Travel Tips

Packing Tips

• Keep it light! Pack as if you were traveling by plane.
• Consolidating small pieces into one suitcase/container is recommended.
• Be sure to tag each piece of luggage with your reservation name and phone number – Luggage tags are available at the terminal.
• Pack all items in closed containers, such as suitcases or zippered bags. Open bags such as grocery bags will be refused.
• Carry on any necessities, such as food or medication in case your checked luggage must be shipped on a different boat.
• Plan to purchase or rent items on the island
  • Daufuskie does have a small grocery store and a Saturday farmer’s market. 
  • Many rentals include play pens, and high-chairs. Check with your rental agent. 
  • There are companies that rent kayaks, bikes and beach chairs.
• Be prepared to pay the crew for their luggage handling services
  • $10 for loading up to half a baggage cart
  • $20 for loading up to a full baggage cart

Luggage Policy

• The ferry company has the right to refuse any item which could hamper the safe operation of the ferry including unusually large items or items with sharp edges.
• NO Coolers or totes with capacities larger than 60-quarts
• Excessive amounts of luggage are not guaranteed to be sent on the same ferry due to Coast Guard weight restrictions.  If luggage must be shipped on a different boat, it will come on the next available departure time which could be the following morning. It is recommended that passengers carry their essentials with them (medications, necessary or cold food items, etc) in case they are needed.

Luggage Tickets

• Luggage tickets can be purchased from the ferry agent when checking in.
• First piece of baggage under 50 lbs. is complimentary
• For additional baggage, the cost will be $12 per 50 lbs.

• Items such as furniture, appliances, tools, landscape and building materials, etc)
• One-way Up to a half of a baggage cart of freight $25 per 1/2 bin
• One-way More than half and up to a full baggage cart of freight $50 per full bin
• Bicycles One-way (bring your own bike) $9 per seat
• Kayaks One-way (bring your own kayak) $12 per seat
• Unaccompanied Parcels One-way (no charge for transporting medications)  $22 per item

We thank you for choosing the Daufuskie Island Ferry.  If you have any questions, please call us at 843-940-7704T

Daytime visitors can go to the Daufuskie Visitor Center to catch the free shuttle to Buckingham Landing.  Plan to arrive 45 minutes early.

Overnight visitors should go directly to the  Landing to drop off their luggage and get assistance with parking.  Plan to arrive at Buckingham Landing 1 hour prior to your ferry time.

When driving to the landing, please be considerate of the people who live in the area. This includes driving slowly, radios turned off or at low volume, no littering, and parking only in designated areas.

When arriving please enter the parking area using the first driveway on the left and drive under the building to unload your luggage. You will check in with a ferry attendant, get a parking pass and be instructed where to park. Usually it will be at the extended lot a half mile away at the Visitor Center and shuttle you back to the ferry in time to board. Parking passes are $12/night per vehicle. Captains arrive with the ferry coming in around quarter past the hour. 

Personal assistance from the ferry crew is available for passengers who are handicapped or may have difficulty with boarding or exiting the ferry.

The Captain gives a boarding call 15 minutes before departing.  If you choose to wait upstairs, please go down to the boarding area under the building for boarding call.

Ferry tickets will be given to you by the captains after
boarding the ferry. Reservations are under your reservation last name.

Advanced Ferry reservations are highly encouraged as the ferry does fill up. Passengers are strongly encouraged to make reservations ahead of time to avoid delays in boarding. If you use the ferry website, a confirmation of your reservation will be emailed to you. Our reservation system uses virtual tickets.  When you arrive at the boat, the reservation software will indicate that a reservation under your name has been  booked with a credit card.  You don’t need to present a paper ticket.  Reservations can be made from any of our agents, over the phone or on our website.

(Palmetto Breeze Passholders are HIGHLY encouraged to make reservations.  The QRcode on the back of the ID card is used for payment of  the reservation.)

If you do not have a ticket at boarding time and if there is space available, please be prepared to present a credit card. Cash is not accepted on the ferry. At boarding time, reservations without payment will be assigned stand-by status.