This morning, we received a great New England “cheap travel” question from Susan and family from the mid west…

This website is very informative.  We are from St. Louis and planning to drive to Hudson, N.Y., in July to visit a family with two little girls.  We would like to treat them for a few days to some sites and a nice, clean beach.  We would like to stay in a town on or close to a beach, but we are trying to keep the cost of our vacation down a bit.  Could you possibly recommend some towns that might offer clean hotels/cabins, etc. at a good rate and yet be close to a beach and some other attractions that families could enjoy? Thank you.

Thanks, Susan, for the inquiry as well as your kind words about our site. The possibilities on cheap New England travel by the beach are endless, so I’ll start out with the relatively affordable Ocean Club on Smugglers’ Beach in South Yarmouth, Mass. The beach is beautiful and we’ve heard good things about the hotel. While South Yarmouth can get pretty congested in the summer, there are also advantages to staying here: you are near all the travel attractions in Hyannis, but also close enough to the quieter side of Cape Cod on Route 6A. I think the selling point is, though, that you’re right at the beach that is very family-friendly (the hotel has its own private beach contiguous with Smugglers’)! They also have indoor and outdoor pools.

We have friends with a summer home near Smugglers’ Beach, and they love the area. We stayed with the family last July, and agree! Within minutes of the hotel, you’ll find several other beaches, mini-golf, ice cream stands, many shopping opportunities and seemingly endless dining options, including what we feel is the best New England clam chowder at Captain Parkers seafood restaurant in West Yarmouth.

Here is more information on the Ocean Club Smugglers’ Beach, and, also, a look at this beautiful beach…

If you need any more suggestions, Susan, please write us back and we’ll be happy to come up with more ideas. Also, log onto our Cape Cod travel page for more ideas on visiting this wonderful part of New England. Thanks!

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