Mobility Scooters in Savannah
Looking for a mobility scooter in Savannah — to buy or to rent? One thing about this city makes it different from almost every other guide in this series: the surfaces. Savannah’s historic district is famous for its beauty and infamous, if you are on small wheels, for its cobblestones and ballast-stone streets — and right beside them are some of the smoothest, flattest, most beautiful places to ride anywhere, its shaded squares and Forsyth Park. So here, more than in any flat prairie city, the model you choose and the route you plan are the whole game. The good news is that getting around the core is cheap or free: a free downtown shuttle, a free river ferry, a half-fare bus, and a free on-demand ride for seniors. This guide covers all of it. Polaris Mobility earns a commission on qualifying Amazon purchases through links on this page.
- 9″ wheels — the sweet spot here
- Up to 330 lb, sturdy frame
- Comes apart for a car boot
- ★ 4.7 rating
In a city where the pavement varies block to block, wheel size and a sturdy frame matter more than anything else. The Buzzaround’s 9-inch wheels and solid four-wheel travel frame are the best balance here — big enough to roll over the rough transitions the squares and older sidewalks throw at you, sturdy enough to take it repeatedly, with the highest owner rating and capacity of the four and a comfortable seat for the humidity. It also comes apart for a car boot, which matters in a city many people visit. Be honest with yourself: no travel scooter loves true cobblestone — the move is to ride the smooth paths and route around the worst streets, which the next section maps out.
Visiting rather than staying? Renting may suit you better — see the rent-vs-buy section.
Savannah’s surfaces: the cobblestones, and where the smooth riding is
That sounds discouraging until you realise the rest of the historic district is the opposite — and it is where you should ride.
- Plan the route, not just the trip. Favour the squares, the park, and the flat sidewalks; treat River Street’s ballast stones as a place to arrive by the free shuttle or ferry, not to traverse on the scooter.
- Bigger wheels earn their keep here. This is the one city in this series where wheel diameter is the spec that matters most — a 9- or 10-inch wheel rolls over a rough transition that a 7-inch wheel drops into.
- The heat is the second factor. Coastal Georgia summers are hot and humid; the square canopies are your friend. Ride the cool of the morning or evening, carry water, and let the live oaks do the shading.
Free downtown, a half-fare bus, and a free ride for seniors
Savannah is unusually generous to anyone getting around the historic core, which is exactly where a visitor or a downtown resident wants to be.
- The DOT downtown shuttle is free. Its Forsyth and Downtown loops connect the visitor centres, parking, attractions, shops and hotels at no charge — a genuinely useful way to skip a rough stretch of street and pick your riding back up somewhere smooth.
- The Savannah Belles Ferry is free too, linking River Street with Hutchinson Island across the river — a step-free way over the water rather than up and down the River Street ramps.
- CATConnect — a free on-demand ride for seniors. CAT has run CATConnect as a free, ADA-accessible, on-demand pilot service exclusively for seniors in Chatham County. Because it is a pilot, confirm it is still running and check the current boundaries and hours with CAT before you rely on it — but if it is available to you, it is a remarkable benefit.
- CAT Mobility is the ADA paratransit service for people who cannot use the fixed-route bus because of a disability. Call CAT for the current fare and to begin eligibility certification, and start that before you need it.
Georgia and Medicaid: the brief version
As on the other non-expansion pages, whether that touches you depends on who you are, and for most readers here it does not:
- 65 or older? You are on Medicare — federal, and unaffected by the state’s choice.
- Under 65 with a disability? Georgia Medicaid covers aged, blind and disabled people through separate pathways expansion never governed, so you may qualify despite the state’s stance. Apply; do not assume the headlines describe you.
- The gap mainly traps the under-65 adult on a low income who is not yet determined disabled — for whom the practical step is to pursue a formal disability determination, the pathway that opens the door.
Comparing options across the state? Our Georgia mobility scooter guide covers statewide Medicaid and Medicare details, the best models for the local climate and terrain, and how the picture changes from city to city.
Renting vs. buying a mobility scooter in Savannah
Savannah is different from most cities in this series in one way that matters here: a lot of the people asking are visitors, in town for a few days of squares and history. For them, renting genuinely can be the right call — so this is one place the honest answer is not always “buy.”
- Right for a visit. If you are here for a long weekend, a rental for a few days is far cheaper than buying, and someone else stores it.
- Roughly $100 to $200 a week depending on model (Scootaround); ask the rental company which model handles the historic surfaces best.
- You hand it back — it never becomes yours.
- Not fitted or sized to you.
- Right if you live here. A one-time purchase; after a few weeks of what renting costs you are ahead, and you keep the scooter.
- Sized and fitted to you, with the wheel size you chose for Savannah’s surfaces — not whatever the rental yard had free.
- It comes apart for the car, and pairs with the free shuttle and the half-fare bus.
- Charged and ready for a morning ride through the squares whenever you like.
Bottom line: visiting for a few days, rent — and ask for the biggest-wheeled model they have. Living here, buy the scooter with the wheels and frame to handle the historic district, and ride it in the cool of the day.
How to pay: Medicare, and Georgia Medicaid for those it covers
If you are 65 or older, Medicare is your route. Part B may cover a scooter if a doctor confirms you need it to move around your home and you can operate one safely, through a supplier that accepts Medicare (Medicare.gov).
If you are under 65 with a disability, Georgia Medicaid can cover you through its aged, blind and disabled pathways — the route the state’s non-expansion did not close — and can pay for medically necessary equipment when a doctor documents the need through an enrolled provider. Ask specifically about durable medical equipment, and start with your primary care provider.
Because these programmes work through approved suppliers, a scooter bought on Amazon is a separate out-of-pocket purchase — the position many people here are in, given the state’s coverage gap. The cheapest scooter that fits you, handles the surfaces and lasts is the right one. Confirm current criteria directly, as they change.
Who needs mobility support in Savannah
14.0% of Savannah residents are 65 or older — 20,604 people out of 147,546 — below the national 16.8%. On disability the figure is higher and more telling: 15.9%, well above both Georgia (12.9%) and the national 13.0% (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023, 5-year).
That disability number is the one to sit with. Nearly one Savannahian in six reports a disability — a notably higher share than the state or the country — and that is before you count the millions who visit each year, many of them older travellers who need to think about surfaces and distances. For all of them the calculation is the same: the historic district is one of the loveliest places in America to ride if you are on the right wheels and the right paths, and a barrier of jarring stone if you are not. The scooter, and the route, are what turn Savannah’s beauty into something you can actually move through.
Best mobility scooters for Savannah (2026)
Picks weighted for mixed historic surfaces, wheel size, a car boot and the coastal heat. Specs are per manufacturer listings; confirm current details and price on Amazon.
| Model | Wheels | Max rider | Top speed | Owner rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Buzzaround EX ★ Top pick | 9″ (4-wheel) | 330 lb | 5.0 mph | 4.7★ (verified) |
| Glashow S1 Folding Biggest wheels | 10″ (4-wheel) | 265 lb | 6.2 mph | 4.4★ (46) |
| Pride Go-Go Sport | 3-wheel | 325 lb | 4.7 mph | 4.4★ (109) |
| Aotedor Lightweight Best on a budget | 7″ | 300 lb | 3.7 mph | 4.5★ (277) |
4.7★ (verified owners) · 9″ wheels · up to 330 lb
Why Savannah: the best balance of wheel size, sturdiness and comfort for the historic district — 9″ wheels roll over rough transitions, the frame takes it, and it comes apart for a boot.
4.4★ (46 ratings) · 10″ wheels · rated ~25 mi range · 265 lb limit
Why Savannah: the largest wheels here — slightly better again over rough transitions — and it folds. The trade-offs are a 265 lb limit, the lowest of the four, and a folding frame less rugged than the Golden’s for repeated pounding.
4.4★ (109 ratings) · compact · up to 325 lb
Why Savannah: 325 lb and it breaks into pieces for a boot, from a well-established maker. The three-wheel layout turns tightly in the squares; keep it to the smooth paths rather than the ballast stone.
4.5★ (277 ratings) · folds compact · up to 300 lb
Why Savannah: the cheapest and most owner-reviewed here, and it folds — but its 7″ wheels are the smallest, so it is the one to avoid if you will regularly cross rough streets. Fine if you stick to the smooth squares and park.
Watch: our top pick in action
An independent walkthrough of the Golden Buzzaround EX — our top pick above — showing the four-wheel frame, seat, controls and how it comes apart to transport.
Video: Golden Buzzaround EX review (YouTube). Polaris Mobility is not affiliated with the reviewer.
Compare more 4-wheel models · full catalog
Savannah mobility scooter FAQ
Can you use a mobility scooter on Savannah’s cobblestones?
Carefully and briefly, yes, but it is hard on any travel scooter — River Street’s ballast stones and some historic lanes are jarring and, when wet, slick. The better plan is to ride Savannah’s smooth surfaces instead: the paved walkways through its more than twenty squares, Forsyth Park, and the flat sidewalks of the grid, all shaded by live oaks. Reach the rough riverfront by the free DOT shuttle or the free Belles Ferry rather than crossing the ballast stone on the scooter. Bigger wheels — a 9- or 10-inch model — handle the rough transitions far better than a 7-inch one.
How much is the bus for seniors in Savannah, and is anything free?
A CAT one-way fare is $1.50, and seniors, disabled riders, veterans and Medicare cardholders pay half that with a CAT ID card or accepted proof such as a Medicare card. Several things are free: the DOT downtown shuttle (Forsyth and Downtown loops), the Savannah Belles Ferry across the river, and CATConnect, a free on-demand pilot service for seniors in Chatham County. CATConnect is a pilot, so confirm it is still running before you rely on it. CAT Mobility is the ADA paratransit service; call CAT for its fare and to certify.
Does Georgia Medicaid cover a mobility scooter?
It can, for the people it covers. Georgia has not expanded Medicaid, so childless non-disabled adults under 65 generally cannot get it and a coverage gap traps low-income adults who are not yet determined disabled. But Georgia Medicaid covers aged, blind and disabled people through separate pathways and can pay for medically necessary equipment such as a power wheelchair or scooter when a doctor documents the need through an enrolled provider. So a disabled adult may qualify despite the state’s non-expansion. If you are 65 or older, Medicare covers you regardless.
What is the best mobility scooter for Savannah?
Our top pick is the Golden Buzzaround EX, because in Savannah wheel size and a sturdy frame matter more than anything else. Its 9-inch wheels and solid four-wheel travel frame are the best balance for the historic district’s mixed surfaces — big enough to roll over rough transitions, sturdy enough to take it — with the highest owner rating and capacity of the four and a seat that suits the humidity, and it comes apart for a car boot. The Glashow S1 has slightly larger 10-inch wheels but a lower 265 lb limit and a folding frame less suited to repeated pounding; the 7-inch Aotedor is the budget choice but the one to avoid if you will regularly cross rough streets. Whatever you ride, plan a route on the smooth squares and paths.