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Cheap family beach getaways offer budget-friendly accommodations, dining, and recreation options. Saving money by driving rather than flying to a destination, or by substituting family camping for a luxury resort, allows for a bigger budget for other activities.
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island is considered part of South Carolina’s Lowcountry as one of Beaufort County’s Sea Islands. The vacation destination is located 95 miles south of Charleston and approximately 25 miles north of Savannah, Georgia.
Hilton Head is a family-friendly getaway with an array of lodging, dining, and recreational activities. The island offers luxury resorts, villas, hotels, inns, and campgrounds, accommodating various budgets and preferences. Hilton Head Island provides 12 miles of beaches for swimming, boating, fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving.
Families can rent a charter fishing boat, or experience a cruise out of one of the marinas, such as Shelter Cove Harbor’s Dolphin and Nature Watching or Crabbing Adventure Cruises. Other attractions are Island Playground, Adventure Cove, the Coastal Discovery Museum, and miniature golf at Pirate’s Island Adventure Gold.
Hilton Head Island is home to a plethora of tennis courts and 24 golf courses, including Oyster Reef Golf Club and Palmetto Dunes. Bicycle rentals through Hilton Head Bicycle Company are available for island touring. Coligny Plaza offers beachfront shopping, dining, and entertainment. The island has more than 250 restaurants with a variety of cuisines including Caribbean, Greek, Thai, and American.
The Florida Keys
The Florida Keys offer an array of lodging choices that include luxury resorts, inns, motels, hotels, and RV parks. Budget-friendly lodging possibilities include camping on the beach at Bahia Honda Key or John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.
The state parks offer scuba, glass bottom boat, and snorkeling tours. Boat rentals, picnicking venues, and snack shacks are available on-site. Renting a villa or guest house equipped with a kitchenette allows for economical dining.
Recreational activities include swimming, boating, snorkeling, and fishing. Throughout the Keys are attractions such as the Butterfly Conservatory and the southernmost point of the United States in Key West, Dolphins Plus in Key Largo, and the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key.
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May rests in the southern part of New Jersey, offering a central location for a cheap northeastern beach getaway. Cape May offers a variety of seaside inns, cottages, hotels, motels, and camping grounds. Family recreation spots include the Cape May County Park and Zoo, Cape May Miniature Golf, and Cape May Jet Ski.
Families can go on whale and dolphin-watching cruises, or charter a fishing boat. Cape May’s proximity to Wildwood, New Jersey, allows for day trips to Morey’s Piers Amusement and Waterparks. Cape May restaurants that are family-friendly include Harpoons on the Bay and Della’s 5 & 10.
Southern California Beach Camping
If you live out west and are interested in spending some time taking advantage of your proximity to the Pacific Ocean, consider camping under the stars to satiate your desires. Numerous Southern California beaches, from San Diego to Los Angeles, offer sites for tents directly on the sandy shore as well as back away from the surf under the canopy of trees.
Pack a portable grill and some food and spend time chatting with your friends while cooking up steak and vegetable kabobs for dinner. Many beaches in this area also allow bonfires and provide pits free of charge. Bring flashlights and entertain the troops with an evening game of flashlight tag. Leo Carillo Beach also has tide pools, caves, and reefs awaiting exploration.
St. Petersburg, FL Beach Cabins
Vacationing in the southeastern part of the country means easy access to both the warm, tranquil waters of the Gulf of Mexico as well as the turbulent grace of the Atlantic Ocean. Situated in central Florida along the west coast, St. Petersburg boasts white, sugary sand beaches ideal for long walks and shelling. Take a pail and collect items to return home with so you can glue shells to a mirror for future reflection.
Rent a beach cottage at Beach Haven to cut down on costs. Most have kitchens so you can hit the local grocery and prepare meals at home. Rent a kayak or water bike for afternoon play and stroll through John’s Pass to catch a glimpse of how locals spend their average day.
Ocean City, Maryland Motels
When you’re interested in hitting a centrally located East Coast beach community, Ocean City, MD offers an abundance of adult-only as well as fun family things to do and places to stay. At the Flamingo Motel, guests choose between a standard room and an efficiency where you cut down on food expenses by preparing meals in your room.
Head to the local boardwalk and enjoy tasty inexpensive carnival-style treats. The boardwalk also offers free nightly concerts in the summer months and extensive shopping opportunities. Budget entertainment dollars for rides and games at the boardwalk or join a free nightly bonfire. Pier fishing is also popular in this area.
Chill Out on Fire Island
Just 61 miles from NYC, Fire Island is host to a collection of resort communities variously catering to singles, couples, or families. Take a taxi or limo from Manhattan to catch the ferry for a quick ride to the island.
No cars are allowed in any of the communities, but The Palms in Ocean Beach offers its guests free use of bicycles and little red wagons. Take time to go clamming on the beach, bicycle down the boardwalk or bring your surfboard and catch a wave at a sandbar break.
Beach, Boardwalk, and Doo Wop
Put on your saddle shoes and prepare to travel back to the 1950s in the retro town of Wildwood, New Jersey. 155 miles from Manhattan, the Doo Wop Motel District — officially called Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District — is home to a collection of gaudy, kitschy motels with fantasy themes, colorful paint jobs, and flashy neon signs.
Whether you prefer the Jetsons-style decor of the Satellite Motel or the unabashed cuteness of the Lollipop Motel, you will be just steps from the beach and the boardwalk. Affectionately called “two miles of smiles” by locals, the boardwalk offers five amusement piers where you can ride roller coasters, play carnival games and gorge yourself on cotton candy and hot dogs.
Casinos and Crashing Waves
126 miles from New York City, New Jersey’s Atlantic City is generally thought of as only a gambling destination, but it doubles as a seaside getaway with clean, uncrowded beaches and decent surf. Even if you don’t gamble, you’ll get a good room rate at one of the casino hotels, often including coupons for a free buffet.
All Atlantic City beaches are free, and you can stroll the 3.4 miles of sand, stopping at beach bars and restaurants along the way. Mississippi Avenue Beach is right in front of Trump Plaza and offers public restrooms and showers, as well as rental cabanas.
Connecticut Is for Crabs
When thinking of beach getaways, Connecticut doesn’t leap to mind but drive 112 miles up the coast to the historic town of Old Lyme and you’ll find Hawk‘s Nest Beach Resort. This collection of beach cottages has played host to generations of vacationing families in both summer and winter.
In addition to swimming, bike riding, and kayaking, the resort organizes scavenger hunts, weekly movies on the beach, and a kid’s talent show to make your cheap family getaways something to remember for years to come.
Final Thoughts on Cheap Family Beach Getaways
Whether you’re looking for a girls’ weekend, a male bonding experience, or quality time with the family, heading to the beach for a short getaway is certain to please everyone. To curb extracurricular expenses, share purchased time between several family members on rented watercraft. Pack a backpack of fruit, snacks, and treats for in-between meal munching. Dine out at family-style portion restaurants to leave with leftovers. Most importantly, plan and ENJOY your cheap family beach getaways!
