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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Wildwood, New Jersey
Wildwood
Go for 2–3 nights in June or early September: free beaches, boardwalk rides and Doo-Wop motels, at lower rates than July.
Wildwood is a barrier-island resort on Cape May County's southern tip, built around a free beach and a boardwalk with three amusement piers. The season runs Memorial Day to Labor Day, July is peak, and June or early September give the same weather with fewer people and cheaper rooms. Two or three nights covers the boardwalk, the beach and a day trip; a car makes the rest of the shore easy.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Wildwood
- Best months
- Jun, early Sep
- Avoid
- Jul (peak crowds and rates), holiday weekends
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Boardwalk pizza slice | $4–7 |
| Funnel cake or frozen custard | $6–10 |
| Cheesesteak or sandwich | $10–16 |
| Sit-down seafood dinner | $25–45 |
| Draught beer at a bar | $6–9 |
| Boardwalk ride ticket (single) | $2–10 |
| Parasailing, per person | $50–65 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ACY · Atlantic City International
- About 45 min north by car; rental cars on site.
- PHL · Philadelphia International
- About 2 h by car.
Typical fares
- Boardwalk tram car, one way
- about $4
- Taxi across the island
- $10–20
- Garden State Parkway toll, Exit 6 to the island
- a few dollars in cash or E-ZPass
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
The island is walkable end to end, but most people drive or bike. The boardwalk tram car runs pier to pier for a few dollars one way. Three local taxi firms cover the Wildwoods and arrive in about 5 minutes; NJ Transit buses also serve the island.
See and do
Known for
- Boardwalk and amusement piers
- Free beaches
- Doo-Wop 1950s–60s motels
- Family summer holidays
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cape May | Drive NJ Route 47 south, about 15 min | About 20 min |
| Ocean City, New Jersey | Drive the Garden State Parkway north, about 30 min | About 35 min |
| Wildwood Crest | Walk or bike south along the beach, or drive 5 min | About 10–30 min |
| Stone Harbor and Avalon | Drive the Garden State Parkway north to exits 10–13 | About 30–40 min |
| Sea Isle City | Drive the Garden State Parkway north, about 25 min | About 30 min |
| Atlantic City | Drive the Garden State Parkway north, about 45 min | About 50 min |
Sleep
- Wildwood boardwalk area
- Walk to the piers, rides and beach; loudest at night, parking is paid in season.
- North Wildwood
- Quieter, near the inlet beach and the bar strip; 20–30 min walk to the main piers.
- Wildwood Crest
- Most residential and quietest; family motels, dry town, a short drive or tram ride south.
- West Wildwood
- Bayside, cheapest and calmest; you need a car for the beach.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take cards? |
| Where is the beach entrance? | Where's the beach entrance? |
| Is there a lifeguard on duty? | Is a lifeguard on duty? |
| One wristband, please | One wristband, please |
| Check, please | Check, 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
- Parking near the boardwalk is metered and paid from Memorial Day to Labor Day; arrive before 9 AM on summer weekends.
- The beach is wide — in places the water is a long walk from the street; 1st Street in North Wildwood has the shortest sand.
- Most rides and boardwalk shops close outside the summer season; the beach stays free and open all year.
- Wildwood Crest is a dry town: no alcohol sales there.
Wildwood is a busy family resort and generally safe in season; the real risks are rip currents on the ocean side, drinking on the North Wildwood bar strip, and leaving valuables in a parked car.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Wildwood, New Jersey yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Boardwalk and amusement piers
- Free beaches
- Doo-Wop 1950s–60s motels
- Family summer holidays
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 Wildwood: www.wildwoodnj.org/
- Wildwoods tourism authority: www.wildwoodsnj.com
- Wikivoyage: Wildwood (New Jersey), revision 5322925 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5322925
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Wildwood, New JerseyWildwood
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Wildwood; nearest consulates are in New York and Philadelphia.
US plug types A and B, 120 V. Tipping 18–22% at sit-down restaurants is expected.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/wildwood-new-jersey). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.