Hilton Head vs. Vero Beach

[mbw12]

Which resort would you choose for just a low key family beach vacation. My kids are used to Disney trips, all inclusives, and cruises.....but we would like to try a laid-back trip, yet still have things that will keep them occupied.
any personal experiences with kids ages 6 and 8? Which would you choose and why??? Also, which has the best dining options (both on site and off site) or close "getaway day trips"?
sorry for all the questions....still plan on someday getting to both...but just curious which would be good for our first try off WDW?

 

[scootert]

It's just DH and I but, we have been to both and prefer VB because it is right on the beach/ocean. You have to take a shuttle, drive or bike to the ocean at HH. We like the on site restaurants at VB (others have had different experiences). There are also several nice restaurants in the area, but you need a car. At HH there is not a sit down, full service restaurant, but there are many restaurants in the area.

I think both locations offer lots to do for children, although it seems like HH might have more -- it also seems like HH offers more excursions than VB.

We also like VB because it is warmer -- we went to HH in early May and it was rather chilly. Of course, we live in south Texas, so most places are chilly to us!!!

Both resorts are great -- VB has the edge for the beach, HH is more woodsy. It just depends on what floats your boat....

 

[La2kw]

I prefer VB because it is actually on the beach. HH is about half a mile or so from the beach. I don't really consider that a beach resort. Plus, I prefer having restaurants on site. If I'm vacationing at a Disney resort, I prefer to eat at Disney restaurants. We especially enjoy Shutters. HH only has a fast food place on site.

 

[Halle]

We've been to both and love each one for different reasons. VB because you can walk to the beach and there are restaurants on site. HH because there are numerous restaurants a short drive away, lifeguards on the beach (none at VB) and great day trips ( Savannah and Charleston). You'll love either resort.

 

[nezy]

Probably the biggest factor is the time of year you are going. If it is Spring or Fall that is great for both. Winter-Vero. Summer, I think I would pick Vero because I would rather be right on the ocean in summer. Additionally, how I am getting to the resort is a factor-driving or flying? Airfare to Fla. from NY is alot less than to HH or Savannah. If driving, HH is closer.

I would say it also depends on how you style your vacation. For example, do you stock up on food and eat in. If not keep in mind as previously posted, HH does not have alot of on sight food options. The food at Signals and the other one-forget the name, is very good, for quick snack stand type of things. The Shelter Cove area has several restaurants you can even get to go, whcih I did and rode my bike back to the DVC resort. The Piggly-Wiggly and Publix are also convenient.

HH is great for kids -lots of activities and my kids 7, 9 and 10 loved having bikes to ride all over the resort and over to the beach house. I love the ocean, but did not mind having to go over to the beach house via bike, car or shuttle. We went min-golfing down the road a bit and did some island self-guided tours to the lighthouse. We love HH-the kids keep asking to go back.

That said, we also love Vero. There are a couple of very good in house restaurants, but we didn't venture out to anything else around Vero. When we go to Vero, we stay at the resort-that's it. Alot of pool and mini-golf right on property, walk on the beach. At HH we tend to do a little more-more active w/ bikes and such. Love them both-I couldn't choose.

Both very relaxing but our stays at HH have been longer-a trip in itself. Our Vero stays have been 1 or 2 days, after the DCL ship, or drive up while visiting my mom in West Plam Bch.

Not sure if this helped, but have a great trip.

 

[gracelrm]

I agree with everything mentioned above. If you want your resort to be beachfront - VB's the way to go! My family doesn't spend loads of time at the beach (too fair skinned for much sun!) so it doesn't bother us that HH is not beachfront. VB has the nice restaurant options at the resort, whereas HH doesn't - but we have a car with us so enjoying meals at any of the hundreds of restaurants nearby is no problem for us. We've been to HH three times since 2003 and our kids (currently 12, 9, & 5) adore the resort and love renting bikes and biking around the island. It's been since 2002 since we went to VB, but the kids really liked it as well. Getting to the beach/ocean was much easier at VB and we were more likely to just hop up and go - not quite the task it is at HH. We truly love both resorts and depending upon personal preference - don't think you can go wrong with either place.

 

[dznymom1]

We visited Vero Beach the year after it opened and had a very nice time. We stopped at HH for 2 nights on a drive from WDW home to New Hampshire. Well, we fell in love with the place, stayed an extra night and bought points. A year later we added on more. We have been back to HH a dozen or so times, and just haven't had the desire to go back to Vero.

SO, for us, it's clearly Hilton Head. My kids ride bikes on the property, participate in activities, go crabbing & fishing from the pier and enjoy the ping pong & pool tables. We usually drive to the beach house, but there is a shuttle available, and now that my boys are older they can take that over to the beach house themselves. I sit in the rocker on my porch and read or birdwatch. DH gets to go kayaking or wander around taking pictures. We have found that HH has tremendous restaurant offerings all within just a few mninutes drive. Okay, I'll stop babbling. I just wish I was there right now!

 

[ccw]

HH for me...Vero was just not my cup of tea although we had a nice stay there. Because we live in NC, the NC/SC beaches are, to me anyway, every bit as nice as the beach at Vero and a whole lot closer! If I really had to have a beach experience in the dead of winter, I'd of course go with Vero for its more southern location. But, HH is awfully nice just about any time of the year, too, and we loved biking all over the island! I am a BIG Hilton Head fan and do not even mind that the Disney property is not oceanfront. By the way, you can get GREAT deals on non-Disney properties at HH in the winter, early spring, and late fall.