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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Long Beach Island
LBI
Go for 3–4 nights in season, based in Beach Haven or Surf City, with a car: the island is 29 km of beach and one road, and winter shuts most of it down.
Long Beach Island is an 18-mile barrier island off Ocean County, New Jersey, reached only by the Route 72 causeway at Manahawkin — there is no road in at either end. It runs on a summer season from mid-May to October, then largely closes. Come for the ocean beaches, the Barnegat lighthouse at the north tip, and a slow bike-and-eat rhythm; a car is close to essential, and beach badges are required in season.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- LBI
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for beach weather; late May and Sep–early Oct for fewer crowds
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (most businesses closed); peak Jul–Aug weekends for traffic and waits
- Stay
- 3–4 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 plate | $8–16 |
| Pizza slice | $3–6 |
| Casual lunch or dinner main | $12–28 |
| Beach badge: season / weekly / daily | $18–30 / $15–20 / $5–6 |
| Mini-golf round | $8–12 |
| Water-park day ticket | $24–26 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
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
- EWR · Newark Liberty International
- About 1 h 45 min by car
- ACY · Atlantic City International
- About 1 h by car; smaller, fewer flights
Typical fares
- Seasonal island shuttle
- $2 before 7 pm, $5 after 7 pm
- Summer bus from New York City
- about $40 adult, one daily departure, late June to early October
- Bike rental, one day
- about $25
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
A car is the practical default: Long Beach Boulevard runs the length of the island and the Route 72 causeway at Manahawkin is the only way on or off. Bikes work well in season — rental shops sit along the boulevard and racks are at most beach entrances. A seasonal shuttle has run the island from late June to Labor Day at a low flat fare, higher after early evening. Uber/Lyft are easy in summer, scarce off-season.
See and do
Known for
- 18 miles of ocean beach
- Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
- Beach Haven and Bay Village
- Fantasy Island and Thundering Surf
- Bike paths along Long Beach Boulevard
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Barnegat Lighthouse State Park | Drive Long Beach Boulevard north to the island's tip, then left onto Broadway | 20–40 min from mid-island |
| Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (Holgate unit) | Drive Long Beach Boulevard south until it becomes S Bay Ave, to the end | 20–30 min from Beach Haven |
| Toms River | Car via Route 72 and the Garden State Parkway | About 40–50 min |
| Seaside Heights | Car north via the Parkway | About 1 h |
| Point Pleasant Beach | Car north via the Parkway | About 1 h 15 min |
| Atlantic City | Car south via the Garden State Parkway | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Beach Haven
- South end: Bay Village shops, Fantasy Island, Thundering Surf, most restaurants. Best for families and a walkable evening.
- Surf City
- Mid-island, north of the causeway: quieter, close to the bridge and to Barnegat Light by car.
- Ship Bottom
- Where Route 72 meets the island: the most convenient base if you arrive by car and want to move around.
- Barnegat Light / Harvey Cedars
- North end: lighthouse, state park, fewer services; good for a quiet stay, longer drives to dinner.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the beach entrance? | Where's the beach entrance? |
| Do I need a beach badge here? | Do I need a beach badge here? |
| Is the water safe for swimming today? | Is the water safe for swimming today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| How far is it to Beach Haven? | How far is it to Beach Haven? |
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 are required in season and checked on the sand; buy from the borough, not a reseller.
- Swim only between the flags while lifeguards are on duty — usually daylight until late afternoon.
- Drunk-driving enforcement is strict; arrange a ride before a night out.
- Summer weekend traffic backs up on Route 72 onto the island; cross before mid-morning or after dinner.
- Many restaurants take no reservations and waits can run long on changeover weekends.
- Most of the island shuts down from November to March: check that your hotel and any restaurant are open.
A low-crime seasonal beach town; the real risks are rip currents, sun and heat, bikes and cars sharing the boulevard, and drinking before driving. Swim near lifeguards and between the flags.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Long Beach Island yet. Suggested stay: 3–4 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- 18 miles of ocean beach
- Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
- Beach Haven and Bay Village
- Fantasy Island and Thundering Surf
- Bike paths along Long Beach Boulevard
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism: www.visitnj.org/
- Barnegat Lighthouse State Park (NJ State Park Service): www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/barnlig.html
- Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (US Fish & Wildlife Service): www.fws.gov/refuge/edwin-b-forsythe
- Long Beach Island Historical Museum: lbihistoricalmuseum.org
- Wikivoyage: Long Beach Island, revision 5312584 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5312584
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Long Beach IslandLBI
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies on the island; nearest consulates are in New York and Philadelphia.
US SIM or eSIM is the easy option; coverage is good on the island, patchier on the refuge trails.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/long-beach-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.