Practical Information for visiting Georgia

Coverage is excellent in the cities and along the interstates, and good in most of the coastal plain.

It drops in the north Georgia mountains, in the Okefenokee and on the undeveloped barrier islands — assume no signal in the swamp or on the ferry-only islands.

Free Wi-Fi is standard in cafés, libraries and hotels.

Georgia is safe for visitors in the areas they are likely to be. Atlanta has neighbourhoods with higher crime, as any large city does, and the tourist districts and the civil rights sites are well policed.

Ordinary precautions apply: lock the car and leave nothing visible, particularly at trailheads and beach car parks.

Heat is the genuine hazard from June to September, and it puts more visitors in difficulty than anything else. Alligators are present in every body of fresh water in the south of the state — do not swim in unmarked water, and keep dogs away from the edge.

Rip currents affect the coast, and afternoon lightning is a real risk in summer.

No vaccinations are needed and tap water is safe.

Heat and humidity from June to September are the main risk. Plan outdoor activity for early morning and carry more water than seems necessary.

Ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes are all present from spring to autumn, and chiggers in particular catch visitors out. Fire ants are widespread in the south of the state and their stings are genuinely painful — watch where you stand.

Pollen in late March and April is extraordinary and affects people with no history of allergy. Excellent hospitals in the cities; the rural south is a long way from one.

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

Alcohol rules vary by county and some are still dry or restrict Sunday sales — worth checking in rural areas rather than assuming.

Savannah permits open containers of alcohol within its historic district, in a cup and under a size limit. It is one of very few American cities where this is legal, and the boundary is enforced.

Right turns on red are permitted after stopping unless signed. The drinking age is 21 and identification is checked routinely.

911 reaches police, fire and ambulance statewide.

Major trauma centres are in Atlanta, Savannah and the larger regional cities. The rural south and the mountains rely on air ambulance and transport times are long.

211 is the statewide information and assistance line.

Coastal evacuation routes are signposted and the state issues orders when a hurricane threatens — the islands are evacuated first and the bridges close. On the ferry-only islands, assume you are on your own for some hours.