Traveling Between Savannah & Beaufort, SC
Beaufort, SC and the surrounding islands make a great day trip from Savannah, with plenty to keep you occupied.
There is shopping and dining, the historic charm of Beaufort’s old waterfront district, several tourist attractions, and boat or kayak tours of the river or walking and bus tours of the city or local African-American history. Beyond Beaufort itself is the natural beauty of the lowcountry marshes and nearby Hunting Island State Park.
If you have a car, Beaufort is very easily reached from Savannah. The 43-mile drive can usually be covered in around an hour. If you are traveling from Savannah Airport to Beaufort (or from Beaufort to the airport) the distance and travel time are about the same, with car rental and long-term parking facilities available at the airport.
If you won’t be driving, there are still options for getting to Beaufort. It is feasible to visit Beaufort as a day trip from Savannah, or to visit Savannah from Beaufort, by Greyhound bus, but if there are several people in your group it will usually be more convenient (at a comparable price point per person) to take a taxi or rideshare vehicle.
See also:
– Things to do in Savannah
– Flights to Savannah
– Savannah National Wildlife Refuge
– Beaufort, SC festivals
!Please check all details before planning your travel. Availability of services, prices and other information may change at short notice.
Driving From Savannah To Beaufort, SC
How Far Is Beaufort, SC From Savannah?
The distance from Savannah to Beaufort, SC is around 43 miles, taking SC-170.
In ideal traffic, the trip can be completed in around 50 minutes, but typical drive time is around an hour. In heavy traffic, the drive can take 1 hour 20 minutes or more.
Distances from Savannah to Beaufort area locations and typical drive times, via the fastest route, are as follows:
- Savannah to Beaufort – 43 miles, 50 mins to 1 hr 15 mins
- Savannah to Port Royal – 40 miles, 45 mins to 1 hr 5 mins
- Savannah to Parris Island – 42 miles, 55 mins to 1 hr 15 mins
- Savannah to St Helena Island – 50 miles, 1 hr to 1 hr 25 mins
- Savannah to Hunting Island State Park – 59 miles, 1 hr 10 mins to 1 hr 40 mins
- Savannah Airport to Beaufort – 46 miles, 50 mins to 1 hr 10 mins
- Savannah Airport to Port Royal – 43 miles, 45 mins to 1 hr
- Savannah Airport to Parris Island – 46 miles, 55 mins to 1 hr 10 mins
- Savannah Airport to St Helena Island – 53 miles, 1 hr to 1 hr 20 mins
Savannah To Beaufort, SC
The fastest driving route from Savannah to Beaufort follows US-17 northward over the Savannah River bridge, connecting with SC-315 and then SC-170 a few miles north of Savannah. The route then takes SC-170 most of the rest of the way to Beaufort, connecting with US-21 west of downtown Beaufort.
The distance is 43 miles from downtown Savannah to downtown Beaufort, with typical drive time of an hour.
Savannah Airport To Beaufort, SC
The route between Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport and Beaufort follows the I-95 immediately out of the airport, connecting with US-278 just out of Hardeeville. It then connects with SC-170, following that road all the way to Beaufort, and taking US-21 the last short stretch to downtown.
Driving distance between Beaufort and the airport is 46 miles, with average journey time of 1 hour.
Savannah To Beaufort, SC By Bus
There is currently 1 daily bus service in each direction between Beaufort, SC and Savannah, operated by Greyhound. Travel time is less than an hour, and an economy ticket costs from $15-$25 each way.
Beaufort Greyhound station is around 3 miles west of downtown Beaufort (at 3659 Trask Parkway, Beaufort, SC 29906 – see on map), so you will have to either take a taxi or Uber/Lyft the rest of the way. Savannah’s Greyhound station is only a few minutes from the Historic District on foot.
It isn’t currently possible to travel directly from Savannah Airport to Beaufort by bus. You will have to travel downtown from the airport (public transportation is available) then transfer onto the Greyhound service at the downtown terminal, immediately west of the Historic District.
Savannah to Beaufort bus:
- 12:15pm - 1:10pm – 55 mins, direct
Beaufort to Savannah bus:
- 5:55am - 6:50am – 55 mins, direct
Savannah To Beaufort, SC By Taxi, Shuttle & Rideshare
From Downtown Savannah
Regular taxi fare from Savannah to Beaufort is $100 or so exclusive of gratuity. Ride time should be about an hour.
If you can find an Uber or Lyft driver who will take you, expect to pay around $55 in a standard vehicle, or about $110 in a larger one, for transport between downtown Savannah and Beaufort. Surge pricing can significantly increase the base fare.
From Savannah Airport
Fares from Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport are roughly similar to those from downtown Savannah.
You can expect to pay about $90-$115 for a regular taxi or airport shuttle from Savannah Airport to Beaufort (excluding gratuity), around $60 in a standard Lyft or Uber, and around $120 in an XL size Lyft/Uber. Again, surge pricing may substantially increase the base fare on the rideshare options.
Savannah To Beaufort By Train
It is not practical to travel between Savannah and Beaufort by train, as the nearest station to Beaufort is in Yemassee, SC, 24 miles away. This may be an acceptable option in the case of travel from further afield, however, particularly the cities of the eastern coast.
Yemassee Amtrak Station is located at 15 Wall Street, Yemassee, SC, 29945. It is a 30-40 minute drive from there to downtown Beaufort.
Things To Do In Beaufort, SC & Nearby
– Movie and history tours
– Savannah events
– Seafood festivals
– Hilton Head events
– Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge
– Ebenezer Creek blackwater swamp
– Beaches
– Hilton Head boat charters
– Hilton Head dolphin tours