destinations such as Charleston (less than 2 hours from Savannah by train), Orlando, Miami and Washington, DC. Unfortunately there is currently no convenient Atlanta to Savannah train service.
The Savannah Amtrak station is located roughly 4 miles from the Historic District. Taxis, rideshare services and an occasional bus are available to complete your journey.
→ Other ways to get to Savannah: intercity bus, flights
See also:
– Upcoming events in Savannah, GA
– Savannah’s must-see sights
– Free things to do in Savannah
– The best time to visit Savannah
!Please verify all details before planning your trip. Service availability and other information may change at short notice.
Three East Coast Amtrak passenger rail routes stop in Savannah (Palmetto, Silver Star and Silver Meteor). The Silver Star and Silver Meteor services each operate one northbound and one southbound train daily; the Palmetto route offers three northbound and three southbound trains per week.
The Palmetto service runs between New York and Savannah. The Silver Meteor and Silver Star services both operate between New York and Miami, but take different routes through North and South Carolina. Convenient onward connections to Boston and other cities between it and New York are also available.
→ See Amtrak’s Silver Service/Palmetto route guide
Please note that for some journeys, longer ones especially, it may be impossible to travel to Savannah by train without either the arrival or departure time being in the very early hours of the morning.
The distances to be traveled, coupled with often extremely long connection times between trains, also make rail travel less suitable for journeys from many cities that are not served by any of these three east coast routes, including nearby cities such as Atlanta or Nashville.
If you would like to travel overland from non-east-coast locations, but do not intend to drive, a connection by intercity bus (e.g. Greyhound) will often offer a substantial time saving over a journey made exclusively by rail.
All train services arrive at and depart from Savannah’s Amtrak station, located at 2611 Seaboard Coastline Drive, 3-4 miles to the west of the Historic District. More about Savannah’s train station facilities and onward travel options
Approximate travel times and ticket prices from the several east coast cities are as follows (please note that prices cheaper than those below may be obtained by booking at least two weeks in advance of travel, and that tickets bought on board the train will be substantially more expensive):
– Charleston, SC: 1hr45, tickets from $28 each way. Please note that the station is located in the adjacent city of North Charleston, 8 miles from downtown Charleston. Direct service on Silver Meteor or Palmetto routes. More about travel between Charleston and Savannah
– Jacksonville, FL: 2hrs15-2hrs30, from $33 each way. Direct service on Silver Meteor or Silver Star routes. More about travel between Jacksonville and Savannah
– Orlando, FL: 5hrs45-6hrs15, from $50 each way. Direct service on Silver Meteor or Silver Star routes. More about travel between Orlando and Savannah
– Miami, FL: 11hrs15-13hrs45, from $80 each way. Direct service on Silver Meteor and Silver Star routes. More about travel between Miami and Savannah
– Raleigh, NC: 7hrs15-21hrs45, from $55 each way. Direct service on Silver Star route.
– Charlotte, NC: 11hrs-31hrs, from $85 each way. One or two transfers required, some routings with bus connection. Other ways to travel between Charlotte and Savannah
– Washington, DC: 11hrs-13hrs15, from $108 each way. Direct service on Palmetto, Silver Star or Silver Meteor routes.
– Philadelphia: 13hrs30-15hrs30, from $127 each way. Direct service on Palmetto, Silver Star or Silver Meteor routes.
– New York: 15hrs-17hrs30, from $130 each way. Direct service on Palmetto, Silver Star or Silver Meteor routes. More about travel between New York and Savannah
– Boston, MA (South Station): 19hrs-28hrs30, from $140 each way. One transfer required.
– Atlanta, GA: 24hrs-37hrs, from $145 each way. One or two transfers required, some routings with bus connection. Other ways to travel between Atlanta and Savannah
The Palmetto route has one northbound and one southbound train daily (three days a week during the coronavirus pandemic), running between New York and Savannah. Savannah is the southern terminus of this route.
The scheduled arrival time of the southbound Palmetto service in Savannah (train number 89) is at 9:04pm. The northbound departure (train number 90) is at 8:20am.
See Amtrak’s timetable, with stations served on this line (timetable includes Palmetto, Silver Star and Silver Meteor services, plus connecting trains from Boston).
The Silver Star route has one northbound and one southbound train daily (three days a week during the coronavirus pandemic), running between New York and Miami. This train takes a more westerly route through North and South Carolina, with a stop at Raleigh, NC.
The southbound service (train number 91) is scheduled to arrive in Savannah at 4:13am, departing southward at 4:18am. The northbound service (train number 92) arrives in Savannah at 1:16am and departs northward at 1:22am.
The Silver Meteor service also operates on southbound and one northbound service daily (four days a week during the coronavirus pandemic), with New York and Miami as the respective northern and southern termini, but takes a different route through North and South Carolina, along a more easterly line with a stop at Charleston, SC.
The southbound service (train number 97) is scheduled to arrive in Savannah at 6:34am, departing southward at 6:40am. The northbound service (train number 98) arrives at Savannah at 7:23pm, departing northward at 7:31pm.
There are several ways to buy tickets, the most convenient of which are as follows:
Online Buy tickets on the Amtrak website (at least two weeks in advance for the lowest prices). You will receive a PDF e-ticket as an attachment to your email receipt. Show this to the conductor on board the train on a phone or tablet, or print the ticket ahead of time.
At the station Buy tickets at larger stations, either at the ticket office or Quik-Trak self-service kiosk (Savannah’s station does not currently have a Quik-Trak kiosk).
By phone Call 1-800-872-7245. Your tickets can be emailed to you, and shown to the train conductor on your mobile device.
Travel agent You can also buy tickets through several travel agencies, some of which may offer a small discount if travel is purchased together with accommodation.
On board the train If there is a ticket office at your departure station, you are obliged to purchase a ticket before boarding the train. If there are no ticketing facilites, you can buy a ticket once on the train. This option should be avoided where possible, however, as you will pay a substantially higher fare than if the ticket was purchased by one of the other methods listed above.
More details of how to buy tickets can be seen here, and information about all ticket delivery options here.
Amtrak offer three standard fare tiers – saver, value and flexible – at different price points. Business class and sleeper compartments are also available on some routes. Full details of the different ticket types are available here.
The value fare is the regular fare: this is what you will pay if you buy tickets at the station before boarding the train, or when purchasing tickets online either within two weeks of travel or once all discounted tickets have sold out.
The lowest (saver) fares are available on tickets purchased at least two weeks before the outbound journey date. The number of discounted tickets is limited, however, so it may sometimes be necessary to book further in advance than this to secure the best price.
Additional discounts for child, senior, students, military and AAA member passengers are usually available.
Avoid buying tickets on board the train if at all possible, as usually only the highest priced (flexible) fare will be available. Flexible fares are also available for advance purchase, but unless you have uncertain travel plans and do not anticipate being able to buy a ticket prior to travel (ticket office, phone or online), there is rarely a reason to buy this ticket type.
Two 50lb (23kg) carry-on bags are permitted per passenger. Four 50lb (23kg) bags may be checked (two for free, and two for a fee of $20 each). Size restrictions also apply. See this page for further details.
Please note that checked baggage services are not available at all locations: Savannah’s station offers this service, but some smaller stations may not.
Cats and small dogs are allowed on some Amtrak services, including the three east coast services which stop at Savannah (a $26 fee applies), but numerous restrictions, including journey time, apply to pet travel. See Amtrak’s pet policies
Amtrak recommend arriving at the station at least 30 minutes before the posted departure time, and at least 45 minutes prior to the departure time if you need to buy a ticket or check baggage, or will require special assistance at the station.
See Also: Must-See Sights In Savannah
– Bonaventure Cemetery
– Forsyth Park
– Bull Street squares
– First African Baptist Church
– The Historic District
See also:
– Savannah events
– Architectural tours of Savannah
– Historic house tours
– River Street restaurants
– Other ways to get to Savannah