For visitors, Savannah is more of a walking than a driving city. Most of the places visitors want to go are close together, and the one-way system, congestion and difficulties parking make leaving your car behind or parking it outside the Historic District an attractive option (more about parking in Savannah).
Savannah’s public transport, including several free services especially targeted toward the needs of tourists, can take you downtown and around the Historic District’s key sights.
The city’s public transit network has two main components: the fare-free Downtown Transportation (dot) system and the ordinary Chatham Area Transit (CAT) bus services.
Fare-free shuttle buses and a ferry provide safe and convenient transportation around the Historic District and its most popular tourist areas. Savannah’s local bus system operates services in and around the wider city and to its outlying suburbs, some of which stop near popular tourist attractions.
See also:
– Savannah’s must-see sights
– Free things to do in Savannah
– The Historic District
– More tourist attractions and things to do
Savannah provides free transportation around the Historic District as an alternative to driving and parking in the city’s congested central areas.
There are three separate services, collectively known as “dot” (short for Downtown Transportation). These connect most of Savannah’s principal points of interest.
Two dot Express Shuttle services circuit downtown; the Savannah Belles Ferry connects River Street with Hutchinson Island. A map of the three routes, with popular attractions and parking garages marked, is available here.
All dot services are entirely free and ADA-accessible.
The dot Express Shuttle services run every day: Monday-Friday, 7am-7pm; Saturday, 10am-7pm; Sunday, 10am-6pm. Buses run every 10 minutes, with 20 stops on two separate routes: Downtown and Forsyth Park.
The Downtown route follows a loop through the upper Historic District, connecting with City Market and several downtown squares and other attractions, and passing within a couple of blocks of several downtown parking garages.
The Forsyth Park route takes a counter-clockwise route to either side of Bull Street, traveling up Drayton Street and down Whitaker Street between Johnson Square and Forsyth Park.
→ More information about the service
To ride, just find one of the purple and green “dot” signs (don’t confuse these with the regular CAT bus stop signs), and wait for your bus to arrive. Look out for a purple and green bus or a bus with a symbol reading “dot” on the front or side. Map showing all the stops
Ordinary paid city buses, operated by CAT, may also pass by. These will be clearly marked, with a sign on the front displaying the route number and name. Paid shuttle services may also pass; these will be painted in the livery of their respective companies.
This free passenger ferry connects River Street to the hotels and convention center on Hutchinson Island. The service operates between three landings, two on the city side of the Savannah River and one on Hutchinson Island.
From River Street, embark at either the City Hall Landing, behind City Hall at the head of Bull Street and next to the Hyatt Regency Hotel, or the Waving Girl Landing, near the Waving Girl (Florence Martus) statue in Morrell Park, close to the East Broad Street ramp.
The Savannah Belles Ferry runs every 20-30 minutes daily, 7am-10pm. Services to the Waving Girl Landing operate 8:20am-6pm. Travel time to cross the river is 10-20 minutes, depending on which landings you travel between. Pets, either on a leash or in a carrier, are welcome. See full service information and schedule.
The ferry’s name honors “Savannah’s Belles,” four women who influenced Savannah’s history: Susie King Taylor, Mary Musgrove, Juliette Gordon Low and Florence Martus.
Chatham Area Transit (CAT) provides numerous paid services around Savannah and its suburbs.
A map of all the services operated is available here (please note that the 100X service to the airport is currently suspended), and the list of CAT bus routes, with schedule information, is here. Some services have been modified on account of the pandemic and may change at short notice, so re-check schedules and routes for your trip before setting out.
The easiest way to plan your trip on Savannah’s buses is with the Google Maps site. Enter your destination into the search bar, then click Directions, then click on the bus/train icon for suggested routes by public transportation.
Single-journey tickets:
– Tickets to ride all CAT buses can be purchased on board the vehicle.
– Try to have the correct fare, as drivers are not able to make change.
– A one-way ticket on Savannah’s ordinary public transit system costs $1.50. Transfers (valid for 90 minutes) are free, but should be requested before depositing your fare.
– Children under 41 inches tall ride for free, two per adult passenger.
– Seniors (65+), youth (6-18), veterans and passengers with a disability can pay a reduced fare of $0.75 with the relevant ID or Medicare card. ID is not required for passengers who use a wheelchair. For full details of the half-fare scheme, see here.
Day passes can also be purchased on board the bus, for $3. A day pass allows unlimited travel on the day it is activated. You need to notify the driver you want a day pass rather than a single ticket before depositing your fare.
Weekly and monthly passes are also available, but these must be bought in advance. A 7-day pass, valid for seven days from the day of activation, is $14. A monthly pass, valid for 31 days from activation, is $50. The half-fare program also applies to these passes for eligible passengers.
Passes, and also books of 10 tickets, are sold at Savannah’s transportation hub, the Joe Murray Rivers, Jr. Intermodal Transit Center, at 610 West Oglethorpe Avenue (three blocks north of the Visitor Center on Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard, then left onto West Oglethorpe. The bus station, which is also used for Greyhound coach services, will be on your right). Hours for ticket sales are Monday-Friday, 7am-8pm.
Alternatively, you can purchase passes online to use in conjunction with the Transit Mobile Ticketing App, which can be downloaded onto your smartphone via the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (more details here).
All buses are wheelchair accessible.
If you are traveling with pets (except for service animals, and except on the Savannah Belles Ferry, which does allow animals on board), you will unfortunately have to use another method of getting around the city, as pets are not allowed on Savannah’s buses.
See Also: Things To Do In Savannah Without A Car
– Forysth Park
– Tours to Bonaventure Cemetery
– Art galleries
– Antiques stores
– First African Baptist Church
– Food tours
– Black history tours
– Ghost tours
– Savannah events
– Museums in Savannah
– Historic house tours