Myrtle beach or va beach?

[mrsboz]

I have been investigation VA Beach and ready to book and now my husband says that he would like to go to Myrtle Beach. He said that he was telling people and they are all trying to steer him in that direction. I would appreciate your opinions and if you choose myrtle Beach. Do you know where to stay? I would like to stay right on the beach and what there is to do there? Thank you. It will be myself, my husband and two daughters ages 18 and 14.

 

[HM]

I have been investigation VA Beach and ready to book and now my husband says that he would like to go to Myrtle Beach. He said that he was telling people and they are all trying to steer him in that direction. I would appreciate your opinions and if you choose myrtle Beach. Do you know where to stay? I would like to stay right on the beach and what there is to do there? Thank you. It will be myself, my husband and two daughters ages 18 and 14.

Our family would say neither. Both are much too touristy. Our favorite beaches are Topsail Island and Holden Beach in NC. Both are quiet family beaches. A few places to go out to eat, shop, get ice cream - not a lot else besides the beach there and that's what we like. Carolina Beach or Wrightsville Beach would have you close to Wilmington for tourist places to visit (Fort Fisher Aquarium, North Carolina Battleship, Serpentarium, etc)

First choice is Hilton Head Island in SC for people that want to do something and still have a nice beach.

We rent houses. The two places we go don't have many hotels, so if a hotel is what you want then look at my other suggestions near Wilmington.

 

[pryncess527]

I've never been to Virginia Beach, but I'd pick just about any SC beach over Myrtle.

 

[havaneselover]

I live two hours from va beach and I would not vacation there. I'd go to the outer banks if I wanted to rent a house or jersey shore (cape may /ocean city) if I wanted more stuff to do.

Most Virginians I know do the outer banks because va beach is so-so.

I've never been to myrtle beach and based on what I've heard I don't have much interest in visiting but for a week I would take myrtle beach over va beach in a second.

 

[soccerchick]

If those are your two options, go south from each destination. For VA Beach, try Sandbridge. For Myrtle Beach, try Litchfield or Pawley's Island. These are quieter, more family oriented areas. Even nicer are Kiawah Island or even Hilton Head. I prefer MB over VB. However, I am a beach snob and have been fortunate enough to be spoiled for the last 10 years with frequent visits to amazing beaches far from the east coast.

I don't like Va Beach at all (actually heading there this week for a softball tournament) and I definitely would not want to stay near the main, central section. There are a lot of activities along the main section - good for a night, but I wouldn't want to be near here all the time. Beach itself was gross crowded and dirty- more so than anything I've seen at MB. We did Myrtle beach a lot when I was growing up and it's busy, with lots of beach, lots of people, lots of restaurants, ziplining, mini golf, and regular golf. We've been there a few times in recent years (last November for softball). Again, like VB I wouldn't stay in the main, regular incorporated MB with only one or two exceptions, but those are pricey (Marriott resort).

For either location, use TripAdvisor and look at the pictures people post. There are tons of hotels and rental units.

YMMV.

 

[olwyngdh]

I didn't like Myrtle Beach at all. Virginia Beach is ok. Ocean City MD is better.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Myrtle Beach and VA Beach have a lot in common, more so than things that differentiate them. If you want somewhere nicer and more family friendly I would highly recommend Hilton Head. I little more refined and hospitable with clean beaches, bike trails and a bit more appreciation for nature. (BTW Disney's Hilton Head Resort is AWESOME!)

 

[mrsboz]

We already had our big vacation this year at Disney for eleven days We live in Boston and I would like to go somewhere new. I heard that these two beaches were really nice. Hilton Head airline prices are more than double of VA and since we already went on a big trip I am trying to keep cost down as much as possible. I was thinking of Ocean city a couple of years ago and people said don't go that it is like our Hampton Beach here. Definitely not somewhere that I woiuld want to go.

I appreciate any and all suggestions and comments/ideas. Thank you.

 

[havaneselover]

I think you got bad information. Neither are known to be particularly nice beaches IMO.

 

[pryncess527]

We already had our big vacation this year at Disney for eleven days We live in Boston and I would like to go somewhere new. I heard that these two beaches were really nice. Hilton Head airline prices are more than double of VA and since we already went on a big trip I am trying to keep cost down as much as possible. I was thinking of Ocean city a couple of years ago and people said don't go that it is like our Hampton Beach here. Definitely not somewhere that I woiuld want to go.

I appreciate any and all suggestions and comments/ideas. Thank you.

Ah yeah, if you are trying to fly in that limits your options, a lot of the "better" beaches are not next to large airports, so flying in would be expensive.
I think your best bet might be flying into Wilmington and checking a beach in that area. I haven't visited personally, but co-workers are always raving about Bald Head Island and Wrightsville beach

 

[Lucky4me]

Flying into Hilton Head is pricey, but have you checked Charleston? About 1.5-2 hour drive from Hilton Head.

I've been to just about every large and small beach from Florida to Maine. Myrtle and Virginia beaches are probably on the top five of my least favorites.
My reasons are- they are built up too much- which means too many people and buildings. There are many other better options not too far away and they've been listed on this thread already.

If you like tons of cheap gift shops, fast food and chain restaurants, high rise hotels, few trees and lots of amusement park/carnival type stuff to do, you may like them. Broadway on the Beach in Myrtle was built to be like Downtown Disney. For me, it was the best thing about Myrtle Beach and was a few miles from the beach.

My top two favorites are Hilton Head and Tybee Island. Hilton Head is busy in season, but nothing like Myrtle. Tybee is much smaller and very laid back. Both are full of natural beauty, lush tropical foliage and not a high rise to be seen.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I have been investigation VA Beach and ready to book and now my husband says that he would like to go to Myrtle Beach. He said that he was telling people and they are all trying to steer him in that direction. I would appreciate your opinions and if you choose myrtle Beach. Do you know where to stay? I would like to stay right on the beach and what there is to do there? Thank you. It will be myself, my husband and two daughters ages 18 and 14.

It depends what you want to do at the beach, OP. My DDs (15 and 11) enjoy going to Myrtle Beach, but it is for the outlet shopping, Wonderworks, mini golf, and restaurants, not for the beach. It is very touristy, but you will not run out of things to do.

For lodging, we like the Marriott Grande Dunes and the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes (but the Marina Inn is not oceanfront). Kingston Plantation is also nice.

I haven't been to VA beach in a very long time, but I think it is similar in terms of tourist attractions.

For sitting on the beach, we like Wrightsville Beach (close to us), Topsail, and the Outer Banks as quiet, family friendly beaches. We have family that goes to Holden Beach and friends who like Emerald Isle. Hilton Head is also very nice - shopping and restaurants and things to do, but not garish.

 

[1buckeyegirl]

We go to surfside beach, just south of Myrtle beach but more of a family beach. There's no high rises so it's not nearly as busy and if you want to drive into to myrtle to do something it's only a short drive.

 

[Bearvet]

Our family loves Myrtle Beach - in fact we're heading there later this week. There's something for everyone - I love the beach and my husband loves to golf. This will be our 8th time going there and our boys are now 19, 21 and 25 - they absolutely love it.

Fireworks almost nightly, fun shopping centers (Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing), outlet shopping if you like, plenty of water sports (parasailing, banana boats, jet skis, kayaks, etc), tons of mini golf places, amusement park, water parks, etc. Go to Murrells Inlet one evening, stroll the marshwalk and listen to live music at all of the different restaurants (delicious seafood too). Go to the Garden City Pier for live music over the ocean. There is so much to do there!

This year we're taking a day trip to Charleston for a tour. Last time we went to historic Georgetown and loved it. Spend some time on tripadvisor.com and look at the good things MB has to offer! We only spent 2 nights in Virginia Beach, so I don't feel I can compare the tow.

I'd compare MB to Hampton Beach NH on steroids (60 miles of beach!) - in a good way - bigger and much more to do and not as "old" feeling. Hilton Head is more like Cape Cod - lots of bike riding and more low-key. We went there for the first time last summer and loved it too.

I can't recommend hotels because we stay in timeshares, but again, tripadvisor will help with that, I'm surprised how many people dislike MB - give it a try and look for a quieter area to stay maybe?

 

[kirstenb1]

Never been to Myrtle Beach, and based on what I've read, I think it's a busier vacation than what we're looking for.

We love Virginia Beach, and have stayed in a cottage at Sandbridge for the last 3 summers. Sandbridge is very much like the Outer Banks, but closer and less traffic.

OP, you mentioned in another thread searching for hotels. I gave you my best recommendations: Holiday Inn North Beach, and hotels within a few streets of there. Much less crowded. You're bordering a very expensive residential area, so nice neighborhoods if you like to walk/bike/jog.

Next summer, I'm looking at Holden Beach/Atlantic Beach area of North Carolina. I love Sandbridge but it's $$$ compared to NC beaches.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

We live in Richmond VA and everyone around here avoids VA beach like the plague. We've only visited once in the last five years or so, it is WAY to touristy!

We prefer the Outer Banks but we also tend to go a little further south than our friends who all stop and stay at Kitty Hawk. We prefer to drive to Rodanthe and have more space and quiet beaches.

 

[ChasingPixieDust]

I really do not like Myrtle Beach at all. VA beach only if we stay in Sandbridge. Have you thought about Charleston? Isle of Palms is great, and then there is so much to do in historic Charleston. They also have Folly Beach as well. To me that is a better SC beach choice, with lots of options for entertainment.

 

[BrerRabbit66]

I have not been to VA beach but I have been to Myrtle Beach and enjoyed it. I was looking for a relaxing place on the beach, not crowded and not into loud party animals on the boardwalk. My cousin and I stayed at Springmaid Beach Resort. It was on the far end from all the "activity"....you would have to drive to go shopping but it was a nice resort. Just depends on what you like. Good luck!

 

[bluesky225]

We've been to many of the beaches in NC and SC, and we still enjoy Myrtle sometimes. In the summer, it is a lot more crowded, but we've always still had a great time. I have some friends that did VA beach and liked it okay, but they preferred Myrtle. There are so many options for places to stay in Myrtle, so that keeps the prices down somewhat.

 

[minnierocks]

There are so many beaches and so many opinions on every beach that dot the Atlantic coast. I have been to both VA Beach and Myrtle Beach and many others that have been mentioned. Our personal favorite has been Holden Beach but since you specifically asked about two beaches, I will stick to them.
Virginia Beach is family-friendly, lots of touristy beach shops, plenty of restaurants, and beach stuff. There were some areas that I wasn't comfortable walking around after dark, but stick to the main area and it was fine. It is close to Norfolk and Busch Gardens and Williamsburg for a non-beach day. It does not have the large waves like the Outer Banks but we enjoyed our time there.
Myrtle Beach is extremely touristy and there is anything you want...shopping, restaurants, mini-golf and more! We stayed in North Myrtle and it was a little less crowded. Due to the amount of high rise condos, you will easily find a bargain. Traffic can be chaotic during the summer season so be prepared. It's a busy beach but we have been there twice and had a good time.
If you want to keep cost low then snag a last minute condo deal at Myrtle Beach. The beach is fine to lay on for the week and there is plenty to do when your teens want to go do something. You can spend as much or as little as you want.