Charleston (CHS): the bus is two dollars, not three fifty
CARTA Route 11 runs from outside baggage claim into downtown on the ordinary fixed-route fare. The 3.50 figure everyone quotes is the express fare, which this is not.
- The airport is about 12 miles north-west of downtown Charleston.
- CARTA Route 11 Dorchester/Airport gives direct service to the airport and continues into downtown.
- The stop is a well-lit covered shelter just outside baggage claim, near the passenger pickup area and the rental car lot.
- Route 11 is a fixed route, so the fare is USD 2.00 one way, not the USD 3.50 express fare that gets quoted for it.
- Transfers are free within two hours. A one day pass is USD 7.00 and a seven day pass USD 15.00.
- Under-sixes ride free with a paying adult, seniors over 55 pay USD 1.00 and disabled passengers USD 0.75.
- Taxis charge a USD 17.00 minimum from the airport. Downtown normally works out at USD 30 to 35 on the meter.
- The rideshare pickup shelter is across both roadways, to the right of the last sidewalk. It is not at the kerb.
- Many local hotels run courtesy shuttles, picking up outside baggage claim.
- Rental car desks are past baggage claim at the end of the terminal, with drop-off on level 1 of the five-tier parking deck.
The bus, and the fare everyone gets wrong
- CARTA Route 11 Dorchester/Airport is the airport route and it runs on into downtown Charleston, also serving North Charleston hotels, the Tanger Outlets and the Coliseum.
- The stop is a covered, well-lit shelter immediately outside baggage claim, next to the passenger pickup area and the rental lot. You do not have to find it.
- The fare is USD 2.00. Route 11 is a fixed route. CARTA's express routes cost USD 3.50, and that is the number that has propagated into guides describing the airport bus.
- A transfer is free within two hours of the original trip, so the bus plus a connection downtown is still USD 2.00.
- Passes: USD 7.00 for a day, USD 15.00 for seven days on regular routes.
- Concessions: seniors 55 and over pay USD 1.00, disabled passengers USD 0.75, children under 6 free with a paying adult.
Taxis and rideshare
- Taxis have a USD 17.00 minimum from CHS, which is the airport's own published figure. On the meter, downtown normally comes out at USD 30 to 35.
- The rideshare pickup is not at the kerb. The sheltered area is across both roadways and to the right of the last sidewalk, so allow a couple of minutes to walk to it.
- A taxi or rideshare downtown is about 20 minutes in normal traffic.
The rest of the kerb
- Many local hotels offer courtesy shuttles, picking up outside baggage claim. Check when you book, because it is free.
- Rental car desks are at the end of the terminal past baggage claim. Returns go to level 1 of the new five-tier parking deck.
The terminal
- CHS is on one level with two concourses, A and B, both with arrival and departure gates. It is a small and easy airport to move through.
- Club CHS is the lounge, open daily from about 04:10 to 20:30.
- This is a Boeing town as well as a tourist one, which is why the traffic mix is business and leisure rather than purely holiday.
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