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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Beach Haven
Beach Haven, New Jersey
Stay 2–3 nights in summer, midweek: walk the Bay Avenue district and the beach, and book a bed months ahead — most rentals take a full week.
Beach Haven is the southern anchor of Long Beach Island, a two-mile resort town of about 1,200 year-round residents that swells in summer. It is small enough to walk end to end in under 20 minutes, and its draw is the beach, the bay-side marinas and a compact historic district of Victorian houses east of Bay Avenue. There is no train and no airport on the island: you drive in over Route 72, or arrive on foot by ferry from Tuckerton.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Beach Haven, New Jersey
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for beach weather; late Sep–Oct for quieter, cheaper stays
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, nor'easters); Sat–Sun changeover traffic in Jul–Aug
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–150 excl. bed · Mid $150–260 excl. bed · High $260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Breakfast sandwich or diner plate | $8–18 |
| Lunch main | $12–22 |
| Dinner main at a mid-range restaurant | $20–35 |
| Draught beer at a bar | $6–9 |
| Ice cream cone | $5–8 |
| Arcade or amusement rides, per person | $10–30 |
| Beach tag, per day | $10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PHL · Philadelphia International
- About 1 h 30 min by car via the Garden State Parkway and Route 72; the closest large gateway.
- EWR · Newark Liberty International
- About 1 h 45 min by car; more international flights than PHL.
- ACY · Atlantic City International
- About 50 min by car; few routes, so check schedules before booking.
Typical fares
- LBI Shuttle, along the island
- small fee, pay on board
- Beach Haven Ferry from Tuckerton Seaport
- pedestrian-only; check the sailing schedule and fare
- Rideshare, Beach Haven to Ship Bottom
- about $10–15
Get around
Walk or bike: most of town is under 20 minutes on foot and under 10 by bike, with racks and lanes provided. The LBI Shuttle is a wave-down service running the length of the island for a small fee, and Uber and Lyft operate here. A car helps for groceries, off-island trips and the nearest gas station, which is north in Spray Beach — Beach Haven has none.
See and do
Known for
- Long Beach Island beaches
- Beach Haven Historic District
- Fantasy Island Amusements
- Bay Avenue shops and restaurants
- Fishing charters on the bay
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tuckerton Seaport | Beach Haven Ferry from the bay side, or about 25 min by car over Route 72 | About 1 h by ferry |
| Barnegat Lighthouse, Barnegat Light | Car north along Long Beach Boulevard, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Atlantic City | Car via the Garden State Parkway, about 50 min | About 1 h |
| Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson | Car via Route 72 and the Garden State Parkway, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Bay Avenue / historic district
- Walk to shops, restaurants and the bay marinas; Victorian houses and B&Bs on the bay side.
- Atlantic Avenue beachfront
- Motels, resorts and condos facing the ocean; 1–5 min walk to the sand.
- Elsewhere on Long Beach Island
- Spray Beach, Ship Bottom and Surf City are 5–15 min north by car; more inventory, less walkability.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the beach entrance? | Where's the beach entrance? |
| Is there a lifeguard on duty? | Is a lifeguard on duty? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take cards? |
| A table for two, please | Table for two, please |
| Where is the nearest gas station? | Where's the nearest gas station? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Saturday and Sunday are vacation-rental changeover days: Bay Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard jam for hours.
- Most vacation rentals require a minimum one-week stay in summer; nightly rooms are limited and sell out early.
- Beach Haven has no gas station — fill up on the mainland or in Spray Beach before you arrive.
- Rip currents are the real hazard on the ocean side: swim near lifeguards and follow posted flags.
- Under-18s must wear a bike helmet by New Jersey law; enforcement is light but the roads are busy.
A low-crime resort town; the real risks are rip currents on the ocean side, busy roads on summer changeover weekends and heat on the open beach. Keep valuables off the sand and swim near lifeguards.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Beach Haven yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Long Beach Island beaches
- Beach Haven Historic District
- Fantasy Island Amusements
- Bay Avenue shops and restaurants
- Fishing charters on the bay
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Beach Haven borough (official): beachhaven-nj.gov/
- LBI Shuttle (official): www.lbishuttle.com/
- Beach Haven Ferry (official): lbiferry.com/
- Museum of New Jersey Maritime History (official): njmaritimemuseum.org/
- Wikivoyage: Beach Haven, revision 5104357 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5104357
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Beach HavenBeach Haven, New Jersey
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No consulates in Beach Haven; nearest consulates-general are in New York and Philadelphia. US visitors: your embassy is in Washington, DC.
Beach tags are required on most island beaches in season; buy them at the beach pavilions. Lifeguards usually patrol in summer only — check posted hours.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/beach-haven). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.