Fran_Campbell

i am coming home from savannah, GA to virginia beach, VA and do not want to do 95. i want to take 2 days to come home but have a limited budget. i would like to use this opportunity to see the coastal areas. any ideas on places to stay would be greatly appreciated. thanks

suewoo

I hate 95 too! But you may have to take it on part of your trip.

You can take 17 up into Charleston, Pawley's through Myrtle (crowded) into Wilmington. 17 north of Wilmington is tough-through small towns, lots of stoplights. So you might want to get back out on 95 up to VA Beach. 17 is pleasant between Charleston and Myrtle.

Fran_Campbell

can you suggest any places to stay that won't break a students budget?

suewoo

Without knowing your budget, it's hard to say. However,you should be careful. Really cheap places can be scary. If you really don't have the money to stay at a Hampton or a HI Express, just drive through. And beachfront on a budget is tough, so you'll have to stay well off the tourist path. I'm assuming you're traveling soon. Everything is already busy with beachgoers from all over.

How far do you want to go on your first day? Have you looked at the map?

Are you at SCAD? My niece graduated from there last May.

Fran_Campbell

small world, yes, my daughter is at SCAD, a freshman.
i have looked at a map and it seems that the half way point is around a place called sunset beach which i believe is in north carolina? i am taking 95 down but i thought it would be nice to see the coast and take 2 days coming back. it is such a nice area and this would be our chance to explore alittle. thanks

stumpworks73

This Sunday NYT Frugal Traveler column had exactly your topic:

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes....=me&ref=travel

suewoo

That's a great article. Thanks for posting it.

It can certainly be done. McClellanville is a lovely spot as is Sunset Beach. I just did the drive from Charleston to OI (just next to Sunset) on Saturday. Myrtle is very congested (VERY) so factor that into your drive time. And there just aren't cheap motels on the beach, and some will have minimum 3 nights. There are some hotels in Shalotte, which might fit your budget. Plug your dates into kayak.com and see what you get.

emalloy

When DS was at UNCW we took 17 from Wilmington to Norfolk and it did go through small towns etc, but was not a bad drive. Wilmington might be a place to find lodging that is not too expensive and you could drive out to the beach in a few minutes. Look at www.RoadSaver.com for discount motel/hotel coupons along your route.

ronkala

Emalloy,
that link brings up a road sealing equiptment company.

emalloy

Sorry, it's www. RoomSaver.com

Fran_Campbell

Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to share their ideas. I appreciate that.