Savannah St Patricks Day

hardybuck

Hi folks,

Looking into the possibility of heading over to Savannah for St Patrick's Day and a few days either side of it.

Hearing positive reviews about the parades, the city itself and the normally good weather compared with the likes of NYC, Chicago, Washington, Boston et al.

I was wondering if anyone could advise on the best way of getting there from Ireland? Are you better to fly to somewhere like NYC and stay for a night or two before trying to get an internal flight to Savannah? Are we better to fly somewhere nearby and have a little road trip?

I was also wondering if people might have other feedback regarding hotels, any other tips etc. which might be useful?

I would envisage maybe a 7 day trip to the States overall, and with probably 4 adults travelling.

Thanks

dave2pvd

Fly into Atlanta. Rent a car, drive to Savannah (4hrs).

Stay in the historic district. Book your hotel now though.

Also visit Tybee Is., Skidaway Is.

ProudDUB

Yep. Deffo fly into Atlanta if you can. No point going via New York, unless New York is a specific part of your itinerary. However, Delta don't do daily flights to Atlanta from Dublin, all year round. (At least they didn't when I lived there.) They generally run from spring to autumn, so if the direct flights haven't started by Paddys Day, you may have no choice but to fly to Atlanta via somewhere else. Book your Savannah hotel as soon as you can. Savannah has the second biggest Patricks Day parade in the country, so the hotel rooms will fill up quickly.

The Golden Isles, off the south Georgia coast are gorgeous places for a road trip. Cumberland Island is especially beautiful. It's a fairly quiet part of the world, if you are into partying and nightlife, but the scenery is gorgeous. You could continue on a bit further south and check out St Augustine, Jacksonville & Amelia Island in Florida. That's a great road trip to do. Or you could head north, and do Charleston and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, if you feel like something a bit more lively.

hardybuck

Thanks folks.

Just sent an email to the airlines there to see when those direct flights in spring start. If they're not available we could be stopping off in NYC, which wouldn't be a problem.

ProudDUB

The direct Atlanta/Dublin flights generally start around St Patricks Day, or a bit before, so that the Yanks who want to come here for Paddys Day, can. So I'd be surprised if they aren't up and running by then, just don't presume that they will be. Give Tour America or other travel agents that do US holliers a shout. They can probably fill you in quicker, than waiting on an email from an airline.

hardybuck

Sage advice folks. Much appreciated.

Foxtrol

I was in Savannah for their St Patrick’s Day festival two years ago. In advance I doubted the size of the event but it really engulfs the entire area. It’s a very diverse crowd from families to college students on spring break to hen parties to biker gangs to retirees. Aside from the parade there are constant live music events on several stages but expect a heavy focus on drinking (like most U.S. Paddy’s day events) with open carrying of alcohol legal during the festival.

I’d agree with those that said to book hotels now as they do become very scarce and expensive the closer to the event. I’d suggest that you pick a hotel close to the center/waterfront as taxis are hard to come by during the festival making multiple tips back and forward from your hotel would be very difficult.

We were going for a long weekend of drinking/partying so if that’s your group is interested in then I’d highly recommend it! If you’re looking for a quieter break then I’d advise to split your time in other spots and only base yourself in Savannah for the day itself and one either side.