Myrtle Beach: Travel Tips to Know
Getting here and around
Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) sits about 3 miles from the Boardwalk, served by Allegiant, Breeze, and Southwest running the most routes, plus Delta from Atlanta and American from DFW. Spirit exited MYR in May 2026, so don’t count on it showing up in a route search. Most visitors still drive in, Charlotte is about 3.5 hours, Atlanta 6 to 7.5 hours depending on traffic, DC roughly 7, mostly via I-95 and US-17, with the SC-31 Carolina Bays Parkway as the traffic-relief route running north-south in summer.
Once you’re here, a car is essential. The Grand Strand is 60 miles of car-oriented sprawl, and Coast RTA transit, about 10 routes running roughly hourly, covers the core corridor but not day trips. Two parallel US-17s run the length of the Strand: Business 17, also called Kings Highway, stoplight-heavy and closer to the ocean, and the Bypass, also congested now. Expect to use both depending on where you’re headed.
Money
Budget for tax on top of every check and every night’s stay: roughly 11.5% on a restaurant meal inside Myrtle Beach city limits, about 10.5% in unincorporated Horry County just outside it, and both rates are volatile enough to check before you assume the menu price is the final one. Standard US tipping applies, 15 to 20% for good restaurant service.
On the beach
Rip currents, not sharks, are the real hazard here, so swim near a lifeguard and learn the flag system before you go in: green is calm, yellow is medium caution, a single red flag means don’t swim, double red closes the water, and blue signals marine life nearby. Two rules to know before you set up: from Memorial Day through Labor Day, only circular umbrellas 7.5 feet or smaller are allowed, tents and canopies are banned so lifeguards keep a clear sightline down the beach. Separately, no alcohol or glass is allowed on the beach anywhere on the Strand, year-round, not just in summer. Car break-ins happen at beach parking lots, so don’t leave valuables visible.
Timing and booking
Spring (March through May) and fall (September and October) are the sweet spots, warm, golf-friendly, and cheaper; October is often named the single best month. Summer is hot, humid, and the busiest season, July especially. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, peaking mid-August to mid-October, worth an eye on the forecast rather than a reason to skip a trip. If golf is part of your plan, stay-and-play packages are how most visiting golfers actually book, bundling a course and a room together rather than arranging each separately.
Match your trip length against the itineraries for a sense of how much of this actually fits, a 2-day trip and a 7-day trip need very different packing lists.