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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Union Pier
A half-day stop on a Harbor Country road trip: walk the beach, grab lunch, then move on. Not a base.
Union Pier is a small lakeside village in Harbor Country, Michigan, 90 minutes from Chicago. Its main draw is a quiet stretch of Lake Michigan beach and a handful of casual cafes. Most visitors pass through for a few hours between New Buffalo and Stevensville, or stay one night at a B&B for a slow weekend.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, many places closed)
- Stay
- 0–1 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 $50–80 excl. bed · Mid $80–150 excl. bed · High $150+ 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 | $3–5 |
| Sandwich or salad at a cafe | $10–15 |
| Dinner entree | $18–35 |
| B&B double room per night | $120–300 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MDW · Chicago Midway
- About 1 h 15 min drive; no direct public transport
- ORD · Chicago O'Hare
- About 1 h 30 min drive
- SBN · South Bend International
- About 40 min drive
Typical fares
- Chicago Midway → Union Pier by car
- about 1 h 15 min, tolls on I-94 (check)
- Taxi New Buffalo → Union Pier
- $15–25 (check)
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
You need a car. The village is walkable but the beach, cafes and shops are spread along Red Arrow Highway. Parking is free at most beach access points.
See and do
Known for
- Lake Michigan beach access
- Victorian bed & breakfasts
- Red Arrow Highway antique shops
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| New Buffalo | 5 min drive south on Red Arrow Highway | 10 min |
| Harbert | 3 min drive north on Red Arrow Highway | 5 min |
| Stevensville, Michigan | 15 min drive north on I-94 or Red Arrow Highway | 20 min |
Sleep
- Union Pier village
- A few B&Bs within walking distance of the beach; no chain hotels.
- New Buffalo
- 5 min south; more lodging and dining options.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Where is the beach? | Where is the beach? |
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
- Lake Michigan water can be cold even in July; check rip-current warnings.
- Many restaurants and shops close by 20:00 outside summer.
- No gas station in Union Pier; fill up in New Buffalo or Stevensville.
Very safe. Standard beach precautions: watch for rip currents, lock valuables in the car, and avoid swimming alone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Union Pier yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lake Michigan beach access
- Victorian bed & breakfasts
- Red Arrow Highway antique shops
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: Union Pier, revision 5287996 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5287996
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Union Pier
Take me to this address
Take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
English is universal; no phrasebook needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/union-pier). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.