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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Bradley Beach
A half-day or one-night beach stop on the Jersey Shore: walkable, family-friendly, with a classic boardwalk and thin-crust pizza. Skip if you want nightlife or big attractions.
Bradley Beach is a compact, quiet beach town in Monmouth County, New Jersey, about 1.5 hours from New York by train. Its main draw is the free-access beach (seasonal badge required) and a short Main Street with a few good eats. Most visitors come for a day trip or a single night as part of a Jersey Shore loop.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, many places closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–180 excl. bed · High $180+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Pizza slice (Vics) | $3–5 |
| Beach badge, one day | $8–12 |
| Coffee | $2.50–4 |
| Draft beer | $5–8 |
| NJ Transit train to New York Penn Station, one way | $15–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EWR · Newark Liberty International
- About 1 h by car or NJ Transit train via Newark Penn Station
- JFK · John F. Kennedy International
- About 1.5 h by car or train via Penn Station New York
Typical fares
- NJ Transit train New York Penn → Bradley Beach
- about $15–20, about 1.5 h (check)
- Taxi from Bradley Beach station to beach
- $5–10
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk or bike; the town is about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) long. NJ Transit train station at the west edge. Parking is limited and metered in summer.Walk or bike; the town is about 0.9 mi (1.5 km) long. NJ Transit train station at the west edge. Parking is limited and metered in summer.
See and do
Known for
- Beach and boardwalk
- Vics Italian Restaurant thin-crust pizza
- Fins beach-themed takeout
- Small-town Jersey Shore atmosphere
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Asbury Park | NJ Transit train 1 stop north or 5 min drive | 10–15 min |
| Ocean Grove | Walk north along the beach or 5 min drive | 10–15 min |
| Red Bank | NJ Transit train about 15 min north | 30 min |
| Manasquan | NJ Transit train 2 stops south or 10 min drive | 15–20 min |
Sleep
- Main Street / beach blocks
- Walk to the beach and restaurants; mostly small inns and B&Bs.
- Ocean Grove (next north)
- More lodging options, a 10–15 min walk or short drive.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| How much? | How much? |
| One beach badge, please | One beach badge, please |
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
- Beach badges required daily in summer (check price and purchase points).
- Main Street restaurants close early off-season.
- Parking fills by mid-morning on summer weekends.
Very safe; typical beach-town risks: sunburn, rip currents (swim near lifeguards), and bicycle traffic on Main Street.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bradley Beach yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Beach and boardwalk
- Vics Italian Restaurant thin-crust pizza
- Fins beach-themed takeout
- Small-town Jersey Shore atmosphere
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Bradley Beach, revision 3546336 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3546336
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bradley Beach
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
English is universal; no local phrases needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bradley-beach). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.