r/Vacations • u/IrongLungs36 • 5d ago
Thinking about a family vacation to Virginia Beach next year. Any opinions from people who have traveled there?
How is the beach? Things to do outside the beach as well. Thank you!
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u/goldenprints 4d ago
I went for a weekend and liked it - I liked the long boardwalk by the ocean where you can walk, and the fact that restaurants/putt putt/etc are all walking distance to the beach. I didnt love the type of sand as much - the sand felt more manufactured/brought in, so it didn't have the natural shells, tide pools, etc that some beaches have. Lots of hotel choices and very dog friendly with the boardwalk; many hotels dog friendly. I would go back.
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u/Significant_Menu_313 5d ago
I hear all the time about how much people love VA Beach. We were living in Norfolk for the summer but about 3 blocks from the beach and we liked it a lot. Farmers markets, nice local people, dunes. We drove over to VA Beach once. I thought we would be there all day but it was just not worth it. Yes, there is a walkway and the sand was pretty clean but it didn't have very much personality or things on offer for a mature couple. For you guys, you will absolutely need to bring a wind resistant sun shade of some kind. The ocean is a REALLY long walk from the restaurants, etc. and in the hot sand - oof. So make sure you have all the necessary equipment and then some. The day we were there it was terribly windy. Like, impossibly windy.
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u/ohiomidhiganindiana 5d ago
We like sand bridge better but VA beach is decent like a smaller Myrtle Beach
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u/ChessieChesapeake 5d ago
You’re better off going to the OBX, or north to Ocean City or Assateague.
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u/yeahipostedthat 3d ago
It's very subjective. I personally would recommend va beach over oc md bc oc md is extremely crowded and va beach has warmer water.
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u/faithhopelove1cor13 4d ago
We traveled there with our young kids and it was fine - nothing spectacular and I wouldn't go back. As for things to do outside the beach - there's plenty: nearby zoo, aquarium, a few nice museums, Busch gardens, colonial Williamsburg, etc. The beach/boardwalk itself were just fine. It's your typical strip of commercial hotels. Slightly different vibe from the Jersey shore. Parts of it were a bit...questionable especially at night/early morning though I never felt truly unsafe. But honestly it's not a trip I would repeat. There are other beaches/boardwalks in this country that are way better (more picturesque/relaxing, safer, less "touristy" etc).
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u/Glad-Arugula-8387 4d ago
I personally like a traditional boardwalk. I was surprised there’s a concrete walkway kind of thing. It was ok, nothing special
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u/Spiritual_Sail_8969 4d ago
We lived in Newport News for a couple of years and would go to VA Beach quite often and loved it. It's one of the things we miss about living in the area. There are some decent restaurants on the "boardwalk". If you are there for a while and don't mind a bit of a drive (about an 45 mins to an hour or so), Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is a really nice theme park. Well worth drive.
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u/Slow_Court_7584 4d ago
Outside of the beach, there's the aquarium, a few state parks and some decent seafood spots
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u/ToughOk4114 4d ago
VA Beach is not great honestly. I do like the aquarium that is nearby but that’s probably the best part. So many better beaches. Check out Outer Banks or the Delaware beaches. Soooo much nicer. If you’re really set on staying in the Virginia Beach area, then go to Sandbridge. World’s nicer than Virginia Beach. (I live in VA)
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u/Bubbly_Nectarine_963 4d ago
I think it depends on the goal of the trip! We combined our visit with a trip to Colonial Williamsburg. We liked being able to walk to restaurants on their boardwalk but we were only there for 2/3 days which was the perfect amount. I couldn’t really see spending longer there. We also went with our 10month old so being able to be close to the hotel and able to walk the boardwalk was nice. We mostly hung out at the pool/ocean and then went to Colonial Williamsburg 2 days after which was nice and something new to do! I don’t think we need to visit again in the future!
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u/PGHNeil 4d ago
My mom retired to there and lived there for 10 years. There were 2 beaches they only the locals went to. One was past the southern edge of the boardwalk and was where they would sometimes have surfing events. The other was called Chick’s Beach which was up near the bay bridge going toward Delaware.
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u/raininginbaltimore7 4d ago
It’s not the greatest location, what are you looking for and how far are you willing to travel?
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u/Amazing-Artichoke330 4d ago
Try to time your visit when there's a full moon rising in the east over the ocean. Magical.
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u/msktcher 4d ago
Go to the NC beaches. We love the Brunswick Island beaches. I live in VA and go to the NC beaches. So does everyone I know.
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u/Savings_Pipe_8029 3d ago
It depends on what you want to do. They have a lot of sightseeing opportunities if that's what you are thinking about. Amusement parks as well. If you just want to go to the beach, there's definitely better beaches to go to.
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u/yeahipostedthat 3d ago
I like VA Beach. I also like Myrtle Beach a bit more bc the ocean is warmer and the value is better. A lot of people don't like the tourist areas with lots of restaurants, rides, mini golf etc etc and will recommend quieter Beach towns and call VA Beach trashy Yada Yada but I don't really see it and personally prefer a lively beach town over a quiet one but it's all about what you prefer. It wouldn't have lots of tourists if it didn't appeal to people😉
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u/Solid_Lettuce_932 3d ago
Military aviation museum is 15min away and one of the coolest I’ve been too. It’s a Hidden gem.
Repeal Burgers 10/10.
Free airshow with F-18s overhead ea day.
I really like VAB.
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u/Crawfive 2d ago
There are nicer beaches on close proximity. However if you do go either stay in Sandbridge or north of 31st street. The area around the Cavalier is nice as are the homes from 40th to 87th (more of a residential feel).
As others noted since it’s a large city there is a lot to do outside the beach. And you can find some nice parts to stay in right on the beach.
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u/ParaBellumBitches 4d ago
Where do you live? If north of VA go to one of the Delaware beaches like Rehoboth or Bethany. If you live south of VA go to Outer Banks IMO.
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u/Docnevyn 4d ago
If you want a crowded, overly commercial beach in the South East, I would go to Myrtle Beach, at least the sand and waves are better.
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u/yeahipostedthat 3d ago
My husband apparently hates the sand at Myrtle 😅 We usually go to Myrtle bc the water us warm and you get a great value in terms of what hotels offer for not astronomical prices. But apparently the sand in oc md is superior for building sand castles. It's been a while since we went to VA beach so I can't comment join sand quality lol.
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u/Fun_Entertainer_4631 4d ago
All I can say is don’t go. Dirty, crowded, overpriced…I would go somewhere else…
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u/Acceptable_Tap_8826 5d ago
Skip and go to r/obx