Charleston SC

Charleston’s cruise ship terminal stands at 196 Concord Street, at the foot of Market Street in the peninsular city. Set in the historic district, it makes it possible to combine a visit to one of America’s oldest cities with a fun-filled cruise. On your cruise day, enter through the Union Pier Terminal Main Gate; Union Pier’s address is 32 Washington Street.

The airport is only 20 minutes from the terminal, and a metered taxi from the Airport costs around $35. CARTA’s No. 11 public bus also serves the Airport for just $3.

Expect parking to cost typically $17 a day.

Plans to design and build a new cruise terminal at the Port of Charleston have been delayed on several occasions.

Charleston’s new cruise terminal is intended for an existing structure further north on the SCSPA’s Union Pier property. It will replace the present terminal, which opened in 1973.

Almost all the sights you may want to visit are within easy walking distance.

Charleston is a South Carolina city in the United States of America. Like Manhattan, it occupies a peninsula where two rivers run into the Atlantic, with surrounding islands sheltering it from the open ocean. Captured early in the Civil War with little property damage, its older quarter retains buildings that are hundreds of years old. There are almost no tall buildings on the skyline, which is dominated by the striking Arthur Ravenel cable stay bridge. The city is also an important port on the US eastern seaboard.

A horse-drawn carriage tour is one way to see Charleston’s historic sites. Several operators depart from stands on Market street beside the Market itself. Reservations are unnecessary, but tours work on a first-come-first-served basis, so waits are likely in the peak tourist season. Most providers give customers a departure time instead of having them queue, allowing time to browse the Market shops while waiting. Free tourist maps and guides contain discount coupons.

The Charleston Museum, founded in 1773 and widely known as “America’s First Museum,” concentrates on the South Carolina Lowcountry. Its modern collecting emphases cover natural history, historical material culture, and documentary and photographic resources.

Fort Sumter is where the American Civil War began. After decades of increasing conflict between North and South, Confederate artillery fired on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861, starting the civil war. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later, and Union forces then spent nearly four years trying to retake it. The fort sits on an island in Charleston Harbor and can only be reached by boat.

The Joseph Manigault House is a historic house museum at 350 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, owned and run by the Charleston Museum. Built in 1803 as a home for the brother of its designer, Gabriel Manigault, it is a nationally significant, well-preserved example of Adam style architecture. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1973.

Other enjoyable options on foot include guided history walks and spooky ghost tours through Charleston’s streets.

Charleston is a city best discovered on foot.

Start at the Visitor Reception and Transportation Center at 375 Meeting Street, close to where I-26 enters the city. Visitors can collect maps and guides, arrange tours, and visit a small museum about Charleston’s history.

The Market and the shops along Market street are popular with visiting shoppers. The Market brings together many small sellers offering everything from blankets to candy, while the more conventional shops on Market street mostly carry tourist-oriented merchandise.

For upmarket shopping downtown, browse the shops lining King Street, which are known for high-quality merchandise.

The United States dollar is the official U.S. currency (symbol: $), and ATM’s are everywhere.

Visa, MasterCard and other major credit cards are widely accepted, including for purchases of just a few dollars; in some situations, they may be the only means of payment. Overseas visitors should remember that listed prices can appear lower than the true cost because taxes and gratuities are seldom included.

Most states levy sales tax, from 2.9% to nearly 10% of the retail price, with 4-6% being typical. It is almost never built into displayed prices, except for gasoline and, in most states, alcoholic beverages consumed on-premises; instead, it is calculated and added when you pay.

Tipping is widespread and expected in America. Americans themselves may debate the appropriate levels and exactly who should be tipped, but the following are generally accepted standard rates:

• Full-service restaurants: 15-20%. This is often the wait(ress)’s only income. Leave cash or add the tip to the credit card slip. Few restaurants apply an automatic service charge; if one does, decide yourself how much extra to tip. Check your bill!
• Taxi drivers, hairdressers and other personal services: 10-15%.
• Bartenders: tip $1 for a cheap drink, or 15% of the bill.
• Bellhops: tip $1-2 for every bag, subject to a $3-5 minimum in all cases.
• Hotel doorman: $1 per bag when they assist, plus $1 for calling a cab.
• Tour guides: the amount depends on the length, group size and overall quality of guided tours; allow $5-10 per person for half day tours or less, and $10-20 per person for longer tours.
• For private car & limousine drivers, the customary tip is 15-20%.
• Housekeeping in hotels: for long stays, $1-2 per day; for very short stays, a $5 minimum is optional.
• Food delivery (pizza, etc.): $2-5, potentially more for very large orders.

The U.S. has no official language at federal level, although English is overwhelmingly used day to day. A number of states name English as their official state language. Spanish is also official and widely spoken in New Mexico, while French is official in Louisiana and the Hawaiian language in Hawaii; neither is used anything like as widely as English, and their official status is primarily historical.

Emergency number: 911.

In large metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles, many drugstores and supermarkets operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Department stores, shopping centers and most other large retailers usually trade from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with shorter Sunday hours, generally 11 a.m. or noon until 5 or 6 p.m. They tend to remain open on holidays, except the most important ones, including Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when stores generally close.