Beach Rental- rental company or a place you've stayed

I am looking to rent a house at the beach. I am going with a group of 6 to Charleston. What is the best beach location? Does anyone have a recommendation for a great house you%26#39;ve stayed in and just loved? Thanks, in advance, for all suggestions.

Beach Rental- rental company or a place you've stayed

You will have no problem finding accommodations for 6 people (three bedrooms?) near Charleston. First decide what kind of beach environment you want ... Are you into peace and quiet, or do you want restaurants, bars, and activities? Also, determine your budget.

If you want to rent a house or condo, look at www.vrbo.com and www.greatrentals.com. These are rent-from-owner sights. you can sometimes get a better deal directly from the owner than by going through a resort or a managing agent.

Let us know more of your requirements, and we will be able to give better advice.

Beach Rental- rental company or a place you've stayed

For the past five years we have rented beach houses/condos on Folly Beach. We absolutely love it there. We have used Avocet, Island Realty, Dunes Properties, and Fred Holland. I am sorry to say I would not rent a Fred Holland property again (needed to be cleaned thoroughly before we got there, and it wasn%26#39;t.) We rented properties from Dunes and Avocet at Pavilion Watch condos. Each condo had three bedrooms and three bathrooms and was just steps from the beach.

Try islandrealty.com. We used them for our Wild Dunes rental in July and were very satisfied. If you stay in Wild Dunes be sure to ask about beach erosion in the area. There was a long stretch on the northern part that was sandbagged and washed away. We stayed at Mariners Walk and the erosion started just north of us.

Thanks all, for the replies. I am into peace and quiet and a great oceanview. A short walk to the beach is fine. I%26#39;d like nearby restaurants and shops. A short drive is fine. I%26#39;d like to be able to tour historic and downtown areas of Charleston as well as enjoy the ocean.

The budget is moderate. A clean, bright, well-maintained property is what I am seeking. A screened porch and pool would be good, too, but not crucial. I had great success with a by owner rental in Kissemee, FL, so I am definitely open to that. I would appreciate a recommendation of a successful experience with a by owner rental in Charleston.

Dining plans include a meal at Jestine%26#39;s, of course. Any recommendations for a seafood restaurant and a great place for lunch?

What time of year are you going? Everything gets quieter off season.

For year-round peace and quiet, consider Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island, both of which are a picturesque 40 minute drive from the historic district. Kiawah%26#39;s 10 mile beach is amazing - unspoiled and uncrowded. Seabrook%26#39;s beach is smaller, but also quite nice.

Depending on what time of year you are going, and upon what you consider ';moderate';, accommodations will be more or less expensive. A sreened porch is guaranteed. Direct ocean view will be the most expensive. Other fabulous views on Kiawah and Seabrook are the marsh and river views.

Some private homes on Kiawah have pools. A few neighborhoods have community pools. The Kiawah Island Resort also has pools that are only available to people renting through the Resort. Be sure to express your interest in a pool when you inquire. I think that all renters on Seabrook have access to a club pool (I am not sure, so inquire).

All good Charleston restaurants serve wonderful local seafood. For a complete seafood menu In downtown Charleston, consider Hank%26#39;s Seafood on Hayne Street, just north of the market. Near Kiawah and Seabrook, try Cindy%26#39;s Seafood (off island on the Betsy Kerrison Parkway). Rosebank Cafe, at the Bohicket Marina (between Kiawah and Seabrook) does nice seafood. Also in Bohicket, %26#39;Up Da Creek%26#39; Cafe (which we have not tried, but plan to) has a complete seafood menu. The Mustard Seed, an unimposing place on Maybank Highway on the way to Charleston from KI and SI, has wonderful fresh seafood .

ywhite,

As usual kiawahvilla has given excellent advice. If budget is a concern, give serious thought to ';low-season';. Non-summer weeks rent for 1/4 to 1/2 of what summer weeks rent for.

Fall is an great time to visit the Lowcountry. The summer crowds are gone; the weather still good; and the water temperature bearable.

Some folks do close their pools from November through March. If a pool is important, make sure you ask if it is open year round and if its heated.

For lunch in historic Charleston, I recommend 82 Queen (eat in the garden if weather permits) or Joseph%26#39;s (very local, casual, cheap, and good).

Hi ywhite,

We have stayed at the Belvidere resort, www.belvidereclub.com, which is located just over the bridge from Charleston in Mt. Pleasant.

I mention this place specifically because they have beautiful, house-long screened porches that face (most of them) historic Charleston and Ft. Sumpter. There is a smidge of beach there but you are also close to Sullivan%26#39;s Island and Isle of Palms, as well.

The cottage we stayed in only had two bedrooms (king in one, two queens in the other) but it had a full kitchen and two full baths, a fireplace and sumptuous amenities. There is also a pool, hot tub and club house.

The rental is a bit pricey but the stay was wonderful.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the additional replies. I love this forum. My group is planning on next month for our journey to Charleston. I love the look of the Belvedere resort, but I think a 2 bedroom will be a little cramped. The screened porch wih the hammock looks heavenly. We love traveling together, and we also like a bit of space for solitude if the need should strike one of us. A three or more bedroom home will fit the bill.

How is the driving from the beach to Historic Charleston? 40 minutes is reasonable, but is that 40 minutes real time? I have heard good things about Kiawah Island for many years. It sounds like it has remained unspoiled.

We would like to take the Gullah Tour while we are there. Would it be better to try for a weekday or weekend? I am also hoping to have the best shrimp and grits in Charleston....any suggestions?

ywhite-

Yes, 40 minues is real time, door to door, from Kiawah%26#39;s main gate to the Visitor Center or to my favorite parking lot on Queen Street. I drive it all the time.

The Gullah Tour is excellent. All of the tours are conducted by owner/guide Alphonso Brown on small, comfortable bus. You can make a reservation on his website www.gullahtours.com. Mr Brown does not do the tours on Sunday, and Saturdays are frequently filled up. Make your reservation as soon as you can; you can cancel if need be.

Hopefully someone else will weigh in on the shrimp and grits. There are many hundreds of variations - Since I like all of them, I am not a good judge!