The Jersey Shore

GETTING THERE: Getting to the Jersey Shore is not one-size-fits-all. There are 115 miles between Long Branch and Cape May, and your route will vary based on which section you plan to hit.

· By car. Driving is the simplest, fastest way to get to any point; the trip will take about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, depending on destination. Traffic can add hours to the journey, so timing is key. Avoid routes that travel south on the Garden State Parkway on a Saturday morning, or north on Sunday afternoons.

From the New Jersey Turnpike, Interstate 195 (Exit 7A east) is the major highway that leads to northern communities, including Spring Lake, Ocean Grove and Manasquan.

For Seaside Heights and other towns on the central coast, take I-95 across the Delaware Memorial Bridge to I-295 north to Route 70 east (I-295 parallels the Jersey Turnpike to I-195 and is a good traffic alternative); to get to Long Beach Island, also take Route 70, but then turn off onto Route 72. For Atlantic City, you can take Exit 3 east off the Jersey Turnpike to get to the Atlantic City Expressway; a good alternative is to take Route 40 east after the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

If you're headed to Cape May, the Wildwoods, Avalon or points south of Atlantic City, take Route 40 to Route 55 toward Vineland, which turns into Route 47. You can also combine driving with a pleasant 80-minute trip on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry (800-643-3770, http://www.capemaylewesferry.com). To get to Lewes, Del., take Route 50 east from the Beltway across the Bay Bridge to Route 404, which turns into Route 9 east, and follow the signs to the ferry terminal; reserved round-trip fare is $80 for two adults and car.

· Other options. Greyhound (800-231-2222, http://www.greyhound.com) offers service from Washington to Atlantic City; fare is about $61 round trip. From Atlantic City, New Jersey Transit (800-772-2222. http://www.njtransit.com) operates buses to Wildwood ($4 each way) and Cape May ($4.75 each way).

You can also take Amtrak (800-872-7245, http://www.amtrak.com) to Newark for about $134 round trip and then take a North Jersey Coast Line train to any of six beach communities, including Long Branch, Ocean Grove and Belmar; New Jersey Transit is offering a beach package that includes a round-trip train ticket and a beach pass for $17.

INFORMATION: For general information, contact New Jersey Tourism, 609-777- 0885, http://www.state.nj.us/travel. Here are Web sites and phone numbers for some of the major towns along the coast, from north to south.

· Greater Long Branch Chamber of Commerce, 732-222-0400, http://www.longbranchchamber.org

· Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, 732-775-7676, http://www.asburyparkchamber.com

· Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce, 800-388-4768, http://www.oceangrovenj.com

· Borough of Avon-by-the-Sea, 732-502-4510, http://www.avon-by-the-sea.com