Getting There
Two separate airports service Hilton Head. They include the Hilton Head Airport (HHH), about 5 miles from the island's resorts, and the larger and busier Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), which is 45 miles south of the island. At least a half-dozen airlines service either one or both of the airports from at least 17 destinations within North America. Those airlines include US Airways and US Airways Express, Delta Connection/Comair, United Express, AirTran, and Continental Express. If you're driving from other points south or north, use I-95 to reach the island (exit 8 off I-95). U.S. 278 leads over the bridge and runs the length of the island. It's 52 miles northeast of Savannah and directly on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Yellow Cab (tel. 843/686-6666; www.yellowcabhhi.com) has two-passenger flat fares determined by zone, with an extra $2 charge for each additional person.
Visitor Information
The official Welcome Center of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau (tel. 800/523-3373 or 843/785-3673; www.hiltonheadisland.org) is located at 100 William Hilton Pkwy. and is open 8:30am until 5:30pm daily. You can pick up free vacation guides (or order them from the website) and free maps of the area. The staff can assist you in finding places of interest and activities and also offers video tours in several languages. The main chamber of commerce office is located at 1 Chamber Dr.
Special Events
Scattered cultural events in February, including basket-weaving classes, art exhibitions, and storytelling, showcase the island's mysterious Gullah heritage as part of the annual Gullah Celebration. For more information call tel. 843/689-9314 or visit www.gullahcelebration.com. During the first week of March, the Hilton Head Hospitality Association sponsors Winefest (tel. 800/424-3387; www.hiltonheadhospitalityassociation.com), an annual outdoor wine tasting -- the largest of its kind on the East Coast -- that transforms even the most devoted beer drinkers into oenophiles and connoisseurs. Outstanding PGA golfers also descend on the island in mid-April for the Verizon Heritage PGA Tour and Tournament at the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Island Resort (tel. 800/243-1107; www.verizonheritage.com). To herald fall, the Hilton Head Celebrity Golf Tournament (tel. 843/842-7711; www.hhcelebritygolf.com) is held on Labor Day weekend at various island golf courses. For 3 days straddling Halloween, Hilton Head's Concours d'Elegance and Motoring Festival (tel. 843/785-7469; www.hhiconcours.com) provides a venue for some of the most sought-after antique automobiles in the world.
