Cheapest Beach Vacations in the U.S. – Just Hours from Louisiana

Louisiana beach lovers you still have Labor Day weekend and if you want to beat the heat by dipping your toes in the water and your backside in the sand have we got a destination for you. Now, this isn't a destination for people that love overpaying for hotel rooms and meals.

You should only read further if you love a destination that is just an hour or so drive away from Louisiana, offers an incredible array of activities from nightlife and nearby gambling to absolutely nothing, and this place offers it for less than just about anyone else in the country.

You've probably figured out that the destination we are describing is on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. But before you fall out of your chair screaming about how much it costs to go to Biloxi or how much you spent on your last trip to Gulfport, let me just tell you, we aren't talking about those towns.

The town we are talking about is featured in Travel & Leisure's Best Beach Towns and it has also been featured in Southern Living's Prettiest Beach Towns. The index that we are using was compiled using information from those two publications as well as information obtained through Airbnb. The data was compiled by the publication Upgraded Points. 

The city in question is Ocean Springs Mississippi. If you're driving from Lafayette, assuming you don't get caught in the "new Buc-ee's traffic" right across the Louisiana/Mississippi line it's about a three-hour drive. And if you're looking for beachfront accommodation, Ocean Springs is the second-best value in the nation. The nation's cheapest beachfront bargains are found in Cedar Key Florida.

If you wanted to rent a beachfront property in Ocean Springs, Mississippi for a week, you'd spend about $1,500. That's all. If you want that broken down, the folks at the Biloxi Sun-Herald Newspaper did that for you. They show a nightly home rental price in Ocean Springs at $282 with a hotel price per night of only $144. Now, remember, that's with a guaranteed beach view.

So, if you have one more Labor Day Beach trip in the back of your mind, you don't have to go all the way to the Flora-Bama, you can stop a few hours earlier and enjoy the same sand and sun and save a lot of money too.