Savannah or Tybee Island Hotel for Early October??? (Atlanta, Washington: rental car, appointed)

[Lieneke]

Hello, I'm looking for some help in planning a trip in early October.

I've never been to the Southern States, and I've only been to the US East coast once (DC). I have a week in the area and I'm wondering whether it's better to stay at a hotel in Savannah, or at Tybee Island, or another place.

Is there public transportation from Savannah to Tybee Island and other nearby beach areas?

Is there a good birding area?

Can anyone recommend an interesting hotel - maybe something with old character and charm, but modern amenities?

Thanks

[Lieneke]

I have to book the hotel tomorrow ... any help appreciated ... otherwise I'm winging it.

[Newsboy]

You should stay in the Savannah Historic District, especially if you won't have a rental car. A day trip to Tybee Island Beach will suffice. What is your price range? Do you use Trip Advisor?

I see you just came back from a week in DC and pretty much hated it. If that's the case, you're likely gonna hate Savannah even more. Why are you coming?

[Lieneke]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

You should stay in the Savannah Historic District, especially if you won't have a rental car. A day trip to Tybee Island Beach will suffice. What is your price range? Do you use Trip Advisor?

I see you just came back from a week in DC and pretty much hated it. If that's the case, you're likely gonna hate Savannah even more. Why are you coming?

Thank you!

I do use trip advisor.

I'm sharing hotel with a work colleague as we debrief and prepare presentation ... so hotel cost is divided by two. Preference is less than $120US per night including healthy breakfast - on our own nickel for 5 days.

Are there reasonable bike rentals - would really like to rent bikes to ride to the beach, have a good dinner, and stay a night on the Island - ride back the next day. I suppose mountain bikes are better for sandy terrain, but racing bikes feel better in the core .. any place for that type of adventure - rent two mountain bikes overnight?

Regarding hotel, for example, the Fairmont hotels were built 100 years ago in major cities and they are classically beautiful architectural marvels. Are there any hotels like that in Savannah Historic disctrict?l I noticed in photos of the area that Art Deco is everywhere ... any art deco wrought iron inexpensive hotels in the historic district?

[Lieneke]

I'm very interested in renting two 5'8" size bikes in the area in the first week of October - not some silly tour, but renting two good mountain bikes at a reasonable rate for several hours.

[Lieneke]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

I see you just came back from a week in DC and pretty much hated it. If that's the case, you're likely gonna hate Savannah even more. Why are you coming?

What disappointed me with Washington DC is that it is so similar to Moscow with wide grandiose streets, windowless monuments, and propaganda chiselled into the tops of buildings. It reminded me of Lenin and Stalin in Leningrad / Saint Petersburg and the KGB in Moscow, Castro in Cuba, and I had no idea that it was the same in the US until my trip to DC.

I was unimpressed with the Holocaust Museum, I thought the Aviation Museum too heavily focussed on the mechanics of spaceship design, and downtown was dead.

Do you disagree?
Is there another side of DC that I missed?

I want to see the real Savannah, talk to people, learn what they think, talk, visit, hear.

[pink caddy]

Originally Posted by Lieneke

What disappointed me with Washington DC is that it is so similar to Moscow with wide grandiose streets, windowless monuments, and propaganda chiselled into the tops of buildings. It reminded me of Lenin and Stalin in Leningrad / Saint Petersburg and the KGB in Moscow, Castro in Cuba, and I had no idea that it was the same in the US until my trip to DC.


I want to see the real Savannah, talk to people, learn what they think, talk, visit, hear.

"Propaganda chiseled into the tops of buildings". Oh boy, here we go! If you didn't like that (which is BTW our culture and history of the U.S .A. you should most definitely stay far far away from Savannah. We have more monuments, flags, plaques, tombs, engravings, churches then I imagine your stomach could possibly take.

As far as meet and greet the people, with your viewpoints I suppose it is my responsibility to warn you that might not be a good idea. However, if you choose to not take my sage advise walk into a working man' s bar
( redneck, dive bar ) buy a couple of beers for the crowd and start to "talk" to them about how you feel about "propaganda ".

Wish you all the best. Have a knockout time!

[Lieneke]

Thanks for all your help! So sorry that I wasn't crazy about one of the cities in the US, and that this results in people from Savannah being unhelpful.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Lieneke

Thank you!

I do use trip advisor.

I'm sharing hotel with a work colleague as we debrief and prepare presentation ... so hotel cost is divided by two. Preference is less than $120US per night including healthy breakfast - on our own nickel for 5 days.

Are there reasonable bike rentals - would really like to rent bikes to ride to the beach, have a good dinner, and stay a night on the Island - ride back the next day. I suppose mountain bikes are better for sandy terrain, but racing bikes feel better in the core .. any place for that type of adventure - rent two mountain bikes overnight?

Regarding hotel, for example, the Fairmont hotels were built 100 years ago in major cities and they are classically beautiful architectural marvels. Are there any hotels like that in Savannah Historic disctrict?l I noticed in photos of the area that Art Deco is everywhere ... any art deco wrought iron inexpensive hotels in the historic district?

Originally Posted by Lieneke

I'm very interested in renting two 5'8" size bikes in the area in the first week of October - not some silly tour, but renting two good mountain bikes at a reasonable rate for several hours.

There are several places in downtown Savannah and environs that rent bicycles. The city's transit system also operates a bike share program. But I would not recommend trying to ride a bike out to Tybee Island. It's a good 15 miles from downtown in heavy traffic.

As for a hotel, Art Deco is not really Savannah's thing but every other style of architecture is here. There are literally HUNDREDS of hotel, B&B, short-term rentals and other options for staying in the Historic District downtown (which is where you want to be) and it would be impossible to recommend one without knowing more about your personal preferences and such. That's why I'd suggest using Trip Advisor to search for places, prices etc that look appealing to you. It's always better to go right to the source.

[Lieneke]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

There are several places in downtown Savannah and environs that rent bicycles. The city's transit system also operates a bike share program. But I would not recommend trying to ride a bike out to Tybee Island. It's a good 15 miles from downtown in heavy traffic.

As for a hotel, Art Deco is not really Savannah's thing but every other style of architecture is here. There are literally HUNDREDS of hotel, B&B, short-term rentals and other options for staying in the Historic District downtown (which is where you want to be) and it would be impossible to recommend one without knowing more about your personal preferences and such. That's why I'd suggest using Trip Advisor to search for places, prices etc that look appealing to you. It's always better to go right to the source.

Thank you!


I recently, briefly met a man from outside of Atlanta who mentioned that his friend just opened a boutique hotel a block from river street - he couldn't remember the name. I know this is a longshot, but have you heard of any new boutique hotels opening in the last couple of months near river street?