How to Get From Atlanta to Savannah by Bus, Car, and Plane

If you happen to be one of Atlanta's 50 million visitors in any given year, it's worth a day trip or weekend getaway to Savannah, Georgia, a coastal city just 250 miles away. With its well-preserved Historic District, endless festivals, interactive museums, and award-winning bars and restaurants, Savannah has plenty of activities for all seasons, visitors, and ages.

The one-way trip takes 3.5 to 4.5 hours. There are a variety of transportation options to get from one city to the next, depending on your budget and preference, so it's important to weigh the options.

Delta offers several nonstop daily flights from Atlanta to Savannah, but the flight time doesn't account for parking, security, possible weather delays, and navigating Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Greyhound offers bus service to Savannah at a lower cost, but driving a car is a slightly faster option; however, parking inside the city of Savannah can get pricey, particularly in the Historic District. Here are the costs and times involved with each option.

What Is the Cheapest Way to Get From Atlanta to Savannah?

Greyhound offers bus service between the two cities, which can be a cheaper, low-stress alternative to navigating Atlanta traffic and the streets of downtown Savannah.

Greyhound buses make the trip to Savannah in 4 hours, 25 minutes. They depart four times a day, with fares starting around $32 for one-way express service. Most of the buses are outfitted with free Wi-Fi, personal chargers, and other amenities. Trips begin at 232 Forsyth Street in downtown Atlanta and terminate at the Savannah Bus Station at 610 W. Oglethorpe Ave. in downtown Savannah. Note that the express option includes one short, 15-minute stop in Macon, Georgia, and that non-express routes can take slightly longer.

What Is the Fastest Way to Get From Atlanta to Savannah?

Flying from Atlanta to Savannah is technically the fastest way to travel between the two cities, with nonstop flights offered several times a day via Delta Air Lines. Fares are as low as $113 one way (and just over $232 round trip), making it a fairly economical choice as well. However, the hour-long flight time does not account for travel to and from the airport, parking, checking bags, or clearing security—these are all things to consider before choosing this option.

How Long Does It Take to Drive?

Driving from Atlanta to Savannah is a fairly easy and budget-friendly option if traveling with children or a group. The most direct route (via I-75 S and I-16 E) is approximately 250 miles long and takes 3 hours, 26 minutes. Note that leaving Atlanta during the morning or evening rush hour will extend the trip by 30 to 60 minutes—especially during the busy summer months.

If making a day of it, stop in Macon, Georgia (85 miles south of Atlanta) for a bite to eat and a trip to one of the city's many points of interest: the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, the Museum for Arts & Sciences, Tattnall Square Park, or the Allman Brothers Band Museum at The Big House.

Can I Use Public Transportation to Travel From the Airport?

If traveling via plane, you'll fly into Savannah International Airport. This is the city's only airport, and is located approximately 8 miles north of downtown Savannah.

Savannah's bus system, Chatham Area Transit (CAT), operates to and from the airport daily. Visit the CAT website to view the airport bus schedule. In addition, some local resorts and hotels offer shuttles to and from the airport, but those must be arranged in advance, directly with transportation companies.

Alternatively, you can rent a car and drive into town; the trip takes approximately 20 minutes via I-95 S, but plan on 30 to 40 minutes if arriving during rush hour. Taxis are available on the lower level outside of baggage claim, while ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber offer pick up at the north entrance of baggage claim.

What's the Best Way to Travel Around Savannah?

After arriving in Savannah, it may be best to take advantage of the fare-free Downtown Transportation (dot) network, which offers shuttle buses and a ferry to popular tourist areas and centrally-located parking garages inside the Historic District. The buses operate every 10 minutes—starting at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends—and make 24 stops along the Downtown and Forsyth Park routes.

Lyft and Uber are also easily accessible throughout the city. For those driving, note that parking can be expensive downtown.

What Is There to Do in Savannah?

More than 14 million people visit Savannah each year to explore its parks, museums, historic homes, and restaurants. Start your trip with a narrated, hop-on, hop-off trolley tour that highlights attractions like the Savannah History Museum, the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, City Market, and Forsyth Park. Then take the trolley to the River Street stop and stroll the mile-long riverfront promenade, whose cobblestone streets are brimming with shops, galleries, bars, and restaurants.

Other points of interest include the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the First African Baptist Church, the birthplace of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, Savannah’s Telfair Museum (the Southeast's oldest public art museum), the SCAD Museum of Art, the Savannah Botanical Gardens, and the 100-acre Victorian-era Bonaventure Cemetery.

For more about what to do when visiting Savannah, see our guides to the city's nightlife, weather and climate, day trips, best restaurants, best bars, and hotels. Visitors might also want to consider a side trip to Charleston, located just two hours north.