Planning a last-minute Shore trip this weekend? It could cost you $1,000 or more, depending on the town.
How much the trip will cost you can differ greatly by a matter of miles. Being flexible on destination could save you $700 on the hotel stay alone.
Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, heralding the unofficial start of summer. But Shore season has yet to get into full swing, since most children are still in school and new hybrid-work requirements bring even beach house owners back to the city for at least a couple days each week.
You may be thinking that now would be a nice time to sneak away to the Shore for the weekend. You’re not alone.
“Traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway and Garden State Parkway on Fridays and Sundays in the summer is a clear indication of the popularity of weekend getaways,” said Jane Bokunewicz, faculty director of the Levinson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism at Stockton University, which puts out an annual Shorecast.
How much the trip will cost you can differ greatly by a matter of miles.
The Inquirer looked at hotel rates for this weekend in three popular destinations: the casino town of Atlantic City, family-friendly Ocean City, and tony Seven Mile Island, which is made up of Avalon and Stone Harbor. We added in beach tag costs, assuming you’ll spend only Saturday at the beach, as well as the best price estimates for the gas needed to drive there and back, based on the average gas price in Philadelphia.
While in Atlantic City a last-minute two-night getaway for two people would cost you about $310 before food, drinks, or entertainment, you’d spend more than triple that on the hotel stay alone in Avalon or Stone Harbor.
(One element not included is food, since everyone’s dining strategies are different on vacation. For two people, add another $100-$400 to these estimates, depending on where you plan to eat. Tack on even more if you plan on drinking or enjoying other entertainment or activities.)
A weekend in Atlantic City
Gas to get there from Philadelphia: $10-$25, depending on the kind of vehicle you drive
Two nights in a hotel: $300. Unless you want to splurge at the Borgata, where rooms cost around $292 a night as of Thursday, or Ocean Casino Resort, where rooms were going for $362, you can book a last-minute getaway at a nice hotel for two nights for around $300. A stay at Harrah’s is $133 a night, while the Tropicana on the Boardwalk is $169 a nights. A few other options are cheaper.
Beaches: Free. Beach tags are never required for Atlantic City beaches.
In total, expect to pay at least $310 for two people for two nights, before food, drink and entertainment.
If you drive down Saturday morning and stay for just one night, you could bring that cost down to $200, before drinks and entertainment, as some hotels have slightly more expensive rates for just Saturday night.
A weekend in Ocean City
Gas to get there from Philadelphia: $10-$25, depending on the kind of car you drive
Two nights in a hotel: $400-$700. The Coral Sands Motel, a block from the beach, had rooms for $189 a night as of Thursday. Most other options were $250 or more. If you want more space, suite hotels Biscayne Suites and Watson’s Regency were offering rates between $308 and $288 a night respectively. On the boardwalk, the Flanders Hotel had rooms available for $330 a night.
Beaches: $10 per person per day ($20 for the week; $35 for the season)
In total, expect to pay at least $580 for two people for two nights, before food and entertainment. Ocean City is a dry town, so you won’t be buying any alcohol there.
If you drive down Saturday morning and stay for just one night, you could bring your trip total closer to $330.
A weekend in Avalon and Stone Harbor
Gas to get there from Philadelphia: $13-$30, depending on the kind of car you drive
Two nights in a hotel: $800-$1200. There are fewer hotel options in Avalon and Stone Harbor than in Atlantic City or Ocean City, and the ones with availability are expensive. The least pricey choice is the Sun ‘n Sands Motel in Stone Harbor, which Hotels.com was offering for a rate of $379 a night as of Thursday. The Reeds at Shelter Haven in downtown Stone Harbor will cost $512 a night. On the beach, the ICONA Avalon was going for $520, and its neighbor the ICONA Windrift for $639 a night.
Beaches: $8 per person per day ($17 for a week; $35 for the season; accepted in both towns)
In total, expect to pay at least $1,030 for two people for two nights, before food, drinks, and entertainment.
If you drive down Saturday morning and stay for just one night, you might have to stay at the priciest choice. The Windrift was the only hotel allowing one-night bookings online as of Thursday. So your cost would be closer to $700.
Ways to save
While hotel prices are up across the country, including down the Shore, Stockton’s Bokunewicz says people can still plan a beach getaway and stay within a budget. Here are some of her tips:
If you can take Monday off or work remotely, try for a Sunday-to-Monday stay. “Sunday is generally the slowest day for hotels,” she said, “and prices are often set accordingly.”
July and August are the most expensive times to travel down the Shore. So taking a trip this month will be relatively less expensive. “Squeezing in a vacation immediately after school ends can save some money for families.”
Traveling with a friend group? Get a hotel room with two queens or two double beds and split it among several people.
Stay inland if you’re willing to drive to the beach. Hotels located just outside popular Shore towns tend to be less expensive than the hotels in them.
Try camping in one of the many campgrounds in South Jersey.