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Voykit pocket guide · United States
North Myrtle Beach
Base here 3 nights if you want a beach town with free parking and fewer crowds than Myrtle Beach; 1 night only if you are passing through.
North Myrtle Beach is a 15,000-person town at the north end of the Grand Strand, made of four old beach communities: Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach and Windy Hill. It is quieter and more residential than Myrtle Beach, 24 km south. Come for the sand, golf and shag dancing, not for a sightseeing list.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, crowds, hurricane season peaks Sep–Oct)
- Stay
- 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 $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $150–250 excl. bed · High $300+ 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 · North Myrtle Beach police (non-emergency) 843-280-5511
- 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 | $10–18 |
| Casual seafood dinner | $18–32 |
| Mini-golf round | $10–16 |
| Golf green fee, peak season | $60–150 |
| Beach umbrella and chair rental, per day | $25–45 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MYR · Myrtle Beach International
- About 24 km south of the North Myrtle Beach line; Delta, Spirit, United and American serve it, often via a hub.About 15 mi south of the North Myrtle Beach line; Delta, Spirit, United and American serve it, often via a hub.
- CRE · Grand Strand Regional
- Closest field to town but mostly charter and private flights.
Typical fares
- MYR airport → North Myrtle Beach
- about $35–55 by taxi or rideshare, 25–35 min (check)
- Rideshare, Ocean Drive → Barefoot Landing
- about $15–25 (check)
- Parking at beach accesses
- mostly free; some lots charge in summer (check)
Get around
A car is the practical choice: the town is 13 km end to end along Highway 17 and the beach sections are not walkable to each other. Taxis exist but add up; rideshare is thin outside summer. Parking at the beach accesses is mostly free.A car is the practical choice: the town is 8.1 mi end to end along Highway 17 and the beach sections are not walkable to each other. Taxis exist but add up; rideshare is thin outside summer. Parking at the beach accesses is mostly free.
See and do
Known for
- Cherry Grove and Windy Hill beaches
- Shag dancing and the OD Pavilion
- Golf courses and mini-golf
- Barefoot Landing on the Intracoastal Waterway
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach | Drive south on Highway 17 or Ocean Blvd | 25–40 min |
| Little River | Drive north on Highway 17 | 15 min |
| Murrells Inlet | Drive south on Highway 17 | 50 min |
| Conway, South Carolina | Drive via Highway 501 | 50 min |
| Pawleys Island | Drive south on Highway 17 | 1 h 10 min |
| Georgetown, South Carolina | Drive south on Highway 17 | 1 h 20 min |
Sleep
- Ocean Drive and Crescent Beach
- Walkable to Main Street, the OD Pavilion and the beach; the busiest, most central strip.
- Cherry Grove
- North end near the North Carolina line; quieter, with the pier and inlet at the doorstep.
- Windy Hill
- South end, closest to Barefoot Landing and the golf corridor; good for families with a car.
- Barefoot Landing / Waterway
- Resort and villa stays on the Intracoastal Waterway, 5–10 min drive from the sand.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the beach access? | Where is the beach access? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is there a cover charge? | Is there a cover charge? |
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
- Hurricane season runs Jun–Nov, with the highest risk Sep–Oct; know your evacuation route and check the town site before a late-summer trip.
- Many hotels and homeowner associations ban motorcycles on property, even during Bike Week in May and October — confirm before booking.
- Summer rip currents are real; swim near a lifeguard stand.
- Highway 17 traffic backs up on summer weekends and during bike rallies.
A low-crime beach town; the real risks are rip currents, summer Highway 17 traffic and hurricane-season storms. Lock the car and keep valuables off the sand.
One and two days
No timed day plan for North Myrtle Beach yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cherry Grove and Windy Hill beaches
- Shag dancing and the OD Pavilion
- Golf courses and mini-golf
- Barefoot Landing on the Intracoastal Waterway
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of North Myrtle Beach: www.nmb.us/
- Myrtle Beach International Airport: www.flymyrtlebeach.com/
- Barefoot Landing: www.bflanding.com/
- Wikivoyage: North Myrtle Beach, revision 5276421 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5276421
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
North Myrtle Beach
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- North Myrtle Beach police (non-emergency)843-280-5511
No consulates in town; nearest are in Atlanta and Charlotte (check).
US tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/north-myrtle-beach). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.