Everyone knows that feeling. You’re only a handful of miles from the beach, dreaming about that moment when you sink into the sand and lean back in your beach chair, but you’re stuck in traffic.
Or, maybe you arrive in downtown Lewes or Rehoboth Beach, eager to get to dinner reservations, and you’re trying to calculate in your head how much this trip is going to cost you in parking fees.
Allow us to remove one stressor from your next beach trip. Here is everything you need to know about the latest parking rates and tips on avoiding traffic or expensive parking spots.
Beach parking and transportation
All resort towns from Lewes to Fenwick Island have their seasonal parking rules in place for the summer.
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Most towns have the option to pay for parking on your smartphone, so it may be wise to download the ParkMobile app before you reach your destination.
Rehoboth Beach now has a universal $3 per hour rate throughout the city, and Lewes is charging $1.50 downtown and $2.50 at the beaches.
Lewes has several free non-metered parking lots listed on its website, as well as metered lots and spaces on side streets.
When visiting Delaware State Parks like Cape Henlopen, parking is included in the entrance fee. However, it’s wise to check the parks’ Facebook pages where staff will post whether the park is closed due to full parking.
In Dewey Beach, parking is free in all permit-only and metered spaces Monday through Wednesday, but only 5 to 11 p.m. All other days and times, you must pay to park on public streets.
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(These free parking times coincide with family-friendly movie nights and bonfires in Dewey, events that continue throughout the summer).
Fenwick Island and South Bethany mostly require permits to park, but Fenwick offers free parking on its side streets after 4 p.m.
In Bethany Beach, all spaces are either metered or require a permit through Sept. 15.
Many of these towns and cities offer payment through the ParkMobile app.
For more about parking (or State Park fees), visit each beach town’s website:
Consider taking the Beach Bus
Want to forget about parking or paying for gas? Take a bus to the beach. Parking is free at the park and rides in Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.
The Beach Bus has already started its routes and will continue seven days a week until Sept. 11. The stops include Rehoboth Beach and the Boardwalk, Lewes, Long Neck, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Ocean City in Maryland, Millsboro and Georgetown.
The cost to ride the bus is $2 per trip, $4 for a daily pass, $16 for a seven-day pass or $60 for a 30-day pass.
Traveling from northern Delaware or Kent County? The 305 Beach Connection from Wilmington to Rehoboth Beach runs Saturdays, Sundays and holidays through Sept. 5.
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Riders taking this bus will pay $6 for one-way trips from Wilmington, Christiana Mall and Odessa and $4 from Dover and South Frederica. A daily pass is $10 from New Castle County and $8 from Kent County.
If traveling around Bethany Beach, the town also offers a trolley with a single route that runs from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and costs 25 cents per trip.
In Lewes, the new seasonal transit option Lewes Line cost $1 per ride. Stops include the two municipal beaches, downtown locations, the library and more. To learn more, visit www.ci.lewes.de.us/363/Lewes-Line.
Emily Lytle covers Sussex County from the inland towns to the beaches, with a focus on health-related issues. Got a story she should tell? Contact her at elytle@delmarvanow.com or 302-332-0370. Follow her on Twitter at @emily3lytle.
