Seashores such as Assateague Island, Ocean City, Maryland, and Bethany Beach, Delaware, are about a 100-mile drive from Baltimore. If you really want to be cheap, places like Assateague Island National Seashore offer year-round camping (about $30 per night in summer and $16 in winter). A plethora of inexpensive hotels and motels in Bethany Beach, Ocean City and nearby Rehoboth compete for business. Although it's best to phone in a reservation, vacancies do happen, and rooms go for as little as $50 per night.
Annapolis, Maryland's capital city, is expensive to live in, but can be inexpensive to visit. The Best Western Historic Annapolis has rooms as low as $49 per night. Once there, you can tour the historic district, visit the U.S. Naval Academy, shop, stroll the harbor area, or view one of the many art galleries. And, don't miss the bookstore at St. John's College. Those of us who pursue cheap vacations usually favor supermarkets, market houses and delicatessens for reasonably priced meals, but in Annapolis the best kept secret for delicious, nutritious inexpensive dining is St. John's College Cafeteria. For just a 40-mile drive or bus ride from Baltimore, all of this can be yours.
Just 40 miles from Baltimore, Washington D.C., is a must-see. No matter how long you stay, you can't possibly see everything on display at the museums plus all of the historic sites and monuments. To avoid information overload, take D.C. in small doses. Inexpensive hotels such as Days Inn Connecticut Avenue start around $63 per night. D.C. is also a popular day trip from Baltimore. If you want to get there quickly and inexpensively, consider MARC Rail from Penn Station, Baltimore.
Bay and ocean cruises benefit from the economy and efficiency of having all amenities and lodging right onboard the ship. Sometimes, that economy is passed on to consumers in the form of an affordable vacation. Two-day cruises on the Mystic Whaler start at just $320. Cruises have always been available from Baltimore and probably always will be, thanks to a genuine working harbor in the middle of town.
