New to Cape Cod - where to stay?

Hello,

We are a family of 5 adults and one 10-month-old looking to visit Cape Cod this summer, probably mid-June. None of us have ever been to Cape Cod and we would love some suggestions regarding where to stay. We%26#39;re hoping to rent a home and to be close to the beach, a downtown area, restaurants, and a variety of ';attractions.'; (Basically we don%26#39;t want to be too far off the beaten path.) I%26#39;m fairly certain we will either drive or rent a car once in MA. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

New to Cape Cod - where to stay?

Hi, you will need a car on the Cape regardless of where you stay. That said, it sounds like Falmouth, Harwich or Chatham will fill your needs. Each has the downtown area and restaurants you desire. I am not sure what you mean by attractions- there are the man-made family kind like mini-golf, bumper cars, (or our personal favorites)- bumper boats and then there are the natural ones like the seals you can watch in Chatham or the whales off Provincetown along with the beautiful beaches, etc. You can golf, shop and visit a few museums. You can also take the ferry over to one of the islands for a daytrip. Even tho mid-june is a bit before high season, I would suggest reserving a cottage soon. Most places rent Saturday to Saturday.

New to Cape Cod - where to stay?

For your first visit you might want to locate in Mid-Cape Dennis with 16 beautiful beaches, a lovely area for unique shopping on 6A (plus the vererable Cape Playhouse and two golf courses), easy access to additional attractions to the east or west of you and reasonable (for the Cape that is) accommodation rates. You will find a lot of motels and cottages located in Dennisport and West Dennis right on the beach and others close to it.

check out red jacket beach resorts

Hi Gabi,

If you can decide on an arrival/departure date and an airport then I would go ahead and shop for a rental car right now. As you know, you can reserve a car and cancel it later. The prices on the same car will escalate the later you wait.

From GRR a quick look indicates that, currently, the airfares are lower to PVD (Providence, RI) but, when we used to fly into PVD we paid a bit more for the rental car. Whether you use BOS or PVD the travel time is the same to the Cape. And, as someone already said, you%26#39;ll need a car so do yourself a favor and get some arrangements now.

Just a note: The time of your visit, mid-June, is a great time to be here if you want to avoid the crush. The summer crowds have definitely not found their way to the Cape yet as most schools in the area aren%26#39;t out until the 3rd week of June (snow days have pushed our %26#39;release date%26#39; to the third week of June). Spontaneous weekend visits from those within driving range will be completely dependent upon the weather at the time. Mid-June can be chilly and the water will still be very cold. Bring layers!

I hope you don%26#39;t plan on going in the water in June. You%26#39;ll freeze to death. This is cape cod, not Miami.

We have travelled to the Cape for about 15 years, both with kids and without.

Get a car, you%26#39;ll need it. If you can stay away from Rt. 28, you will enjoy the ';old Cape Cod';. However, Rt. 28 is full of touristy stuff for kids. Try to stay mid-cape so you will be in the middle bewteen both ends. If you have the time, and you will need extra time in traffic, try to see the Cape tip to tip. THe differences in one town to another are amazing. Having stayed in houses and hotels all over the Cape, we like to be off the beaten path, between the two main highways: Rt. 28 and Rt. 6A---not Rt. 6---the main ';highway';, but scenic Rt. 6A. THe bay is amazing and more gentle and warmer than the ocean. But a trip to see the surf of Cape Cod National Seashore is really cool.

CHatham has a great downtown for walking and a really cool public playground, but it can be more expensive to stay there so look nearby.

Have a great stay!