Visit either one and you'll see why Savannah's nickname of “The Host City of the South” is well deserved. By the mid-1750s, Charleston was the main commercial center in the South and the fourth largest city in the colonies. Savannah has fewer tourist destinations outside of downtown Savannah compared to Charleston, but they're still fantastic places. If you are on a budget, one of the deciding factors for visiting Charleston or Savannah is the cost.
From beautiful Forsyth Park to the city's 22 beautiful squares that function as mini-parks in their own right, Savannah is filled with beautiful green spaces to explore. I love every city, but the charm of Savannah's squares and parks and the historic houses that surround them give it a special touch. Savannah has five, while Charleston has at least 20, and they're still growing, spread across the peninsula and beyond. Crime rates are relatively high in both cities, but most tourists who visit Savannah and Charleston do so without a problem.
In Charleston, Marion Square is the main green space, which was formerly the parade ground for The Citadel, the South Carolina Military College. I ended up buying a townhouse in downtown Savannah and using it as a vacation rental and stayed there often. You're likely to experience lower prices in Savannah than in Charleston because of an overall lower standard of living. Both Savannah and Charleston are coastal cities, so both have nearby barrier islands with beaches just a short drive away.
I hope to broaden my travel horizons and revisit some of my favorite places in Savannah. You can walk around Savannah, in the sense that it's so beautiful and well-designed (its historic center retains most of its 18th century urban planning, with 22 squares), that walking is indisputably the best way to get around. Charleston has many more restaurants than Savannah, but those in Savannah offer better value for money and seem less pretentious.
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