Day Trip to Margate
From New York City • 2hr 15min drive
Split the difference between a quick hop and a haul: Margate runs 2hr 15min from the city, and Lucy the Elephant makes the extra Parkway miles feel earned.
Timing it: This distance rewards discipline: on the road by 7:30 AM, beach by 10. Weekdays cut both traffic and crowds, and early September is the sweet spot — warm ocean, empty sand.
Getting to Margate from New York City
car
2hr 15min
Take the NJ Turnpike or Route 440 to the Garden State Parkway south, then the Atlantic City Expressway connector (Parkway Exit 38) into town.
💡 Parkway and Expressway tolls — E-ZPass strongly recommended.
Doing Margate without your own car?
The train and bus get you to town. A one-day rental from New York City gets you to the beaches the schedules skip.
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Your Margate Day Trip Itinerary
☀️ Morning
Leave New York City
The drive runs about 2hr 15min — leaving by 7:30 AM puts you on the sand by mid-morning, ahead of the lot-fills-up crowd.
Arrive in Margate
Park first, then get badges. Local intel: Metered street parking closer to beach. Free parking on residential streets.
Beach time
Claim your spot while the good stretches are still open
⏱️ 2 hours
🏖️ Afternoon
Lunch
Grab a casual lunch at a local spot
See Lucy the Elephant
Lucy the Elephant is the signature stop; Beachstock is worth folding in if you have the energy.
⏱️ 2 hours
Late beach or activity
Another swim or one more stop before dinner
🌅 Evening
Early dinner
Eat before the drive home to avoid rush
Head back to New York City
It's a 2hr 15min run home — leaving by 7:30 gets you back at a reasonable hour.
Top Things to Do in Margate
Lucy the Elephant
Beachstock
Marven Gardens
Where to Eat in Margate
South End Pizza
Sofia Restaurant
Shuckers Bar & Grille
Pierre's Pizza
Practical Information
Parking
Metered street parking closer to beach. Free parking on residential streets.
Budget
Plan on $50-100 per person all-in. Known costs: free beaches; the rest is gas, tolls, and food.
Day Trip Tips
- Margate sells no daily badge — beach access is a $20 season pass. Kids under 12 are free.
- Parking: Metered street parking closer to beach. Free parking on residential streets.
- Parkway and Expressway tolls — E-ZPass strongly recommended.
- At 2hr 15min each way, the early start is the whole game — every half hour past 7:30 AM costs you prime beach time at both ends.
Turn Your Day Trip into a Weekend
By 4 PM the 2hr 15min drive home looms — unless you stay, and Margate turns into two beach days. The 2hr 15min drive home can wait until Sunday.
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