Practical Information for visiting South Carolina

Coverage is good in the cities, along the coast and on the interstates.

It drops in the rural midlands, in the swamps and in the mountain valleys of the Upstate.

Free Wi-Fi is standard in cafés, libraries and hotels. Rural broadband remains patchy inland.

South Carolina is safe in the areas visitors frequent. The larger cities have neighbourhoods with higher crime, and they are not places a visitor would need to go.

Ordinary precautions apply: lock the car and leave nothing visible at a beach or trailhead car park.

Heat is the main hazard from June to September. Alligators inhabit every freshwater body in the Lowcountry, including golf course ponds and drainage ditches — do not swim in unmarked fresh water and keep dogs well back from the edge.

Rip currents affect the whole coast, and afternoon lightning is a genuine summer risk. Coastal flooding on high tides is now routine in Charleston.

No vaccinations are needed and tap water is safe.

Heat and humidity from June to September are the realistic risk; plan outdoor activity for early morning.

Sand gnats — no-see-ums — are a serious nuisance on the marsh at dawn and dusk and go straight through ordinary insect repellent; the local advice is a product containing it in higher strength, or simply avoiding those hours. Mosquitoes, chiggers and ticks are all present, and fire ants are widespread.

Pollen in spring is severe. Good hospitals in the cities; the rural midlands are a long way from one. Insurance covering medical costs is essential for non-US visitors.

Tipping is expected: 18-20% in restaurants and bars.

Beach towns charge for parking in season and enforce it aggressively; several restrict alcohol, glass and dogs on the sand at particular times of year.

Turtle-friendly lighting rules apply on the coast from May to October and are legally binding — shield beachfront lights and use red torches on the sand at night.

Removing live shells, sand dollars or sea oats is prohibited. Right turns on red are permitted after stopping unless signed, and the drinking age is 21.

911 reaches police, fire and ambulance statewide.

The Medical University hospital in Charleston and the Upstate hospitals are the main trauma centres. Rural areas rely on air ambulance and transport times are long.

211 is the statewide information and assistance line.

Hurricane evacuation routes are signposted throughout the Lowcountry, and the state reverses the interstate lanes inland when it orders a coastal evacuation. Take those orders seriously — the ground is flat and the surge travels a long way.