The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (2024)

Daytona Beach or bust! We knew that this day would come, and it’s as glorious as we thought it would be. All roads point straight to Daytona Beach for summertime fun.

How do I get to Daytona Beach?

It’s a breeze from these Florida cities.

… FROM JACKSONVILLE

Drive time: 1 hour, 30 minutes | 89 miles

It’s a short drive from Duval. Hop on Interstate 95 South and go! Stop at the World’s Most Famous Beach.

… FROM OCALA

Drive time: 1 hour, 30 minutes | 78 miles

Spring to it - hit Florida Highway 40 E, then I-95 South. When you see International Speedway Boulevard, you know you’re close to the finish line.

… FROM ORLANDO

Drive time: 55 minutes | 56 miles

Mickey will understand. Take I-4 East to I-95 North and exit at International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach. Do your best to contain your excitement.

… FROM TAMPA

Drive time: 2 hours, 15 minutes | 139 miles

Your new quarterback will still be there when you get back. Ride I-4 East (pick up friends in Orlando if you need), and don’t stop until you get to I-95 North. #CoastToCoast

… FROM GAINESVILLE

Drive time: 2 hours | 98 miles

Later, Gator. Follow Florida Highway 26 East/Florida Highway 100 East to U.S. Highway 17 South. From there, Florida Highway 100 East/Florida Highway 20 East will carry you to U.S. Highway 1 to Daytona Beach.

… FROM SAVANNAH

Drive time: 3hours, 25 minutes | 230miles

If you're for a longer road trip adventure, consider this route named one of the best East Coast Road Trips for fascinating history, beautiful beaches and delicious seafood.

What should I pack for Daytona Beach?

You’ll want to travel light, but not leave anything out.

… IN YOUR CAR

BEACH CHAIR | Better: One with beverage holders. Best: One that rocks.

BEACH BAG | Better: One that’s canvas and roomy. Best: One with comfy shoulder straps

BEACH TOYS | Better: A pail and bucket are classic. Best: Spikeball is stellar.

The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (1)

… ON THE TRIP (WITH THE KIDS)

CAR BINGO | Better: On an app (Apple | Android). Best: A printable version

COLORING PAGES | Better: Cool ones of animals. Best: More printable pages and puzzles

A STACK OF BOOKS | Better: Audiobooks. Best: Travel journals (just give a kid a blank notebook and crayons).

The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (2)

… IN YOUR BAG

SUNBLOCK | Better: Chemical sunscreen for easy application. Best: Mineral sunscreen for long-lasting sun barrier.

HAT | Better: One to show off your Marlins or Rays pride. Best: One to show your Daytona Beach Tortugas pride.

PLASTIC BAGS | Better: 2, for wet flip-flops and swimsuits. Best: Recyclable bags.

STAY SAFE: Better: Hand sanitizer, face coverings | Best: Wash hands, maintain social distancing, and wear a face covering indoors whenever social distancing is not possible

The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (3)

… IN YOUR LUGGAGE

SWIMSUITS | Better: A brand-new one. Best: An extra one for extra fun.

FLIP FLOPS | Better: Ones with support and comfort. Best: Ones with support, comfort, and bright neon colors.

LIGHTWEIGHT CLOTHING | Better: Breathable fabrics. Best: Moisture-wicking fabrics.

… IF YOU FORGET STUFF …

MAUI NIX | SALTY DOG

What should I bring for fun in Daytona Beach?

For outdoor exposure, you’ve come to the right place for waves, waterways, and trails.

… FOR YOUR BIKE

HALIFAX RIVER TRAIL

Ride past parks and fishing piers and on to the farmer’s market. It’s part of the East Coast Greenway, which runs from the Keys to Maine.

PONCE INLET TRAIL

It’s 3.5 miles, but you can make a 12-mile loop out of it if you’re feeling frisky. It’s an easy-going ride in a picturesque setting from Daytona Beach to Ponce Inlet.

SWEETHEART TRAIL

An amazing ride from Beach Street to the Halifax River. This flat circuit features spacious boardwalks and is named after the yacht of a famous local businessman.

HIKING AND BIKING TRAILS

The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (4)

… FOR YOUR SURFBOARD

MAIN STREET AND SUNGLOW PIER

This exposed beach/pier break is home to reliable surf year-round. Works well in offshore winds out of the southwest.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - South Jetty

This spot is best on east and south swells with the higher incoming tide. Consistently big waves.

ORMOND BEACH

Ormond’s surf mostly comes from groundswells, the best from the northeast, and both left- and right-hand waves. Try it at low tide when the tide is rising.

SURFING IN DAYTONA BEACH

The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (5)

… FOR YOUR PADDLEBOARD

THREE BROTHERS BOARDS DOLPHIN AND MANATEE PADDLEBOARD TOURS

Take this half-day adventure. See dolphins and manatees on your stand-up paddleboard.

PADDLES UP

The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (6)

… FOR YOUR KAYAK

BLUE SPRING STATE PARK

Blue Spring is crystal clear and 73 degrees. It’s a designated manatee refuge, where West Indian manatees live in the winter.

BLUE SPRING STATE PARK

TOMOKA STATE PARK

The waters surrounding the park are popular for canoeing, boating, and fishing and a boat ramp makes the river easily accessible.

TOMOKA STATE PARK

PONCE PRESERVE

This municipal park runs from the Halifax River to the Atlantic Ocean, through a cross-section of immaculate barrier island habitat.

PONCE PRESERVE

The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (7)

… IN YOUR BOAT

DISAPPEARING ISLAND

It’s a perfect spot for a family trip - a popular sandbar in Ponce Inlet that appears once a day, at low tide. Fly a kite or pack a picnic. You’ll love this place.

DISAPPEARING ISLAND

HALIFAX RIVER

You might see dolphins and manatees as you cast a line into the river for black and red drum, catfish, flounder, mangrove snapper sheepshead, snook, tarpon, and trout.

HALIFAX RIVER

OFF-SHORE FISHING

Check out Captain Sean's Daytona Beach Fishing Trips for bites and laughs. Try Floating Time Daytona Beach Fishing Charters or Yellow Dawg Fishing.

GET FISHING

… BEFORE YOU GO

Check out our Florida Resident Deals and Hotel Packages

The Essential Daytona Beach Road Trip Guide (2024)

FAQs

How many days do you need in Daytona Beach? ›

To fully embrace Daytona Beach, a longer visit is better. Most travelers tend to allocate seven days to take advantage of the local nightlife, relax at the beach, enjoy the city's energy, and enjoy the live music scene.

What are the best months to visit Daytona Beach? ›

The best time to visit Daytona Beach is between March and May. You'll miss the crowded Speedweeks, a series of events and races leading up to February's Daytona 500. Plus, the tourism hangover from busy February may reward you with cheap rates.

Can you walk around Daytona Beach? ›

The beach is accessible and free for pedestrians and bicyclists 24 hours a day, depending on tides and weather conditions.

Can you get around Daytona Beach without a car? ›

Public transport in Daytona Beach

Getting around with public transport is an affordable way to travel. Depending on the area, you can view nearby bus or subway routes with Uber Transit to help plan your travels.

What is the least crowded beach in Daytona Beach? ›

Least Crowded Beaches in Daytona Beach

Bicentennial Park: Nestled along the Halifax River, this park offers a beautiful stretch of sandy shore, perfect for a quiet day at the beach.

How much money do you need for Daytona Beach? ›

Most visitors spend between $666 and $3,194 for a one week trip to Daytona Beach, with the average being $1,474. This includes sightseeing, local transportation, food, and hotels.

What is the coldest month in Daytona Beach, Florida? ›

Average daily temperatures in the Daytona Beach area range from a low of 64°F in January to a high of 90°F in July.

What is hurricane season for Daytona Beach? ›

Winds are at least 74 mph (64 knots) spiraling counter-clockwise around a calm center known as an "eye." Hurricanes are classified by form and intensity. These storms are the most common disaster threat for Florida, with an annual posted hurricane season (June 1 through Nov. 30).

How warm is the ocean in Daytona Beach? ›

Daytona Beach sea temperatures peak in the range 28 to 30°C (82 to 86°F) on around the 26th of July and are at their minimum on about the 10th of February, in the range 19 to 22°C (66 to 72°F). Year round warm sea temperatures at Daytona Beach climb to their maximum in the fourth week of July.

How much does it cost to drive on Daytona Beach? ›

Driving on the beach requires a fee of $20 per vehicle per day, which allows for an entire day of beach driving and parking. In an effort to conserve our natural resources, beach access is limited to specific sections of the beach and is dependent on tide conditions.

Can you drink beer on Daytona Beach? ›

No. You can't bring any alcohol bottles or disposable cups with alcohol onto the beaches of Daytona Beach as it's completely prohibited. But there are plenty of watering holes on the boardwalk to grab a cold one or a cocktail.

How long is the Daytona Beach boardwalk? ›

Explore this 1.1-mile out-and-back trail near Daytona Beach, Florida. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 20 min to complete.

Can you drive on Daytona Beach for free? ›

The beach is open to vehicles from 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. or sundown whichever is earlier from May 1 through October 31, and between sunrise to sunset from November 1 to April 30, tides permitting. There is a year-round $20 per day per vehicle access fee to drive on the beach; this includes one same-day re-entry.

What parts of Daytona Beach can you drive on? ›

Yes, you can drive on Daytona Beach with access points along Florida's Atlantic Highway (A1A). You can drive from sunrise to sunset as long as the weather permits it. There is a $20 car fee for driving on the beach and parking.

What is the best way to get around Daytona Beach? ›

The best way to get around Daytona Beach is by car, so bring your most impressive set of wheels to roll around this automobile-obsessed city. Enjoy the fact that unless it's a race day, traffic shouldn't be a problem.

Is Daytona Beach worth visiting? ›

Daytona Beach is well-known for its area beaches and the Daytona International Speedway that hosts the Daytona 500, but it also has plenty more attractions and shopping opportunities. Among the beautiful stretches of beach, there are also water parks and rides, plus arcades on the boardwalk.

Is Daytona Beach a walkable city? ›

Walkable, historical and cultural! Those three words are just a few of the ways we describe Daytona Beach Area Downtown Districts.

Do you need a car in Daytona Beach? ›

Take a scenic ride or put your car in park to enjoy a beach day with everything you need just a stone's throw from your beach towel. Cars aren't the only mode of transportation worthy of our breathtaking beaches. You can rent golf carts in Daytona Beach and those traveling on two wheels can have just as much fun.

Is Daytona Beach Florida expensive? ›

According to C2ER (the Council for Community and Economic Research), the cost of living in Daytona Beach is estimated to be 91.3% of the national average making it an average US city.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Edmund Hettinger DC

Last Updated:

Views: 6058

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (78 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Edmund Hettinger DC

Birthday: 1994-08-17

Address: 2033 Gerhold Pine, Port Jocelyn, VA 12101-5654

Phone: +8524399971620

Job: Central Manufacturing Supervisor

Hobby: Jogging, Metalworking, Tai chi, Shopping, Puzzles, Rock climbing, Crocheting

Introduction: My name is Edmund Hettinger DC, I am a adventurous, colorful, gifted, determined, precious, open, colorful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.