By Car

More than 90 percent of visitors to the Myrtle Beach area use an automobile as their mode of transportation, according to recent research. U.S. Highways 17 and 501, and S.C. Highways 9 and 544, provide direct access to the Myrtle Beach area. An additional route, Veterans Highway (S.C. 22), opened in 2001 and provides easy access from U.S. 501 (west of Conway) to U.S. 17 Business at the north end of Myrtle Beach. Interstate travelers use I-95 or I-20 to arrive within close proximity to the Grand Strand, where they pick up a direct route to the area.

Once you arrive, finding your way around the Grand Strand is easy. Ocean Boulevard and Kings Highway (also known as Business Hwy. 17) run north and south along the Grand Strand parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. Highway 17 Bypass, a busy section of highway referred to by locals as simply "the Bypass," is the Grand Strand's westernmost route running parallel to the ocean. The Bypass begins in Murrells Inlet and continues northward until it merges with Kings Highway just before the Restaurant Row district. Mile markers are located on Business and Bypass Hwy. 17 to make navigation easier.

By Air

For airline travelers, the Myrtle Beach International Airport serves as the commercial airport for the Grand Strand and also offers service for private companies. The airport is located on the south end of Myrtle Beach, approximately 2 miles from the Sea Cove Motel; it is accessible from U.S. 17 Business or Bypass. Airlines providing service to the Myrtle Beach International Airport include AirTran, ASA/Delta/Comair, Continental, Spirit, and USAirways. Several automobile rental agencies, taxi companies, and limousine services are available at the airport. Phone: (843) 448-1589.

Airlines providing scheduled service to the Myrtle Beach International Airport include:

Delta/ASA/COMAir
Continental
Spirit
Air Tran
USAirways

Several automobile rental agencies, taxi, and limousine services are available at the airport.

Car Rental

Auto-Rentals/ Leasing Business Directory

The Grand Strand Airport, located in North Myrtle Beach between U.S. 17 and the Intracoastal Waterway, serves private and corporate aircraft with general aviation services, including parking, refueling, and maintenance. Phone: (843) 272-5337.

The Conway-Horry County Airport, located west of Conway on Hwy. 378, provides private and corporate aircraft with parking, refueling, and maintenance services. It is also the home of the North American Institute of Aviation, one of the finest flying schools in the nation. Phone: (843) 397-9111.

The Loris-Twin Cities Airport, two miles northeast of Loris, is an unattended, public-use airport.

By Train

Amtrak service for the Grand Strand is available through a terminal in Florence, S.C. Buses connect with Amtrak for the 70-mile drive to Myrtle Beach.

By Bus - when you get here

CRPTA (Coastal Rapid Public Transit Authority), (843) 488-0865, provides affordable bus transportation along major thoroughfares and to and from the Grand Strand and neighboring towns. Schedules are available at all Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce offices.

Roadwork Ahead

The network of roads that brings visitors to the Grand Strand and keeps you mobile while you're here is vastly improving.

Veterans Highway (S.C. 22), a route that bypasses Conway, opened in May 2002. This route provides easy access from U.S. 501 (west of Conway) to U.S. 17 Business at the north end of Myrtle Beach.

S.C. 544 is being widened to four lanes from Conway to Surfside Beach (expected date of completion: late 2004).

The four-lane Fantasy Harbour Interchange is part of the Metropolitan Loop, which includes the Robert M. Grissom Parkway, George Bishop Parkway, and Harrelson Blvd.

The Carolina Bays Parkway (S.C. 31) is a six-lane scenic highway from S.C. 9 to US 501 near Myrtle Beach Raceway (late 2002).

The Robert M. Grissom Parkway is a four-lane route from 62nd Avenue North in Myrtle Beach to Harrelson Boulevard near the Myrtle Beach International Airport.

The section of U.S. 501 just west of the Intracoastal Waterway is being modified, adding frontage roads between the waterway and Forestbrook Road; intersection improvements between Forestbrook Road and the Waccamaw River; and an overpass at the George Bishop Parkway, beside Waccamaw Factory Shoppes (March 2004).