When you plan a vacation to Hilton Head, you are careful to make it as perfect as possible. You research your hotel or resort to ensure it has all the amenities you’ll want and need. You check the weather to choose the days that are most likely to have sunny skies, and you find the best attractions to visit while you’re there so that the memories you make will always stand out. But did you know your vacation actually starts at the airport? When traveling to Hilton Head Island, you have two choices: Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and Hilton Head Island Airport. Find out which one will get your vacation started off right.

Hilton Head Island Airport

This airport is located right on Hilton Head Island, approximately five miles from all resorts. It is much smaller than Savannah/Hilton Head International, but many travelers to Hilton Head like it because they don’t have to delay their vacation once they disembark their plane. They can get to their resort very quickly after they land and hit the beach or visit other attractions shortly thereafter. No one wants to have to drive a long way to their final destination after dealing with the hassle of an airport, so Hilton Head Island Airport is a way for them to avoid that drive.

However, there are some drawbacks to using this small airport instead of the larger international airport in Savannah. The biggest disadvantage is that there are only a handful of cities that offer year-round direct flights to Hilton Head Island Airport. These cities are Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington D.C. (Reagan National and Dulles); Newark, New Jersey; and Atlanta, Georgia. Additional airports add direct flights during the peak tourist season, but there still aren’t as many flight options. As a result, these flights are generally more expensive as well.

Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport

If you’re looking for more flight options that will get you within an hour of Hilton Head Island, you’ll want to fly to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. This airport offers direct flights from approximately 40 cities in the U.S. and more are added all the time. Some of these cities only offer seasonal direct flights, but most are year-round. This means it is easy to get a non-stop flight to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, especially if you live near a major city east of Missouri.

The only major issue with flying into Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is that you’ll have to drive about an hour to Hilton Head Island, which delays the fun part of your vacation just a bit. You’ll also have to leave a little earlier than you’ll probably want to so that you can catch your return flight home on time. That being said, the number of direct flights to the airport means you won’t have to deal with connecting flights during your trip there. If you’ve traveled enough times, you know that connections can be a major headache, especially if any of your flights are delayed.

Conclusion

In the end, Savannah/Hilton Head Airport isn’t far enough away from Hilton Head Island to majorly impact your vacation. The drive to the airport is scenic and will allow you time to decompress from your flight before you get to your resort, meaning you’ll be rested and ready to begin your Hilton Head adventures!