Ocean City, MD: A guide to hotels

The easiest way to get to Ocean City is to drive. The drive takes about 3 hours from Philadelphia, 3 hours from Washington DC, 3 hours from Baltimore, and 5 hours from New York City.

If you’re coming from farther away, the best airports to fly into are Baltimore/Washington International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport, both of which are a 3-hour drive away. The Salisbury/Ocean City Regional Airport is another option, if it works with your travel plans. It’s 30 minutes from Ocean City and it’s served by American Airlines, although flight options are limited.

Once you’re in Ocean City, having a car makes traveling between beaches, restaurants, and attractions simple. But you can also take the Ocean City Beach Bus up and down the Coastal Highway. That’s the main road that spans the city and the island, stretching north and south.

Taxi rides and trips with rideshare services are always an option as well, but availability can be somewhat limited because of the size of the year-round community, so make sure you plan accordingly.

The most popular attraction in Ocean City: Ocean City Beach. The beach reaches up and down the Atlantic coast of the island for 10 miles, and on warm weekend days it’s packed with swimmers, sunbathers, umbrellas, chairs, and people playing beachy games.

The Ocean City Boardwalk is another favorite spot during the day and at night. The kitsch is turned all the way up here, and that’s part of the joy. Get souvenirs and snacks, play throwback games, and take carnival-style rides.

For some local history, visit the Ocean City Life-Saving Museum at the southern end of the boardwalk. It’s housed in a former U.S. Lifesaving Service and Coast Guard building, and it has exhibits on how Ocean City has changed over time, transforming from small fishing village to major tourist center, plus artifacts from local shipwrecks.

For retail therapy, head to Outlets Ocean City on the mainland, which sprawls with tons of shops.

Ocean City’s best restaurants are spread evenly up and down the Coastal Highway, so no matter where you’re staying you’ll be close to some excellent options. And if you’re interested in mixing it up, just hit the road and head north or south. For breakfast, look for unfussy cafes and New York style bagel shops. For lunch, explore the fish shacks and fish restaurants that grill and fry up delicious fresh catch. For dinner, there are plenty of casual and upscale options with a seafood and American focus, although you can find a variety of other cuisines as well.

Ocean City revolves around the beach, so if you’re here, chances are you’re here to be outdoors. But if you need to get away from the tourist crowds, there’s an incredible day trip within reach. Head to beautiful, hikeable Assateague Island, just over the inlet at the southern end of Fenwick Island. Assateague is 37 miles long and is divided by the Maryland-Virginia state border. The reason to visit: it has herds of wild horses, which are said to have survived a Spanish shipwreck hundreds of years ago.

Trimper's Rides is a historic amusement park on the Ocean City boardwalk, and its carousel has been operating for over 100 years. The carousel is hard to miss, with real and mythical animals carved by German artisans. And rumor has it that the carousel is haunted. Joanne Trimper, a member of the Trimper family that started the amusement park, was said to have adored the white horse bedecked in blue and red. Smell perfume near that horse? You’re not alone, and that could be her ghost.