Charleston To Myrtle Beach

Sunset view of Charleston, SC, looking out over Marion Square toward the river.

Travel between Myrtle Beach and Charleston is easy and convenient. The distance is less than 100 miles, with drive time of a bit over 2 hours.

Charleston is an ideal day trip out of Myrtle Beach, with abundant historical sights and attractions, beautiful architecture and a renowned food scene. If you don’t want to make the drive yourself, day tour options out of Myrtle Beach are also available.

Going in the other direction, Myrtle Beach is the nearest major beach destination to Charleston (quieter alternatives include Folly Beach and Sullivan’s Island/Isle of Palms, both a few miles out of downtown Charleston), offering miles upon miles of beachfront, high rise hotels and a huge range of shopping, golf courses and other attractions.

Georgetown and McClellanville, located along the main route from Charleston to Myrtle beach, are both also great day trip destinations out of either city, with picturesque downtowns, historic attractions, and easy access to the nature and scenery of the lowcountry.

!Service availability and other information can change at short notice. Please verify all details before planning your travel.

How Far Is Charleston From Myrtle Beach?

The distance from Myrtle Beach to Charleston is roughly 95 miles, with a drive time of around 2 hours and 15 minutes, although the exact trip length and travel time varies somewhat depending on which part of the dozens-of-miles-long Grand Strand you are visiting.

Distance and typical drive time from Charleston to Myrtle Beach destinations:

Downtown Charleston to Myrtle Beach – 95 miles, 2 hrs 15 mins
Charleston to North Myrtle Beach – 112 miles, 2 hrs 40 mins
Charleston to Pawleys Island – 74 miles, 1 hr 35 mins
Charleston to Murrells Inlet – 82 miles, 1 hr 45 mins
Charleston to Surfside Beach – 88 miles, 2 hrs
Charleston to Conway – 98 miles, 2 hrs 5 mins

Driving From Charleston To Myrtle Beach

The quickest route from Charleston to Myrtle Beach follows Ocean Highway (US-17) along the entire route, passing through Pawleys Island, Georgetown, McClellanville and Francis Marion National Forest before arriving in Charleston via Mount Pleasant.

An alternate route segment passes through Conway heading out of Myrtle Beach, connecting with US-17 in Georgetown; another alternate segment on the Georgetown to Charleston stretch passes through a different area of Francis Marion Forest. Each of the two alternate segments adds around 15 miles (15 minutes driving time) to the total trip.

If you want to take a break or stop to sightsee along the way, McClellanville and Georgetown both offer historic charm and waterfront views, with Georgetown having more in the way of shops and dining.

Charleston to Georgetown – 62 miles, 1 hr 20 mins
Charleston to McClellanville – 40 miles, 1 hr
Myrtle Beach to Georgetown – 35 miles, 1 hr
Myrtle Beach to McClellanville – 58 miles, 1 hr 20 mins

Myrtle Beach To Charleston By Taxi Or Shuttle

It is possible, but expensive, to take a taxi between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. A one-way car rental will usually be somewhat cheaper.

Expect to pay around $250-$300 exclusive of gratuity for a taxi ride from Myrtle Beach to Charleston, and from around $400 for personalized car service. Shuttle services between the two cities (and from Myrtle Beach airport to Charleston) are about the same price as a taxi.

If you can find an Uber or Lyft driver willing to take you from Myrtle Beach to Charleston, expect a fare of around $150 for standard service, and around $250 for a larger vehicle. Fares may increase dramatically during surge pricing periods.

Myrtle Beach To Charleston By Bus

It is not currently practical to travel from Charleston to Myrtle Beach by bus due to schedule changes during the coronavirus pandemic. Making this journey by bus at present takes more than 16 hours, with connections required in Columbia, Raleigh and Florence.

If you do decide to travel by bus from Charleston to Myrtle Beach, the single daily bus on this route leaves at 7pm, arriving in Myrtle Beach at 11:30am the next day.

Buses in the Myrtle Beach to Charleston direction are a little more convenient, requiring only a single connection (25 minutes in Columbia, SC, which may be tight in the case of delays). Total journey time is 6 hours 30 minutes.

The single bus each day leaves Myrtle Beach at 12pm, arriving in Charleston (the station is in adjoining North Charleston) at 6:30pm.

Tickets are available via Greyhound, or its regional affiliate Southeastern Stages, who provide the service on this route. Economy fares are around $22-$25 each way, or around $37-$42 each way for a flexible ticket.

The Charleston bus station is at 4565 Gaynor Avenue, a few miles north of the downtown Historic District. Connecting travel to downtown and other local destinations is available via public transit or taxi and ride-share services.

The Myrtle Beach bus station is at 511 7th Avenue North, near downtown, with buses to local destinations and taxi or rideshare services available for connecting travel.

Day trips From Myrtle Beach To Charleston

An excursion to Charleston is a popular day trip out of Myrtle Beach, with organized tours of the city and its highlights available.

Companies offering day tours from Myrtle Beach to Charleston currently include Charleston Tours & Events and Day Trips to Charleston.

A fully guided tour with either company costs around $115-$130 depending on seasonal discounts and other offers. The full day trip takes around 10-12 hours, including 4-hour round trip (2 hours each way) coach travel from Myrtle Beach to Charleston. The tour usually includes a sightseeing tour of the city by coach or carriage, a boat tour of Charleston Harbor, and then a visit to a local plantation or other attraction.

Day Trips to Charleston also offers a transportation-only option, giving you about 6 hours in Charleston to spend at your leisure. Tickets are $59 per person, with seasonal and other discounts sometimes available.

Flights From Myrtle Beach To Charleston

In general, the short distance separating Myrtle Beach and Charleston makes air travel of any kind an impractical choice for journeys between the two cities.

No commercial non-stop flights are currently available between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Travel between the two cities by air will require at least one connection and a total travel time of at least 3-4 hours. The cost is also usually considerably higher than any of the available alternatives.

Train Travel From Charleston To Myrtle Beach

It is not practical to travel between Myrtle Beach and Charleston by train, as there is no passenger rail station conveniently serving Myrtle Beach for short-distance trips.

The nearest stations to Myrtle Beach are in Kingstree and Florence, both around 70 miles and an hour and a half from Myrtle Beach by road (compared to 105 miles from Charleston itself).